Freedom of Choice: Why Books Need A Rating System

You go into the neighborhood video store and browse the aisles looking for a good movie. After choosing the one with the most appealing cover art or plot, but upon viewing it discover it contains scenes or language you consider to be offensive. You could have avoided this if only you had taken advantage of the Motion Picture Association of America or MPAA's rating system that allows you to filter or seek out material that suits your individual preferences. Television, video games, and music all employ such a system but this alternative is non-existent when it comes to the books we read.

I recently went to my local library and checked out a book that was written by a well-known author. It had a catchy title, the cover art was fascinating, and the storyline was one I thought would hold my attention. Unfortunately though, when I took the book home and began to read it I realized that it used odious lingo that I personally find distasteful. But because there is no rating system in place I was made to make a blind selection.

Modern day literature has gradually begun to reflect the licentiousness of society today. The inclusion of vulgar speech, sexual acts, extreme violence and even drug use have become the new normal for many literary works. That further necessitates a rating system that allows us to make an educated decision on what we opt to read.

I am not suggesting a boycott of certain books since what an author writes or what the public reads is a matter of personal choice. However, shouldn't we, a country that boasts of its freedoms, be able to exercise freedom of choice in this area as well? As parents, shouldn't we be able to determine which books we deem suitable for our children? It is time for the publishing world to follow in the footsteps of the other forms of mass media and put in place a standard rating system that will allow us to do so.