Today’s blog is a little op-ed piece from my sister. Well, “op-ed” might be a bit official sounding for the MOAT, especially since it was an email she sent offering an idea for a future post. She did such a great job, I thought I’d share it with you. She lives in DC, has held posts in a few Administrations, is married to a great guy, travels the world and subscribes to intellectual publications. I’ll just get back to my Southern Living and appreciate the fact that I rely on someone else to inform me. Hmmmm… sounds like some enabling going on!  

Thanks, Kathy …. and thanks for walking the road with me.

-Kay

Good morning – since I’m not a MOAT, I’ve been to spin class, worked out with my trainer, had breakfast with my husband at Panera, drove my husband to work (which is worth listing because I did drive into downtown D.C. – I only offered because Congress is out of session and it is 4th of July week so the city is bustling with tourist not locals driving in rush hour), had a shower and I’m in my office by 9am! 

I have an idea for the MOAT today but first let me take you back to your previous life. Remember the days when you read the local newspaper, the WSJ, and the Economist? You know you do speak two languages and have a master’s degree in international management! So just in case the New York Times did not fall on your doorstep like it used to – this morning, in a 7-2 decision the Supreme Court struck down a CA law that banned the sale of violent video games to children.

My idea is to discuss Parental Responsibility.  We often talk about “Personal Responsibility” here in DC but yesterday’s Supreme Court ruling reminded me of the role of parents.  As a country, we cannot regulate, legislate or reinstate responsibility the way a parent can.

 As a non-lawyer (unlike most of the fam)  I found it fascinating that there were so many sides in this case (not two sides, but three or four depending on how you look at it) Excerpts from the NYTimes article (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/s/supreme_court/index.html)

Justice Scalia (in the majority which also included: Kennedy, Ginsburg, Sotomayor and Kagan) saying ““Like the protected books, plays and movies that preceded them, video games communicate ideas — and even social messages — through many familiar literary devices (such as characters, dialogue, plot and music) and through features distinctive to the medium (such as the player’s interaction with the virtual world),” Justice Scalia wrote. “That suffices to confer First Amendment protection.”

Justice Thomas in his decent:  “ ‘The freedom of speech,’ as originally understood, does not include a right to speak to minors (or a right of minors to access speech) without going through the minors’ parents or guardians,” Justice Thomas wrote.

Since I am not a lawyer or a parent, I will not render any judgment on any side of this debate except to say – it seems that with all the forces coming at kids – many of which you have covered in your blog – the only way to know your kids are protected is for YOU, the parent, to protect them until they can protect themselves.  It was a high calling for our parents and they did a wonderful job.  It is an even higher calling for you today.  As a non-MOAT — MOAT reader all I can do is pray.

Love you sis…keep fighting the good fight!

Kathy