Children, Censorship, Pornography, & Who's Right It Is to Interfere: I have asked myself at times what I would do about abuse towards a child if I were to become personally aware of one, as well as what would be the proper resolution to the fact that freedom & liberty means exposure to not only the best, but the worst that is possible in humans. I couldn't accept interfering with a family and their progeny; I couldn't advocate setting up a body of overseers to pretend that they are the ultimate authority on how to raise the young to become at least as perfect as their elders. I have settled upon the idea of alternatives: when alternatives are existent, those who need and are searching for what these alternatives provide will be able to overcome the attempted influences upon their minds & bodies; if there is a place where children could go if they found their life at home abusive or unbearable (and they were aware of this place, or these people) then they themselves could seek relief & assistance there. If they were restricted or limited in their contacts at home, then they could go to wherever else other access to information is available (and don't children accomplish this, anyway, usually to the surprise and consternation of their parents?). I think the best solution would be to make available the kind of assistance which children themselves could take it upon themselves to seek at their discretion, if they thought their situation called for it. What could anyone object, if a child was to make their discomfort & unhappiness apparent by seeking the help of another who was willing to come to their aid? This would not be interferance, but still satisfy the desires of those who have concerns about injustices to the vulnerabilities of kids. In an open environment where all things are possible, where you never know what you're going to get (in that box of chocolates), it would be best to have recovery systems in operation where the damage would be limited and correction would be possible & easier to achieve. Intelligence should make its impression upon the lives of free individuals above what the limited concepts and fears of some would propose. This implies open discussion, communication, the ability to present a better view of life, better ideas, and wiser alternatives. Children like to know that their parents care for them, that their parents are interested in their physical & mental welfare. I think that they would prefer the guidance of their parents above that of strangers, that they would prefer that those whom they admire could provide the best counsel to them, and to give their parents the credit for having the best judgement on the block. But if sympathetic guidance & open discussion is not a part of their family's atmosphere, this leaves the seeking mind to find other sources of knowledge about the way the world works, and other sources of seeming authority to fill in the vaccuum. I think that the future is calling for much preparation of the intellect towards a greater ability to deal with the abstract while not leaving the level of the concrete (not that this isn't always important). The technological innovations which are continuously being created, improved, advanced require that a person be facile in dealing with new & advanced concepts as well. This also requires that a person be able to maintain their contact with the real world and not go off in ignorance with an imagination which lacks a knowledge of real processes and of how things (life, social systems, income, etc.) are made possible. The challenge of the new frontier is magnified in the world of ideas & information; if the individual (child or adult) is to be free to indulge in all the new toys being made available, then they must have a way to deal with what s/he will confront there on every level, for personal efficacy and for effective self-defense against the things which one would/should not choose to tolerate, whatever one's age group. Blanc [Enlightening Disclaimer: These comments are derived from my own intellect, not my employer's.]