Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?
	"Because the entertainment industry has done a dismal job of regulating itself, all movies, books, magazines, music, and videos should be placed under a strict rating system that is carefully monitored by the government. Violators of the code should face criminal penalties. "
Please review the arguments for and against the statement and enter your response.
		Pros The foundation of a great civilization lies in its moral and ethical stance. Just as the individual must exercise self-discipline and restraint, so too a country must exercise control over the ideas and images entering the minds of its citizens, particularly its youth. The constant barrage of violent and sexually graphic images desensitize even the most caring of humanitarians. As we move forward to the 21st century, we need to be inspired by the best and the brightest. It is too easy for the unguarded mind to become lost in the morass of pop culture.
		Cons The foundation of a great civilization lies in its trust of humanity. It is only through the nourishing of diverse perspectives and ideas that a country can flourish and creatively solve the problems of the future. What citizens need are the skills to evaluate images and ideas; they need the skills to discriminate differences in quality. The establishment of an official truth by external authority is an affront to individual rights. History is full of examples of countries that have stifled their cultures through censorship, e.g. Nazi Germany and the U.S.S.R. Shielding our youth from pop culture will not save our country. Censorship will lead to its destruction.
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