R-Card

GKC Cinemas has a special ID card for minors that allows them to see R-rated movies without a parent or guardian. To get a card a child's parents must go to the theater and sign for it, as well as pay a $2.00 fee.

Critics argue that the cards amount to parents handing the delicate decision about what movies are appropriate to their kids, a shift they say violates the intent of the motion picture industry's voluntary rating system.

Why shouldn't parents be able to hand this decision to their kids if the parents feel their kids are ready to make this decision. Many kids are fully capable of deciding what to watch and if their parents are comfortable with this then what is wrong with it?

Joyce Needham, of Peoria, said she discusses every movie "before and after" her 16-year-old grandson uses his R-card. With or without a card, she said, kids will find a way to get what they want. "I just think communication is the answer and trusting the child," Needham said. "If you can discuss what's going on in this world, you're better off than letting them find a way to do it on their own."

Your kids are going to be part of the world. They are going to come into contact with things you might not want them to be in contact with no matter how much you try to shelter them. The answer is teaching them to do what is right. This takes a little trust, and at times they will fail that trust (I know I did on occasion) but it pays off in the long run.