They aren't appropriate fare for impressionable young minds even in the midst of this nation's relaxed standards of personal behavior. Movie theaters are not babysitting services and theater staffers are not jailers. It's up to parents to monitor what their kids watch. It's up to parents to exercise good judgment about what's acceptable movie fare and what's not. There's plenty of information out there about movies and what's in them.
Ratings are just a start because there are no hard standards for how they are applied.
Newspapers, magazines, television and the Internet all contain movie reviews with specifics about movies. Some theaters, such as the Magic Lantern, publish short descriptions about what viewers may expect to see. Parents who are unsure should ask theater managers. Childhood is short and getting shorter as we approach the new century. There's no reason to end it prematurely or unnecessarily.