OUR VIEW: First lady should encourage education of nation’s children

Of all the things to be censored, Sept. 11 shouldn’t be one of them.

Recently, first lady Laura Bush asked parents to turn off the television on Sept. 11 and instead, read to their children and perhaps light a memorial candle.

With the millions of violent scenes and pornography available on the Internet and television, parents should be more concerned about their children watching those things rather than the attacks.

The events of Sept. 11 are realities each American has to face whether young or old. The visual reminders of the terrorist attacks bring the truth of the world around us into perspective, as opposed to the misconceptions about the world people sometimes feel television can bring.

Parents who decided to forbid their children from watching television on the anniversary should also forbid them from watching any violent and pornographic acts on television or the Internet.

On this, the first anniversary, let the coverage serve as an educational tool. Some children were too young to remember last year’s attacks. They missed out on this poignant episode of American history.

If anything, watching the attacks on television during the anniversary might more fully instill a lasting patriotism in the hearts of tomorrow’s generation.