Here's my opinion: We need a rating system for the written word...NOW!

A degrading trend in the written word...Plus a message to fiction writers and editors...And those who teach or coach writers, as well.

I've been a reader for as long as I can remember...and still possess my all-time early-life favorites, Swiss Family Robinson, Treasure Island, and Black Beauty. While I haven't re-read them in decades, when I was very young, they—and a great many other fine works for young people—swept me away from what I perceived to be, shall we say, an unpleasant home environment...to engrossing adventures in faraway places. They were exciting; they were fascinating; they were, for the most part, uplifting; they were often inspiring; but most of all, they were always clean! There was no need for a rating system that warned of moral decadence, extreme brutality, socially-unacceptable language, or what is now considered obligatory graphic sexual content.

I and my young reading friends were relatively safe. And that safety, combined with considerable responsible parental guidance, provided the foundation for acceptable social behavior that remains nearly intact seven decades later. I'm really sorry if that sounds self-righteous. The apple—as the saying goes—doesn't fall far from the tree. You bring up a kid right, and you lay the foundation for the remainder of her or his life in society. A long-standing and inescapable conclusion!

Here's the history: At just a whisker short of a relatively healthy 72, my early upbringing and careful parental attention to the proper development of language and communication skills and habits fostered a life-long distaste for what much of the reading and writing world now casually accepts as normal and routine: inappropriate, morally degrading and personally offensive language and subject matter on the printed page.

My early—almost idyllic—history is clearly not the circumstance most kids find themselves in today. Beginning at the earliest, most tender and readily-influenced age, through virtually every succeeding year of structured education, right up to full-fledged entrance into independent society...and beyond, the minds, hearts and character of a frightening percentage of today's' youth are saturated with extreme violence, vicious blood-and-guts barbarity, unbridled sex and a the results of a steady diet of what's now considered acceptable absolute sewer-level (far beyond "gutter" level) "language" — the sole responsibility of those who write, edit, and produce a veritable—and steady—flood of utterly unacceptable—and socially disastrous—film and print foulness.

Well, yes, there is a sort of an attempt by the film (that includes video) industry to grade their highly profitable commodity's appropriateness for certain vague age groups. A rating system, in my opinion, that is woefully and irresponsibly inadequate, superficial and almost completely ignored by parents and guardians. But, at least, the industry appears to try.

I've found little, however, devoted to cautioning book borrowers and purchasers about language and themes that more than just a few readers would consider offensive in printed material. Books that were approved by editors and accepted by publishers, and marketed by thousands of book stores around the globe.

Once in a great while I hear someone complain—sometimes bitterly—about unacceptable language in one book or another, but no one person, group or organization has, to my knowledge, even offered to consider a rating system for printed material. Even those who teach creative writing or coach budding young and older authors generally avoid the subject of inappropriate or unacceptable language and theme in their courses and coaching sessions...to the detriment of Earth's collective society.

It's supposed to be "creative" writing, people! There are enough words in the English language so you shouldn't find it necessary to resort to four-letter filth in your dialog!

What's needed? A rating system for print media...especially fiction. And those who teach should put forth honest effort to convince all current and would-be authors that it is not necessary to resort to socially degrading, sewer-level language and theme to get their point across while earning a reasonable living. Even more effective would be for those who are responsible for selecting authors for prestigious awards to deny those honors to even widely acclaimed and praised authors who resort to abbreviated vocabularies and unacceptable scenario for the sole purpose of selling what they write.

And, while I agree that it's a difficult subject—one that might even put its instructor, author or proponent on slippery slopes—it is also one from which I and other readers (and struggling writers) would certainly benefit. I know for sure that at least part of the reading public would appreciate a moral housecleaning by more than a few of the world's acclaimed writers. (By the way, the word moral in this context means to be concerned with principles of right and wrong or conforming to standards of behavior and character based upon those principles.)

Some might consider the following a rant. In a way, I suppose it is. As I said above, no one that I'm aware of is willing to even touch the subject...but, in my mind, it's about time someone did just that.

Please understand...I'm certainly not a prude...neither am I a religious nut case. Fact is, I'm close to a complete opposite in both categories. Nonetheless, I feel intellectually violated when, after being drawn into an absolutely delightful and well-written story, all is marred by the sudden appearance "real world" vulgarism and obscenity in print. How I wish there were an effective—and preemptive—rating system for offensive language and content in place!

There is absolutely no religious or theological foundation or reason for my disapproval of unacceptable and socially degrading printed language or vulgarism!

In my reading, I'll allow one instance of typically 4-letter violation (the type of gutter and skid-row-level rubbish I've spent much of later my life trying to get out of my mind—words, for example, that begin with s and f)...but further reading is now darkly colored by the concern it'll sooner or later repeat itself. That is simply—and profoundly—unfair! I can't remember how many otherwise perfectly marvelous story threads I've been thoroughly caught up in, only to prematurely snap the book closed, remove the bookmark, and toss it and its author in the jumble-sale bin after having been violated a second time. Twice is my limit...and, infuriatingly, the sound of expensive books snapping shut and hitting the reject box is becoming more frequent and annoyingly costly.

Case in point: An engrossing 4-part fantasy series. Book one was a soundly delightful and clean read that left me hungry for more. Then, boom!...there it is...31 pages into book two: utterly inappropriate and completely unexpected in a fantasy—graphic and vivid and detailed descriptions of a sexual encounter. What? In a Fantasy?

Now, instead of continuing the read fully immersed in the action, now clinging firmly in the corner of my mind is the expectation of repeat misuses. The story has been dirtied...for me, at least. But I give the author one more chance. And, sure enough, there they are again...offending...spoiling...angering... cluttering my mind with images I neither enjoy nor want—and which added absolutely nothing to the story.

There is no place in fantasy fiction for graphic and vivid descriptions of a sexual encounter!

Snap! Now it (and the remainder of the series, had I purchased them) finds itself on the way to a local used book re-seller—probably for the outrageously high price of $1. And I'm out $15.99 and tax.

You suppose that was a satisfying experience? You think I appreciate throwing hard-earned dollars into a rat-hole of unrestrained vulgarity and inappropriate scenario? You reckon I'll ever suggest either the series or the writer to a friend? You imagine I'll even consider picking up anything new this "author" produces? Not in this lifetime! And she's not the only one on my reject list...not by a long shot! There are dozens of so-called "award-winning" and/or "best-selling" authors whose productions I've browsed and will no longer even consider, let alone recommend. And, yes, my reading list is seriously limited. That's why most of the titles on my recreational-reading library wall (other than reference works) are those whose author's communication skills are perfected and refined to the point that they find no need to resort to four-letter trash, or are very carefully selected fantasies, or are works written specifically for young readers. Sad, isn't it?

Thank GOD for Terry Brooks, Brian Jacques, Dorothy Gilman, Susan Wittig Albert, Lilian Jackson Braun, Sarah Graves, Laurie King, Tony Hillerman, Terry Pratchett, J.R.R Tolkien, J.K. Rowling, Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman, Clive Cussler and a few others! So far, so good!

Now you see that I can deal with a few common "cuss" words; It's the decayed, unscrupulous "literary" filth to which I and—I sincerely hope—others object.

So I ask publishers and editors: Must I lower my sights and insert such non-literary trash into my writing in the hopes that you and the reading public will find my creations acceptable, potentially profitable and worthy of purchase? Or should I throw up my hands in hopeless resign...and go stock grocery shelves or sign on as a WalMart greeter instead of fulfilling a lifelong dream of putting uplifting, interesting, entertaining and informative words and ideas to paper?

Creative writing teachers and coaches: Perhaps you might consider tackling the subject for your wider audience. You'd have one devotee, for sure...and may even produce a definite positive benefit for others of us who really enjoy reading (and writing!) good, clean literature...and, one can only hope, reverse a disturbing and degrading cultural trend in the bargain.

Thank you for your attention—and surviving to the end of this rather long missive!