Choices are available: Every February Sports Illustrated publishes a steamy swimsuit edition that has elicited angry letters from fans of legitimate sports who are offended by pages filled with soft porn. Now readers can opt out of this issue by calling 866-228-1175 and request not to receive that week's issue.

Those who opt out of this issue will have their subscriptions extended by one issue. If you make the call, be sure to thank Sports Illustrated for giving families that option ("Culture Clips," Plugged In, Focus on the Family, February 2005, 2).



Another choice is to beware of exposure to an entertainer who captivated millions of children in the popular movie, The Parent Trap in 1998. Lindsay Lohan started out, as did Britney Spears, to be a "wholesome child star," but, as did Britney Spears, she is moving to images, parts and photos that do not keep her in that category.

Lindsay did a PG-rated Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen and the mother-daughter body-swap flick, Freaky Friday, but since then has moved on to Mean Girls, which included enough profanity, sexual content and teen drinking to warrant the first PG-13 rating in the 18-year-old actress' career ("Parent Trap," Plugged In, Focus on the Family, February 2005, 3). "Since then she has recorded a pop CD and posed for racy photo layouts--part of an image makeover that should encourage parents of young fans to draw the line and pull back" if they have not already done so (Ibid). The fact that Lohan names as role models Marilyn Monroe and Madonna should be enough information for parents to stop the support of any admiration for this teen star (Ibid).



Another choice: You can let your voice be heard by your city officials that you want them to send a letter indicating their support of Cable Choice to Parent Television Council's address at 707 Wilshire Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90017. We shouldn't have to pay for cable television that comes into our home that we do not want.



Another choice: You can swing by service desks of stores you shop in and either thank the manager graciously or make requests for covers for those magazines that are inappropriate for children to see.



Another choice: You can check your home and remove everything that will introduce your children or grandchildren to sexual lingerie images or sexual swimsuit images. It takes little in today's world to create sexual feelings for young men. Curiosity encourages them to seek experiences that create the same feelings. Addiction comes quickly in today's world because of the explicitness of the images available and because of Internet, movies, television, etc.



Another choice: You can choose good DVDs for your family. The Parent's Television Council awarded their seal of approval to Highway to Heaven, Season One. With care about eliminating the commercials, selective viewing is still at times available.

I have a new LDS DVD called Safeguarding Families, available on my Web site, www.strengthenthefamily.net, or at Envision Entertainment, 60 East Center Street #109, Logan, Utah 84321. I guarantee it will encourage family discussion about television, video games, movies, etc. This needs to be happening in today's world. Citizens for Families receives any profits.

It's all up to you -- the future of your family, the future of your environment, and the future of moral values in today's world. Who was it that said that evil can triumph only when good people do nothing? I think Edmund Burke is given credit to words similar to these.