I recall that as a youngster my father, a veteran, made me watch and read Vietnam coverage. (ps, he was in favour of that war.) Did it traumatise me? No.

When I was a kid, I told a younger cousin about something called the "atom bomb". Then, realizing how this news might make him sleepless, I quickly added: "But I'm sure nobody would ever use it."

I can imagine it's not any easier for parents to decide how much of the world's horrors their kids should learn about. But trust me, kids find out stuff on their own. They are naturally curious. So don't fool yourself into thinking that you can create a bubble of ignorance, where carefree kids can live without ever learning of war, crime and cruelty.

If an issue concerns YOU, your children WILL sense this, and your worry will make THEM anxious. So don't lie to the kids. Tell them the truth.

I remember something similar in 1989 when the Louisville Courier-Journal & Times printed the photo of a victim of the Standard Gravure shooting. The staff of the CJ&T worked in the same building as the Standard Gravure staff. The editors and photographers knew many of the victims personally.

I had recently left the paper for another job and was due to be there that morning to meet friends. I was late and found the chaos. When the paper printed the photo the horror I felt was personal. "That could have been me or anyone I knew." was my first thought. Followed by, "He is someone many people here knew."

Yet, I feel the CJ&T made the right decision to publish the photo. As the editor (David Hawpe) said: "The photo did what I wanted it to do by showing the reality of what assault weapons are capable of.... A less graphic photograph would not have been as effective."

As a parent it is my job to help guide my children on what to read until they develop the tools to choose for themselves. I think it is wrong for newspapers to be censored for showing Janet Jackson's nipple, but it is scary when people want to censor news reporting.

As with all things: if you don't want to see it...don't look. If you don't want your children to see it...don't let them look.

(Yes, I know they'll find it anyway. But the storks will feel better if they think their children are baby storks.)

I don't know Matt, but I bet seeing the horror of the concentration camps has affected his life for the better. It had to color his views on war and violence. I fear a populace that has grown to view war and tragedy as aseptic. How easy it is to vote for war when you have not seen the savagery.

My nine yr old daughter hasn't had a problem. She raised the point which I think is important as well. Whether it's charred bodies in Baghdad, nipples on Janet Jackson, or corporate logos on a tv show they should either show the damn things or not. This whole tactic of blurring out the offending body/nipple/log is just so much crap. Have more respect for your readers or viewers than that. It's not fair or appropriate to try and have it both ways.