Mahony and the Code

Howard Rosenberg misses the point when he criticizes Cardinal Roger M. Mahony’s proposal to revive an independent film code similar to that which existed from 1933 to 1966 (“Free Speech Includes ‘Hate,’ ” Feb. 5). He seizes on code provisions such as, “No movie shall lower the moral standards of the audience” and argues that this assumes a single morality for the whole nation.

But isn’t that exactly what the entertainment industry itself has done since 1966--impose its own “morality” on our society? Hollywood has churned out many films that are directly opposed to the time-tested moral law of millions of Orthodox Christians, Jews and Moslems, that is, the Ten Commandments.

Much--not all--of Hollywood has waged war on the Judeo-Christian foundations of our society and on our children. Religious leaders representing millions of people stand ready to help the best elements in Hollywood clean up the damage.

Yes, the code that helped shape Hollywood’s Golden Age can be restored. Some will doubt that. But we all watched the red flag being pulled down from the Kremlin on Christmas Day, didn’t we? With God, all things are possible.

DENNIS JARRARD, chairman

Archdiocese of Los Angeles

Commission on Obscenity

and Pornography