Some say that R-rated video games, or other violent influences should be kept from children because of the effects they have on their personality and actions.
Others say that freedom should be given over all be because it teaches responsibility and other essential traits.

Should children be censored, or should have access to adult rated content?

I choose both.
But each of it must be evenly done.
One them must not be overdone

There are certain things a child simply should not see regardless of age.

By the age of 15, I think, as long as the child has a firm understanding of the differences between reality and media; parents should be more liberal in what they can watch and play. Before that, by all means censor the hell out of them.

Little children are fucking crazy without any of those influences. In the vast majority, they just don't comprehend the repercussions of the things they do, so they make very unwise decisions. Even older children, while they understand mostly how reality works, tend to act on impulse and be overly dramatic about some things. It's not a good idea to expose unstable people like this to 'violent influences'.
I don't mean this as an absolute, though. I don't think you should bury your kid or stick them in a box, but people exploding and getting stabbed by people wearing sports equipment is probably not something they should be exposed to on a frequent basis.

sports equipment?

Jason Voorhees I believe he's referring to.

oh right, my mind was on the video game aspect, even though OP said "R rated video games"
unless hes australian, then whatever cunt

Censorship is telling a man he can't have a steak just because a baby can't chew it.

No, I'm not Australian. I believe that children should be censored to a point: not being overexposed, and not being buried in a box. I like how Fusion put it. Kids who are overexposed to violence tend to have a more violent nature; with today's "no censorship" trend, children see murders on television and, being a kid and off touch with reality, they think that it's ok.

nobody here thinks that for the most part, parents should be the ones keeping the kids from r-rated games and such? I mean that's the only way they get them unless there is an older sibling or friend. I mean, isn't it slightly at least the parents fault? they could stop the kid from playing it at ANY time. I'm sure a ton of us who play xbox have heard squeakers get the plug pulled from them on xboxlive. Parents just need to educate their kids and hope they are smart enough not to want or get influenced by such things.

I also wrote this right after waking up...hope it makes sense

"Mummy, what's that man doing to that girl?"

Quote from Zed

"Mummy, what's that man doing to that girl?"

*mum covers child's eyes*

any back on topic, I think parents should be knowing what their child is doing more, ive heard of children not going to school anymore, or even try to kill people by doing trickshots in shooting games like COD etc (yes ive seen it in a article once)

Quote from supersmashbro

*mum covers child's eyes*

any back on topic, I think parents should be knowing what their child is doing more, ive heard of children not going to school anymore, or even try to kill people by doing trickshots in shooting games like COD etc (yes ive seen it in a article once)

There is actually a show about killer kids. one 7 year old was trying to imitate Katniss from the Hunger Games. She ended up killing her brother with a crossbow.

I was completely on topic. You don't show a rape scene to a five-year-old. You just don't.

Quote from Zed

"Mummy, what's that man doing to that girl?"

ill show you later