    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1999, Book I)]
    [June 8, 1999]
    [Pages 902-903]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    [[Page 902]]

    Remarks Following a Meeting With Representatives of the National
    Association of Theatre Owners and an Exchange With Reporters
    June 8, 1999

        The President. Good afternoon. Please be seated.
        Ladies and gentlemen, I hope you won't be confused when I tell you
    that I have just met with the representatives of NATO, and we talked
    about the movies. [Laughter] I am, of course, referring to a somewhat
    different NATO than we usually discuss around here, the National
    Association of Theatre Owners.
        We had a very good discussion, and I want to thank NATO President
    Bill Kartozian and his colleagues who
    are here with him for the efforts they are making to make sure that we
    work together to prevent youth violence, and the ways the theater
    industry, in particular, can help in that cause.
        It has been less than 2 months since the tragedy at Columbine High
    School seared itself into our national consciousness. Ever since that
    day, our country has been moving steadily away from a culture of youth
    violence toward creating the kind of future we want for our children.
    People from all walks of life are coming together in a national
    grassroots campaign to prevent youth violence, to give our children the
    childhoods they deserve.
        We all know that parents are the first and most important influences
    on their children, but we know, too, that the demands on them are
    increasing, and as more and more parents work outside the home, they
    have less and less time with their children. On average, families now
    have a life in which parents spend about 22 hours a week less at home
    than parents did a generation ago. Over the 18 years of a child's
    childhood, that amounts to more than 2 years' time.
        Since my first days as President, we have worked hard to help
    parents better balance the demands of home and work. One of the ways
    we've tried to do that is to give parents better tools to make immediate
    but informed judgments about the shows their children watch, the music
    they hear, the video games they play. We've worked hard to give parents
    new tools like the V-chip, which by the end of next month will be in
    half the new television sets sold in America and will help parents to
    block violent programming from their living rooms. We've also made
    progress on parental screening for the Internet and ratings for Internet
    game sites.
        But we must do more. We must ensure that children are not the
    targets of violence in marketing. That's why last week I asked the
    Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission to study the
    extent to which the video game, movie, and music industries market
    violence to children and whether those industries are abiding by their
    own voluntary systems of regulation.
        For rating systems to work, they must also be enforced, not simply
    by watchful parents but by retailers at the point of sales and theater
    owners at the multiplex. The great thing about the multiplex is that
    there's a movie for every member of the family. But not every movie is
    for every member of the family. When you drop them off, you shouldn't
    have to worry about your G-rated kids getting into violent or suggestive
    R-rated movies. Too often children do get past the ticket counter,
    unescorted and underage.
        I'm pleased to announce today the theater owners are clearly drawing
    the line. The Nation's largest group of theater owners has asked--has
    agreed to ask young people for ID's at R-rated movies. From now on,
    parents will know that the R rating means what it is supposed to mean:
    restricted, no one under 17 without a parent or guardian, and no
    exceptions.
        Last month, when I challenged the theater owners to step up to this
    responsibility, I could only have hoped that they would respond so
    quickly. So again, let me applaud Bill Kartozian, his organization, and all their members for doing their
    part. I know we have parents here representing the PTA, and I want to
    thank them for coming, and I know they join me in applauding this
    action.
        Let me also say that I hope that, as the recess ends, the Congress
    will do its part. Next week the House will take up important legislation
    already passed by the Senate to help prevent youth violence by
    commonsense measures to keep guns out of the hands of children. They
    closed the deadly gun show loophole, required

    [[Page 903]]

    that safety locks be sold with every handgun, banned the importation of
    large-capacity ammunition clips, and banned violent juveniles from
    owning guns as adults. I strongly urge the House not to riddle this
    legislation with loopholes, or to delay, but to pass the law and pass it
    quickly.
        Let me also say, I hope others will follow the lead of the theater
    owners. In our growing national campaign to prevent youth violence, none
    can stand aside; none should stand in the way. In the weeks and months
    ahead, we will continue to move forward as one nation, striving to build
    that better future we all want for our children.
        Now, I'd like to ask Bill Kartozian
    to tell us more about the steps the theater owners have agreed to take.
    Let's give him a big hand.
        Mr. Kartozian.

    [At this point, William F. Kartozian,
    president, National Association of Theatre Owners, made brief remarks.]

    Resolution of the Situation in the Balkans

        Q. Mr. President, are you optimistic on Kosovo?
        The President. Well, I'm hopeful. You know, we're going to have--
    we've got to have the military meeting and work out the details. But the
    G-8 statement is good.
        Q. And how quickly could the peacekeepers go in, do you think?
        The President. Well, they're working out the details--I hope
    shortly, we will know.
        Thank you.

    Note: The President spoke at 1:55 p.m. in the Roosevelt Room at the
    White House.