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I personally don't have a problem with a ratings system, when it is applied to inform the public about the content of a piece of work (be it a movie, music, or literature). I already have notices informing customers of the type of content in each of my books as a matter of course. That way, they know in advance whether or not a book of mine contains the kind of subjects or language they want to be exposed to, and can make an intelligent buying decision for themselves (or for someone they care about).
Ratings at their best are used to inform, not just to restrict. Of course, in America we already use ratings to restrict--"not for sale to minors" comes immediately to mind, generally applied to soft or hard porn. Beyond that, American booksellers seem to be pretty unconcerned about exposing minors to anything else (such as language or death), so I doubt a rating system would change that significantly.
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