Another ESRB discussion. . .

I thought about creating a blog, instead of a forum thread. I wanted to climb the highest soap box in all the land and rant at the top of my lungs. However, a notion just struck me. What if I just don't understand what's happening? With that thought, I present this question and my thoughts:

Are the ratings created by the ESRB difficult to understand? Lawmakers, controversial lawyesr, and provincial parents across the country seem to think so. I see a story on Game Politics almost every day that consists of another state government submitting a bill related to the "ambiguous" system .

I'll be completely honest: I'm a long time gamer who was exposed to the ESRB rating system before non-gamers, so I might have some prior knowledge when compared to Mrs. Smith in Kansas. However, this does not change the fact that I have acquired a reading level above 1st Grade and know how to correlate symbols to the real world.

Example: "M" rated game

This Game is Rated "M".
This game is suitable for mature minded people.
It is suitable game play for people who are 17 or older based on the content.

How do I know this? There is a sticker on the game case. It has the letter "M." It has the world "mature." It has the symbol "17+."

[Rant]
Is it really that hard!? Were gamers the only ones who watched Sesame Street? I don't pound blocks into round holes. I don't hit the accelerator in my car when I see a red light. I would buy a game based on what I see on the cover (particularly in the rating box), that is suitable for a child of [insert age here] years old. I know these things because I took the time to learn it.
[/Rant]

This is not questioning whether the system is rating the games properly based on their content, this is questioning the clarity of the ratings themself. Am I alone in my thoughts, or completely wrong? What do the rest of you think?

Note: Still don't understand the ratings based on a sticker? ESRB Ratings As Found on A Retail Website "zomg! Teh Intranets!"