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                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, February 10, 1992                   TAG: 9202100177
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A-10   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

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DEADPAN PARODY WAS HILARIOUS

JOSEPH Germana's parody, "Double-plus fairness or guilt by proxy" (letter, Jan. 24), was hilarious. Writing in a smug, condescending style, using psychobabble run amok, he exposed the arrogant self-righteousness of those who would "reprogram" us "incorrect thinkers" with "inappropriate attitudes" into individuals whose "thoughts, behaviors and attitudes . . . better conform to the new social order."

In an especially clever touch, he denied Orwellian overtones while using such terms as "double-plus fairness" and "double-minus thinking," and claiming, in his close, that to pursue one's own constitutional rights is unconstitutional.

Mr. Germana's parody was particularly effective because his deadpan style tempted one to believe he was serious. But of course he couldn't have been. No sensible person could actually believe such asinine drivel. J. RONALD WILLOUGHBY RADFORD

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