THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Monday, October 3, 1994                TAG: 9409290009
SECTION: FRONT                    PAGE: A6   EDITION: FINAL 
TYPE: Letter 
                                             LENGTH: Short :   28 lines

ROLE MODELS

The Sept. 25 political cartoon by Jim Borgman says it all. Women, and they alone, have the power to re-establish the family unit in the United States today. They are in control.

They control their bodies. They determine with whom and when pregnancy will occur. The solution to social ills of the times is within their control. It is a reasonable and achievable goal.

Two-parent families are the solution. Government cannot replace the absent parent. Government can provide resources and some illusion of credibility to a single parent, but two parents are necessary. They are role models, providing daily guidance and leadership with commitment to the child.

Most social ills are related to the breakdown of the family unit. It is beyond government's ability to fill the void of the absentee parent.

JOHN D. MURPHY

Franklin, Sept. 25, 1994 by CNB