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

DATE: Saturday, November 19, 1994            TAG: 9411180033
SECTION: FRONT                    PAGE: A16  EDITION: FINAL 
TYPE: Letter 
                                             LENGTH: Short :   26 lines

LOVE, NOT NOT REVENGE

I was dismayed by the front page of Nov. 5. It was a very sad spectacle: a color photo of Susan Smith, charged with killing her two children, and the headline ``Town lashes out at mother''; to the left of that, the headline ``Death row inmate must pick injection or the chair''; and at the bottom of the page, more O.J. Simpson news.

American culture seems to be in its last phase of moral collapse. The media and citizens daily scream for more blood and revenge, and no one is around to ask for pity or forgiveness.

As an agnostic, I'm further amazed at Christians who raise their voices in anger. If Christ were here today, I think he would touch Susan Smith's face and offer her his love.

JOHN BARLOW

Norfolk, Nov. 9 1994 by CNB