Pubdate: Sat, 08 Apr 2000 Source: Dallas Morning News (TX) Copyright: 2000 The Dallas Morning News Contact: P.O. Box 655237, Dallas, Texas 75265 Fax: (972) 263-0456 Feedback: http://dmnweb.dallasnews.com/letters/ Website: http://www.dallasnews.com/ Forum: http://forums.dallasnews.com:81/webx Author: Billy Kirby TOM DELAY'S GOOD OLD-FASHIONED VALUES Re: "Right and Wrong - A return to fundamental standards is the way to head off youth violence," Viewpoints, April 2, by Tom DeLay. Old-fashioned values? After reading Tom DeLay's column on the need for us to return to the "national values that for centuries allowed us to rise above our natures and act as civilized men and women," I finally get it. But why don't these empowered, white male Republicans just stop talking between the lines and just say what so many of them and their talking heads on the AM airwaves really mean? Just once, Mr. DeLay, let me hear you say this: "We need to return to yesteryear when there was order in the land! Blacks knew their place in the back seat. Women stayed at home and raised the kiddies. They didn't take jobs from the men. Gays and lesbians only existed on the seedy streets of the big cities. Daddy could have a few drinks after work and if he had an accident, well, 'wink, wink,' boys will be boys! The Commies were the bogeymen and the people knew who the good guys and the bad guys were. 'Weird religions' like Hinduism, those Buddha followers and witches were just a notch below Catholics on the religious landscape. Drugs were not discussed because real Americans did not use them, especially marijuana because we all saw that movie that showed those black people turn into murdering zombies after smoking that stuff. Sexually transmitted diseases did not exist because you never heard of them in public life. Abortions were a sin committed by poor people in alleys. Cousin Lucy gained weight and visited Aunt Myrtle in Mexico during her problem period. Pass the Lucky Strikes and let's watch an old Ronald Reagan movie. Now there was an actor for ya!" How about it Mr. DeLay? If you really want us to go home again, just say so! BILLY KIRBY, Cedar Hill, Texas - --- MAP posted-by: Don Beck