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

DATE: THURSDAY, May 3, 1990                   TAG: 9005030527
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A14   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

LAWS WRITTEN FOR OUR PROTECTION

TWO ARTICLES on your April 30 front page impressed me with their irony about life today. The first was the report on deteriorating college life. It talked about alcohol abuse being a major problem, campus crime increasing in the past five years, and increased sexual and racial harassment; yet the college presidents didn't "yearn for the days when colleges had strict rules of behavior."

The second article concerned adultery: how prevalent it has become in our society, that most states have laws against it yet the law is rarely enforced. The rationalization is that private sexual conduct among heterosexuals is protected from state prescription. The article said some studies estimate between 30 and 70 percent of married people have engaged in extramarital sex.

We seem to forget why rules, laws and the Ten Commandments were written - not to keep us from enjoying life, but for our protection. The commandment against adultery protects the family unit. State laws were written for the same purpose.

Family units are breaking up partly because we choose not to obey the law. We have an alarming teen-age pregnancy rate. Other problems associated with the breakdown of the family are increased drug abuse, increased delinquency among juveniles, and a high drop-out rate in education.

Our society has come to view rules as restricting and an infringement on our individual freedom. Fine, take away "the strict rules of behavior" on college campuses, but don't whine about college life deteriorating because of social problems. If adults want to pick and choose laws to obey, fine; but they shouldn't complain when our youth do the same.

\ PAT WITTEN\ ROANOKE

by CNB