WHAT JOHNSON SHOULD HAVE SAID

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

DATE: WEDNESDAY, January 15, 1992                   TAG: 9201150364
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A-8   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short
WHAT JOHNSON SHOULD HAVE SAID
I READ in the newspapers and saw the big news broadcasts on national television about Magic Johnson when he stated he had quit basketball because he caught the AIDS virus while having unsafe sex.
What he should have said was: "I have committed adultery and fornication against God's law." Now what will happen to his wife and unborn child? They could end up with AIDS.
The president, news media and just about everybody else jumped up and down and said Johnson was an American hero. Well, to me he wasn't too smart to do what he did.
What are heroes? Aren't they people you look up to? Someone to emulate? Someone to put our trust and faith in? Now how in the world can anyone tell our children to follow in the footsteps of Magic Johnson? Johnson is not a hero and never will be.
Please, let's teach our children that sex and long-term commitment go together. Sex belongs in marriage only.
As long as some people go along with safe sex and hand out condoms to our schoolchildren and tell them that's the safe way to go, they are encouraged to break God's law. PRESTON HATCHER RADFORD

by Archana Subramaniam by CNB