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

DATE: WEDNESDAY, February 12, 1992                   TAG: 9202120351
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A10   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

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OUR SOCIETY GLAMORIZES "BEASTS"

MY SHARP little 3-year-old grandson bravely watched the recent version of "Beauty and the Beast," during which I kept assuring him not to worry, that the beast would become a handsome prince again.

When it was over, I asked him: "Well, wasn't that great?" His reply: "Uh-huh, but I wanted the beast back - I liked him!"

The beast was so glamorized that the happy ending intended was lost to this fertile little mind. Perhaps that is one of today's many social problems: We glamorize the "Beasts" in life to the point where they become idols - devouring good reason!

DICK MALLEN

ROANOKE

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