DEAR ABBY: What is happening to our society? Where is taste? What about morals, decency and modesty? What kind of examples are we setting for our children?
For example, I turned on the TV in the presence of my 11-year-old son and his 14-year-old sister, and what do we see? A sleepy-eyed, obviously naked lady in bed with a bedsheet around her, turning to her bed partner -- also naked. She asks, "What did you say your name was?"
Abby, is that the kind of message we should be sending to our young people -- that it's OK to go to bed with strangers? That's bad enough under any circumstances, but with the threat of AIDS, to make casual sex appear acceptable and commonplace is criminal.
Another thing: How about our movie stars proudly announcing that they are expecting a baby? The fact that they are not married -- and have no plans to marry at this time -- doesn't seem to bother anybody.
Also, I'm not suggesting that we go back to the days when pregnant married women took their walks at night so nobody would see them, but I am not ready to see a pregnant woman in her eighth month stark naked on the cover of a magazine.
I don't expect you to have answers for all of the above, but if this is progress, I'm for turning back the clock. -- FIFTYSOMETHING IN PHOENIX
DEAR FIFTYSOMETHING: Amen.