Joycelyn Elders

Re “Two Views on the Fall of Joycelyn Elders,” Commentary, Dec. 13:

Cal Thomas asserts that young people should be denied access to condoms in the same way that purchase of tobacco products is restricted for those under 18 years of age. There is no justifiable comparison of these two commodities. Tobacco products will eventually kill the user; condom use may save the user’s life. Furthermore (and whether we like it or not), easy access to condoms and full social acceptance of their use will do more to prevent the “epidemic of teen-age pregnancies, growing numbers of young unwed mothers and rampant venereal disease” than any public policy limit set by government.

Despite Thomas’ assertion to the contrary, it is not politicians’ primary responsibility to legislate morality.

JEAN ROGERS RYAN

Van Nuys

* Deborah Mathis, like Elders, does not understand the concept of self-control. Instead of upholding virtuous behavior, they promote ideas that bring standards down. They worry more about the symptoms of our social ills than the causes.

Mathis states that we don’t want to hear the truth, and that Elders’ passions are fueled by seeing one too many tragedies. Instead of having real compassion by teaching someone right behavior, Elders wants to legalize drugs, give condoms to elementary school children, divert money from studying diseases that affect the elderly to AIDS research because the elderly are going to die of something.

Elders is a social relativist. I don’t know if she feels anything is really wrong, except for maybe smoking.

CLIFF CRAMP

Downey