By Muriel Sluyter

Greetings, Gentle Reader,

Doctor Laura is set to debut a TV program of her own. Her show may appear in the fall round-up, and then again, it may not. Why? Because this woman has made more enemies than would seem possible now in our so-called civil society.

Does she deserve the ire she has aroused? That depends on your point of view. If you believe Amer-icans have a right to ex-press their opinions and values — politically correct or not — you probably think she is being discriminated against. If you think it is wrong to say something that is offensive to specific groups, which have been designated as above criticism by purveyors of political correctness, you probably think she shouldn’t be allowed to say such things.

She was a true child of the 60s, driven to succeed. As years passed, she dealt with the internal emptiness that afflicted so many of that generation by conquering one Goliath after another. But no matter how many Goliaths she slew, the emptiness remained. Finally, she realized she lacked the human relationships that make life worth living.

True to her personality, she looked at other Americans — especially those of her generation. She saw that they too, were living frantic lives, filled with chaos and failure. Marriages crashed with frightening regularity, wounding children and adults. Parents bore children, then gave them to babysitters, nannies or daycare centers, freeing the parents to pursue their own interests.

The children grew up knowing that, among the things their parents valued, they came last. The degree, the career, the house, the prestige...all came before the children. And, they were invariably injured by that knowledge.

When the good doctor saw these things, she didn’t deny them, nor did she ignore their existence; she examined them in detail, recognizing that the lifestyle she and her contemporaries embraced was directly responsible for the breakdown of the family.

It became evident to her that intact, devoted families, in which parents raised their own children, tended to produce healthy citizens. On the other hand, fractured marriages, self-absorbed parents, or those who gave expensive gifts but little time to their offspring, tended to produce angry, frustrated, self-destructive and socially destructive citizens.

She says she had become converted to the lifestyle she now values. She returned to her Jewish roots, which included an acceptance of, and a devotion to, the laws of the Old Testament. Because she is outspoken and accepts them as the laws of God, she has drawn fire from those who live the lifestyle she abandoned.

Most don’t really mind the "Thou shalt not steal," as long as it means no one should steal from them. They definitely don’t want people to violate the "Thou shalt not kill" commandment, but they enjoy watching endless bloodletting on TV, because after all, everyone knows it’s not real.

When it gets to "Thou shalt not commit adultery," most can work up a pretty good head of steam. Adultery is something in which a tremendous number of modern Americans engage, and they don’t want anyone to get in the way of their fun.