Quayle and the Morality Issue

Regarding the Opinion page column "When the Messenger Deserves to Be Heard," June 18: The author's attempt to defend Vice President Dan Quayle's recent support of family values against the assault of the amoral "cultural elite" is typical right-wing hypocrisy. The implication that people criticizing Mr. Quayle are somehow against the religion, family values, and patriotism Quayle is promoting is absurd.

While there is certainly nothing wrong with being married, going to church, and flying the flag, and indeed, for many people they are valuable expressions of deeply held convictions, to imply that they demonstrate one's worth, or worse yet, that their lack indicates a moral deficit, as Quayle attempts to do, is morally repugnant.

I would prefer that Quayle and his cohorts leave government to protecting the rights of individuals so that we can each live by the moral code that our conscience believes. Kent M. James, Pittsburgh, Pa.

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