Family Values

Unlikely as it might sound, Eric Bogosian -- he of the angry, violent, profanity-strewn monologues -- has written a comedy of manners."Griller," which is making its East Coast debut at Center Stage under David Warren's direction, is Bogosian's take on morality, family and society in suburban America in the late 1990s.Compared to his monologues, "Griller," in which Bogosian does not appear, is surprisingly tame and ultimately affirmative. Bogosian, a counterculture performance artist and product of the anti-establishment late 1960s and early 1970s, has written a play promoting -- of all things -- family values.

Carroll Commissioner Robin Bartlett Frazier said all she wanted from a ban on Sunday morning sports at the county's athletic fields was to strengthen family values. What she received was a stack of compliments from supporters and a barrage of criticism from those who said the policy had government making a decision that should have been left to families. "I see the faith community as a big player in a collaborative effort to promote family values, morals and principles," she said in an interview Friday.

During the 20th century, the core unit of society evolved, producing endless variations on the concept of family. Describe the "modern" family: Tradition is no longer necessarily what society dictates, but what individuals who define themselves as a family dictate.It was only a matter of time before changes within the family spilled over into the community and culture at large. As women marched off to work and civic activism, convenience at home became a necessity.Technology and communications advanced, creating goods and services that we needed -- and a market for everything that we didn't need.

CHICAGO -- Hometown girl Hillary Rodham Clinton received a hero's welcome at the Democratic convention on a day when the president's campaign highlighted themes of family and education.Mrs. Clinton, who has been a target of Republican attacks, was introduced to the convention crowd last night by Vice President Al Gore's wife, Tipper.She defended the first lady as "a woman who always maintains her grace, dignity and humor, even while being subjected to unimaginable incivility."As Mrs. Clinton stepped onstage, the convention floor erupted in a thunderous roar and a sea of waving signs reading "Welcome Home Hillary."

The Archbishop of Canterbury came to Baltimore spouting H. L. Mencken. The man knows his Scripture.No new taxes. Ever. Ever. Well, hardly ever.Family values don't include family leave.A jury in Minneapolis let wide receivers go deep.

If you want to talk about family values, how about making sure people have a job so they can afford to pay their bills and spend time with their families?"

Concerned Citizens Association of Laurel will sponsor a rally to address issues that affect the African-American family 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday at Phelps Center, 701 Montgomery St. in Laurel.The rally will discuss voter registration, public education, family and business economic development, family values and youth crime prevention.Information: (301) 604-6564.

The writer of "Family values are in the eye of the beholder" (March 3) apparently does not know God or the Bible very well. Yes, God forgave Lot ( as well as many other sinners) just as he will forgive any gay or lesbian willing to repent and ask for forgiveness. But that has nothing to do with the fact that homosexuality is and always will be an abomination to Him. God created man and then woman as his companion. Period! Gail Householder, Marriottsville

— The unassuming farmhouse, with long-vacant chicken coops out back, has occupied a rural stretch of two-lane road for decades. Even now, after a facelift that gave it a fresh white clapboard exterior, bright red shutters and a rebuilt wraparound porch, the house built by Arthur W. Perdue offers no outward clue to its role in the birth of a multibillion-dollar poultry and agribusiness conglomerate. It was there that he started a small egg business in 1920. The rest is Delmarva history.

With all the talk about "family values" coming out of the White House these days, you'd think our English cousins across the Atlantic would give a listen. But no: Britain's royal family seems bent as ever on scandal.The latest fillip has Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York and estranged wife of the queen's second son, Prince Andrew, cavorting topless at pool-side with a 37-year-old Texas oil tycoon named John Bryan.Photos of Fergie's dalliance created another predictable round of speculation over the future of the monarchy when they were splashed across newspaper front pages last week.