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Dr. Na'im Akbar and Columnist Cal Thomas Square Off Over Family Values

Aired on 06/08/1992 | CC tv-pg
In 1992, Vice President Dan Quayle delivered a speech on what he saw as the moral degradation of America. In his highly publicized address, he singled out Murphy Brown, the divorced news anchor on the titular CBS sitcom, as an example of the cultural decline for choosing to have a child outside of marriage.

The speech resonated with the public in both negative and positive ways, and later that year, Oprah invited people representing both sides of the debate onto her show. On one side was feminist author Barbara Smith and clinical psychologist Na'im Akbar. On the other was conservative columnist Cal Thomas and political pundit Pat Buchanan. Watch to find out how the showdown played out.

Original airdate: June 8, 1992