Dear Ann Landers,
ecently an irate mother wrote and asked why you never had any kind words for the unwed father. Your reply was very unsympathetic. You said you had no good-conduct medals lying around for unwed fathers and that it was always the girl who paid. You added, "The boy can go about his business. . . . Nothing changes for him." I dis-agree. I am not an unwed father but my best buddy is. Believe me, he has paid plenty. He got the news when he was a junior in college. He actually wanted to marry the girl but her folks were against it, and she listened to them-not to him. His fife changed that very day. He began to feel depressed and couldn't study. His grades went to the dogs. He flunked out and had to take a laborer's job. He is paying child support, and he will continue to pay until the child is twenty-one. The worst of it is the guy feels so guilty and worthless now that he refuses to take out a girl. He doesn't think he's good enough for anybody. Some unwed fathers may be bums, but some are good guys who made a mistake. In this case the girl made a better adjustment than the boy. She recently married a nice fellow and seems to be very happy.-For Justice

Dear Justice,
You are right. I should not have made such a sweeping generalization. Dozens of parents, social workers and-yes-even unwed mothers, wrote to protest. Each indi-vidual deserves to be judged on his own merits, and I am grateful to you and to other readers who reminded me.