"In the American society today, there is a great erosion of family life and the corruption of family values. The Black family, in particular, suffers the most from the need of reconstruction of family life," said Min. Farrakhan. A female rules nearly 70 percent of all Black homes, "yet, a male was there," he said, "because there are children."

"America, the greatest nation on this earth, with a booming economy�leading the world in science, technology and innovative ideas�is suffering from an internal rot," he said.

The drug culture of America, the AIDS and crack epidemics, violence and the gang activity found in the Black, Hispanic, Asian and white communities, in addition to the collapse of democratic principles, have placed America in deep trouble, he said.

"When we look at our televisions and see the degrading, degenerate programs that are constantly being fed to our children; when we turn on our radios and see the cultural degeneracy that is bombarding the American people; then no matter what values we teach on Sunday at our churches, on Friday at our Jummah prayer services, or on Saturday in the synagogue, all of these values are taken out by the 24-hour bombarding of our minds with filth and degenerate culture," he said.

The Million Family March on Oct. 16, he said, will create a movement beyond the march�one that must effect public policy.

On Oct. 16, Min. Farrakhan said he desires to have a million men retake their vows of marriage with their wives as well as marry 10,000 new couples. "Where there is no strong marriage and no strong family, there is no strong community and no strong nation. If we want a New World order, it has to begin with marriage and family," he said.

"The National Agenda: Public Policy Issues, Analyses, and Programmatic Plan of Action 2000-2008," Min. Farrakhan said, is the syllabus that will guide America to a path of moral correctness. "We gathered scholars and social scientists in the Black community, the Hispanic community, the Native American community, the Asian and Arab communities, even the white community, and we�ve put together a National Agenda. We can no longer give the presidential hopefuls a free ride. They say all of the right things, but they don�t do the right things unless there is a force in the American populace that will make sure that our elected officials do the right thing."

Min. Farrakhan spoke of the ability of multi-national corporations to spend extreme sums of money forcing legislatures to cater to corporate interests, leaving the American public disadvantaged.

"The founding fathers of this nation wanted a government of the people, by the people and for the people, but, gradually, the people are being locked out of the decision-making process and multi-national corporations and their greed are driving America�s foreign policy," he said.

During the question and answer session, the Nation of Islam leader fielded questions ranging from the Middle East Peace talks to the recent police assault on a Black male suspect in Philadelphia, to his choice in the upcoming
presidential election.

Regarding the recent beating of a police suspect by dozens of officers on a street in Philadelphia, Min. Farrakhan said that the communities need law enforcement, but police officers need to remove the philosophy of white supremacy that warps their ability to properly carry out their duties.

"The police have a very difficult job. The police and the firemen are the real heroes of the society, but when you are a white policeman and you grow up in a white neighborhood, you don�t know what it feels like to grow up being Black in America. You go into a Black community and you�re afraid," he said. So, dressed in bulletproof vests and riot gear, he explained, "you see what is not there. The poor man reaching for his wallet you pump bullets into him�19, 20, 30 bullets�because you are afraid, plus you are victimized by the philosophy of white supremacy."