European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 2, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Magazine font a Flnoy with hag Tea i Parade of veterans who protest soviet occupation in amerion americans debate by Isabel Wilkerson new Yong times ome women got together at Alice s restaurant in Marshall 1he other morning As they do every Day in that Central Wisconsin Lawn they talked about the warm spell the upcoming Alice in Dak land Onlest and. Between sips of co fee. The Abc mini series amerika. Some said it was scary and would provoke the russians others said the country could use a dose of patriotism. Mary Maag said she did t watch it. I d have missed knots lending she said. The seven part mini series about life in the Middle West 10 years after a soviet takeover stirred controversy months before it finally started appearing on television with some liberals calling in right Wing propaganda and some conservatives saying they wished the project had been executed Batter. The mini series which concluded feb. 22. Was debated among College intellectuals and bar Stool philosophers ii spin households Over which Channel to watch and livened Grade school lessons on the soviet Union. Across the country s midsection. Reaction ranged rom euphoria and cult like allegiance in Tecumseh. Neb., where much of the program was filmed to vehement opposition in Athens Ohio where educators termed a committee to warn residents of the dangers of he series in Marshall a Wisconsin farm town of 2,boo residents about the site of Tecumseh Many people said the mini series had rekindled their National Pride. They were split however Over the Quality and plausibility of ant people have to learn this is the greatest country in the world said George Phillips a truck Driver. The problem with amerika is people had trouble staying awake through the whole  Gary Maly a Laid Oil Sheet Metal worker said he was As patriotic As the next person but i think it s a Little bit of lag waving in the wrong  Bonnie Clayton a librarian said her family made a Point of not watching the mini series. I grew up being afraid of the russians when people were building fallout shelters All Over the place she said. The thought of the show is basically  Bui the Central question one night on the Dairy Armol Dale and Myma sue Jones was am Erikot the Reviss . Page Banff Jones had been carefully tracking the Story of the proud Willord family and the renegade Devin Milford who incites the Downtrodden americans to revolt against their captors. She watched the third episode in the Kitchen while her husband watched the miss Usa contestants on a wide screen in the basement. Jones could t watch amerika. He said because i had tour of the live finalists picked out  me added i still Don l see what the judges saw in miss  the Road leading to Marshall is not unlike those winding through mythical Milford. Neb., the Selling of amerika and the resemblance a Lurati led people there to pay closer attention than most viewers. Early on. Some tobacco armours began counting the cigarettes the East germans smoked in amen a and were pleased that they smoked a lot. One Dairy Farmer meanwhile was disturbed to have seen Only one cow grazing in the Fields in the mini series Ken Weisman who has a too acre farm just outside Marshall Walch cd each episode of America but considers the Throat of a soviet invasion the least of his worries. Each year he says he pays Laos that equal 1 third of whal his farm originally Cost him. The government will Lake my farm Bolero the russians  he said Marshall residents Are Tho hardworking sort who arc up before Dawn can toll you everything Aboul Holstein cows and Long Lor the Days when schoolchildren had to say the pledge of allegiance and could even Pray in the classroom ii they wanted to. We Havo an american ple feeling about i hangs one resident said silos rising irom farms along me Countryside have american hags painted on them but amen a has created an even bigger sense of bravado in an already conservative Region. If the russians took Over i d head for the gun Cabinet said Jim Hannon. The town s police chief. The country would have to be Laid to Wasle before the russians would Ever get to  the rating of the mini series in Wisconsin wore not helped one night by a basketball game Between the University of Wisconsin and Indiana University. The game went into triple overtime and Wisconsin lost by Ono Point in the last six seconds. By then few Wisconsin fans cared whether Devin made it to Chicago to see his children. Thai was not the Case in another Middle Western town. Figures were not available but the mini series is said to have had almost a 100-Perpenl-Ralings share in Tecumseh. Hall the residents of tile Nebraska town were extras in the show and they spent much of their viewing time looking for themselves in the crowd shots. Amerika was front Page news for More than a year in Tecumseh and the Tecumseh chieftain the local newspaper is Ashing residents to critique the series by ballot. This was the Climax Lor Tecumseh said Duane Kunzman editor of the chieftain. People see the show and they see themselves critics of the mini series have said it could damage relations with the soviet Union but Tecumseh residents say they Don t understand whal ail the controversy is about. We Don t care what the russians think said Eldon Baucke owner of Slick s big a Auto pails in Tecumseh. What s the big desk magnum kills russians All the Lime on  but some educators in Athens the Home of Ohio University consider amerika dangerous propaganda. They created the Athens task Force on amerika showed bootlegged Oul lakes of the program before the first episode was broadcast and used the mini series to improve residents understanding of the soviet Union. The mini series is the Nightmare of Jerry Falwell and Ronald Reagan said Howard Frederick jr., an assistant professor of telecommunications at Ohio University in Athens and a member of the task Force at the special screening in Athens people called the mini series anything irom fantasy to a tool of the bourgeoisie and objected to the suggestion in amerika thai americans had been corrupted by Liberal influences. Meanwhile Grade school teachers across the Middle West were using amerika to teach students about the soviet Union and to dispel myths and stereotypes in Robert Maher s Lourah Grade class in Cooksville Ohio Lor example students knew thai the soviet Union was a big country Lar away bul were fuzzy on other details like whether the russians had a King or Queen in they have a King and a Queen do they have kids Keith Mcfee asked. During their discussion fourth Grade students at Marshall elementary school decided Hay would not want to live in the Sovil Union because they guessed it did not have Rock videos pizza or Disneyland. Most important said Jill Lomko they might not have All the television show. But Colleen Kindschi concluded ii can l be that bad if people five  while Many viewers led amerika has political overtones. Chip Krieg. A Carpenter in Athens watched the mini series with scepticism and did t take in seriously. We Don t get the right information Aboul the soviets Krieg said and i m sure they Don t gel the right information Aboul  monday March a t9b7 the stars and stripes Page 13