European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 30, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 a the stars and stripes letters readers offer thoughts on Beetle Bailey Riding the latest ravings about Beetle Bailey Ai. Regarding the latest ravings about Beetle Bailey the majority of readers realize that the strip does not reflect reality. In a a female Soldier who finds nothing offensive about the jokes. Its Only a comic strip the army times had a vote a few years Back to decide if Beetle stayed or went. He stayed. If you want to yank comic strips pull quibble. The opinions and behaviour exhibited by the characters in that strip Are demeaning to All soldiers regardless of gender. If you done to like something done to read it period. A staff sgt. Judy Bemis bad Kreuz Nach West Germany Beetle Bailey is so utterly harmless that i cannot understand a recent writers objections. The rest of us Are savvy enough to appreciate this caricature of service life without taking it personally. All women Are no More like miss Huxley than Are All sergeants mean and fat or All dogs dressed in uniform. So lighten up. If you Are really concerned about Young soldiers stereotypes of women then spend less time conducting office polls and More time doing your Job. I would be most distressed if the stars and stripes were to ban Beetle Bailey. A Barbara Meskill Wertheim West Germany the Best Way to overcome sexist remarks is not by attacking a Long running comic strip. Jumping on the a a Bank Wagon is not always the answer to eliminating or even reducing sexist remarks. In most cases i have found it much better to laugh along and tactfully approach individual offenders. I did not take offence to the cartoon. I think it will be the expressed dissatisfaction that will do the most harm. Most people that glance at the comic probably did no to give it much thought until it reappeared with this letter. Most certainly opinions will vary but i feel that the criticisms expressed would Only serve to create resentment and reinforce barriers. I say leave Beetle Bailey alone. A Kathleen m. Vess Erlanger West Germany i found Mort walkers reply to be contradictory and inadequate As a defense for the attitudes he portrays in Beetle Bailey. He confuses enjoying looking at women with hiring women to be used As ornamentation. It it no crime to enjoy looking at attractive people but if you hire women employees for their Good looks instead of their ability to do a Job then you violate the spirit if not the letter of the Law on equal Opportunity. You would be discriminating against not so attractive women and All men. An Leo violation is a crime. When i was an e-5 in the Navy i worked for an alcoholic e-7 male who treated All women including his wife like dirt. I was at a Small isolated duty station where we had no Leo Counselor and the Chain of command was very ineffective. I and my female co workers endured a lot of abuse from this Man. Now i have a bachelors degree and am on the Way to completing a masters degree. I have had a lot of training recognizing the Power plays and mind games that people play on each other in an attempt to manipulate others. I will no longer tolerate any kind of abuse like that in the workplace or anywhere else. Its unfortunate that or. Walker believes that by depicting the attitudes he is showing their stupidity. In the example shown the general is not portrayed As being stupid. He is very smug that he now has three a a babes in his office. I think a better Way to have shown the stupidity of the general a sexist attitude would have been him getting slapped with an in investigation and a letter of reprimand or other appropriate Fine. A Susan . Tuttle Berlin the variety of opinions that i see in the stars and stripes never ceases to amaze me. One opinion that seems to persist really ticks me off though. The opinion is that of a censor one who would Block or Cloud our minds. I understand the feeling of bigotry from the Beetle Bailey comic strip. But is that a reason to Call on those same gods of bigotry to censor ones thoughts As in a sure the writer is aware the support of Freedom of thought and of speech is the very reason we re in Europe. King features i am not in Complete disagreement with the writer though. The stupid Soldier and always irritable Sarge Are a bit of a cliche As Well. There Are Many other comics that might meet the writers Brand of censorship. Dagwood a Boss never gives him a break and his wife never complains. Hagar and Garfield Are the constant Brunt of fat jokes. Calvin is almost As much a menace As Dennis Good stuff for my kids to read. And quibble and gang always display the worst attitude of any Soldier or airman in be Ever met. Perhaps the writer takes offence with sgt. Mom or maybe that character is of. In every article of every Section of every periodical in be Ever seen there Are Points that some will take As an offence. Not Only does this sell papers but the difference of opinion make them Worth Reading. Warning if censorship is the Way of the future then the world will again become Flat. Broad thought will be replaced by narrow mindedness. And the Buzz of the world Trade markets will become the drone of poverty. Such Are the spoils of empty thought. Please writer be As mad As you want about Beetle Bailey. Tell us. We want to know. But done task to censor the rights you Are Here to protect. A tech sgt. Timothy Strickland Rhein main a West Germany the general purpose of comic strips is to amuse not demean us. To understand this one must have the ability to laugh at ones self. In the two years that i have read Beetle Bailey i have never once Felt offended. The writer goes on to claim that Young soldiers Are learning to be sexist from Reading Beetle Bailey if so 90 percent of the comic strips in the stars and stripes would have to be banned for having sexist remarks at one time or another. I can Only imagine if we banned everything the comic Page would be Down to one strip sesame Street because its considered a a a Safe comic strip. The editorial Page gone because someone was offended by the political cartoon. Miss manners had to go because she tended to be too traditional for most readers. Dear Abby and Ann Landers also gone a too controversial. Dave Barry Well we know Why he had to be banned when will it end we As americans have a right to read or watch what we please. If this writer and her office mates have a problem with a certain comic strip i have a suggestion while perusing the comics Section read i and Lois skip Beetle Bailey and continue on to shoe. Now they will no longer be offended and the rest of us can enjoy the comic strip for what it is humor. Isnit America wonderful a Stephanie l. Renna Hahn a West Germany what follows is a Short class for people that seem to have nothing better to do with their time than invent things to get upset about. Fantasy a Garfield a malice and cruelty shown in his total disregard for life As he squashes spiders. Garfield and these spiders Are nothing but Ink on paper they do not exist. They Are figments of an artists imagination meant to lighten our Day a Little. Reality a homeless people living on the streets not in Russia or some third world country but right at Home in the United states. These people Are sleeping in alleys and garbage dumpsters. Most of them Are hungry Many Are children. Fantasy a a sexist general in a comic strip like Garfield and his Good friends the spiders this strip is meant to be humorous and nothing else Mort Walker is not sexist. He is like Jim Davis simply trying to make our Day a Little easier by giving us a laugh. Reality a babies dying of aids because their mothers just had to have their fix. A talk about losing the race before you even get started being born with a disease that has a 100 percent mortality rate now that is messed up. A i know what you Are thinking. What does this have to do with the letter concerning Beetle Bailey my Point is simple. I am All for changing the world for the better. It is True that if enough people speak out about a problem we can change things. But save your Energy for the people who really need your help. If a cartoon strip bothers you that much then done to read it. . Metcalf Wurzburg West Germany i have to agree that Beetle should not be published in the stars and stripes. The comic not Only demonstrates sexist attitudes but it has been demoralizing me Ever since i joined the military. Lets face it Beetle has been a private for Over 40 years and his chances of promotion Are about As Good As a Pershing missile operator located in Germany. Furthermore the general has got to be older than general Scott was when the civil War broke out. While i still have your attention let me offer a few of my own complaints about these abominable comics. First a Calvin and Hobbes should be banned because it encourages children to create imaginary friends. A a Motley screw and a Andy Capps advocate Beer drinking which could Lead to alcoholism. A a Cathy has a sexist attitude toward men and stereotypes us As nerds. A a shoes encourages people to keep Messy desks. A Snuffy Smith displays a negative attitude toward marriage and stereotypes All hillbilly men As Lazy drunks while All women Are stereotyped As gossiping housewives. A Chi and Lois misleads parents into thinking that a 1-year-old baby has the mental capability of a 3-year-old child. A a peanuts is unrealistic because a Normal 10-year-old boy would have slapped Lucy on the Side of her head after she pulled the football away from his foot the second time. A spider Many is no Good because he got married and we All know that super heroes Are not supposed to have spouses. A Hagar the horrible is overweight and should be discharged. A for better or worse is too realistic which Means it is not funny. A car chief encourages teen agers to Mouth off to adults because nobody Ever gets punished for a a a smart remark. A wee pals is discriminatory because it haunted Black history month but gave no recognition to hispanic Ameri can week native american week or asian american week.  is a dangerous example to our youth because nobody wears Protection on their feet when they Are on the Beach. A the wizard of id is a flagrant attack against Short persons in leadership positions and undermines the rank Structure of our military. A squib Bleys complains about everything which influences soldiers to write redundant letters to the stars and stripes. A Dennis the menace should be banned because it encourages kids to let their dogs run free without a Leash. Lastly a the far Side should be banned because it demonstrates the Workings of a warped imagination which could Lead some people to insanity. You should Only print two comic strips in the paper. A sesame Street should remain because its main audience is below the age of 5 and most of them do not make enough Money to buy a newspaper. A apartment 3g�?� should stay because nobody reads it therefore nobody will bother to complain about it. A name withheld san Vito Dei Normanna Italy