European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 24, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse The stars and stripes monday september 24,19901est available copy letters readers defend doonesbury comic strip i am writing in response to the writer concerning his objections to a recent doonesbury comic strip. The reverend was upset by his belief that by printing this particular comic strip the editorial staff also agreed with its Content. Not so. The Fine print at the Bottom of the letters Page says a contents. Arc not necessarily the official views of or endorsed by the . Government tie department of defense or the . European i would like to think this holds True for the editors. Speaking of which should the comic strip have been pulled by the editor no. Doonesbury is run on a daily Nasis and pulling one strip because of its Content is censorship regardless of the editor s Good intentions. Whether or not the editor agreed with the comic strip he or she still had the responsibility to let each Reader make up his or Hei own mind about the strip. If you done to like doonesbury or anything else printed in stars and stripes done to read it. Done task the editor not to print it because others arc going to be More upset when they find that their Reading material has been a approved disapproved by a higher and if you done to want your children to read a comic strip article or editorial put a strip of opaque tape Over the offending piece and everybody is Happy. A staff sgt. Jeffrey a. Ill Len Augsburg West Germany regarding one of your readers opinions on a recent doonesbury comic strip which allegedly mocked the . Governments policy on Art censorship As editors i urge you to please accept that i did not consider the doonesbury comic in question to be filthy. Additionally please accept that this Reader does not speak for me i respect the opinions and passions of the moral majority out not when my first amendment rights Are infringed upon a Job Davis Raf England. Reverend considering the importance the founding fathers attached to Freedom of conscience in be no doubt they would have written exactly the same amendment today. Can we agree to disagree on that Point but think about this wont you i am a Soldier who took an oath to defend the Constitution the Way it is written against All enemies foreign and Domestic. In fulfilling that oath i am presently serving far away from my country. Were i Back Home i would be Able to vote with my Wallet for those publications of my Choice. But that a impractical when i make my daily newspaper Choice Here. Sure there arc several English language papers published in Europe As Well As an extensive array of european papers but in a looking for that a a Hometown flavor. As a substitute the government provides a paper that attempts to serve the entire military Community. A tall order. That it chooses a very popular political cartoonist i.e., or. Trudeau is a matter of course. That you claim to be offended by it is beyond belief. It would be just As ludicrous to delete or. Trudeau s comments about Art and government support of it As it would be to delete the a or up news stories about that Issue i consider myself to be a decent Man but when a leading pundit cartoonist or writer has something to say about an Issue As important As Freedom of expression i have a right to see it. Your Point of View deeply offends me. It suggests that you know better than i what i should see. I assure you sir you do not. In be had enough of you and folks of your ilk wrapping themselves in the Flag. A Harry w. Longbottom of Ungstad Icahn West Germany. Docs he feel that where he stands on this Issue is the Only a a decent place to stand i know he made a conscious decision to read the comic strip yet he wants the paper to make that decision for everyone else. His attitude is a classic example of the kind of censorship the comic strip was referring to. Let me state that i firmly believe in religious Freedom but when someone else attempts to impose their own moral code upon me i will take a stand. Personally i find the comic strip s political aspirations Boring but that does not mean i want it banned. I have just one More question. Who has the right to decide for me what i am to think see feel hear or do As Long As i exercise my Freedom in such a manner As to also preserve the rights of others to make their own decisions a William j. North Hess Isch Oldendorf West Germany As an Art Patron i understand the concern for the need of restrictions to be placed on Nea recipients. Several years ago an artist received Nea Money to throw Small pieces of coloured paper out the window of an air plane sounds like a waste of Money to me. As a professional artist i cherish my rights As an american to express myself i found doonesbury a genuine comic Relief on the Issue of Art censorship and the Nea. Bravo stars and stripes thank you America for our rights to express ourselves. The reverend has his Point of View and i have mine. Censorship scares me a Julie Verschoyle Stuttgart West Germany. Hope you done to let the writer stifle your comic strip selections. I resent his attempt to censor my entertainment. I like doonesbury because it brings a Little of unbridled . Humor to this continent. We need More of that influence. I applaud this writers decision to explain what he finds offensive. But i demand the right to choose what i will read and in a not buying the stars and stripes each Day because i want some editor to decide which doonesbury cartoons Are fit for me. Its important that self proclaimed guardians of american freedoms also understand that our Western culture is rooted in classical Antiquity where Art As Well As sexuality were very freely expressed. A Stephanie a. Lower Ramstein a West Germany. In be been overseas Reading the stars and stripes for a few years now and in be noticed this happens about once a year. You could. Its not Clear if he is offended More by Semi nudity or by someone disagreeing with the government. Of course since our government is of by and for the you know who there should be nothing wrong with disagreeing questioning or a thumbing our noses at it anytime we please. A name and location withheld i done to agree with everything that is presented in doonesbury but i do happen to like the fresh Point of View that it offers. Sometimes we get so involved in the things at hand that we tend to develop Tunnel vision that causes us to. Look at an Issue from Only one Point of View. Doonesbury gives us a Chance to stand aside and look at things from a new perspective. We May not agree with that perspective but at least we can see that the world is not always just Black and White there Are shades of Gray. He claimed that since the stars and stripes uses the attributes of our american Flag a fit should take better care of what it prints in it a this line of thought has not been carried out As far As it should have been. In fact since the stars and stripes uses the attributes of the american Flag it cannot use something Asun american or unconstitutional As censorship. We As americans Are guaranteed the right of Freedom of the press along with the right not to View or read anything that offends us. Personally i do not like the apartment 3-g or spider Man comic strips but i do not look at them so they do not offend me. A spec. Joseph p. Dennick Augsburg West Germany its True that the primary readers of this publication Are members of the military Community. It s also True that the military a Job is to kill or be killed. Killing is the worst form of censorship known to Mankind. Your plea for better judgment and responsible censorship Are directed to the wrong crowd. This has been an authorized unofficial letter from a Emory. Holmes Berlin recently there was much hoopla Over the doonesbury comic strip which was critical of our governments Art policy. I read articles in the paper in which several Roadie Val thinking newspapers thought they should decide what constituted an acceptable cartoon by refusing to print the series. I quickly turned the Page and to and behold there was the strip. Thank you stars and stripes for letting me decide what is proper. Al. Durkac Torrejon a Spain
