European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 23, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Create a nation where the National insect would be chosen by a fair and open process not in some gnat filled Back room. That a Why t asked you the average citizen with no a to grind and Way too much spare time to write in and voice your opinion. All i can say is its a Good thing that some of you Don t have axes if you get my Drift. I refer particularly to inc person who wrote a my Choice for official National insect is Mother son. Thank you for asking.�?�. Many of you voted for the dung Beetle the mos quite and the Leech All of which were inevitably compared to Congress in a sorry but that a a Low blow our research indicates that no dung Beetle has Ever accepted Money from a savings and loan  in scots receiving votes include the earwig the gadfly the Tarantula Hawk Wasp which kills tarantulas for a living and is already the official insect of new Mexico the Maggot the killer a Bee As one Reader put it a we better Start sucking i wish that the critics who claim the average up to them while there a still time Quot the scorpion american does no to car about the issues the passant the Slink Bug the termite a a men the could see the response we got to our Survey tick the stealth bomber the nervous tick a dead  official National insect. A Bug named Hector that was actually mailed to us. We have been flooded with postal cards the screw warm the Fly a zip up America a the from All Over the United states and several Paral Weevil the dust mite a i want a National insect i. Lei universes. Just a Quick glance through these can unknowingly inhaled the worm at the hot cards is enough to remind you Why this great a Tom of the tequila bottle the spittle Bug a those lion despite All the talk of decline still leads the Little Moths that get into your cabinets and Lay world in tranquil Izer consumption. Eggs in your stove top stuffing which Hatch and As you May recall this Issue arose when the. Cause you to eat the larvae the pubic Louse the entomological society of America began lobbying horned fungus Beetle a because it strongly Rescom Congress to name the Monarch Butterfly As the Tyes cd pc Sidcot Richard Nixon which makes. Official National insect. Congress persons received. Stomping one into oblivion a special american a Glossy full color promotional brochure pointing experience a Johnny mantis the Ford Pinto out that the Monarch is attractive ecological cd. Mithra a any 13-year-old or my sex husband the National and courageous having on several Occa Contact Lens Borer the Booger the Bug that goes. Sions disregarded its own personal safety to pull splat on your Windshield and Ted Kennedy Little Timmy out of the Quicksand. Or maybe that. Without question the most thoughtful vote. Was Lassie. \ came from 8-Ycar-old David Affolter a student at anyway the Monarch Butterfly appeared to the Spruce Street school in Seattle who wrote �?o1 have a lock on the National insect ship because want the National insect to be the Ladybug be the entomological society of America is a Power cause the Ladybug can do about everything a Bug Ful outfit. More than one person who Lias dared to should do. It can even be a Board game  Challenge the society on a piece of insect related its hard to argue with that. But its also hard to legislation has found his automobile ignition. Argue with the numbers  were 213 votes wired to a hornets nest in the Glove compartment. For the Monarch Butterfly is. 87 for the Ladybug Well you can Call me a courageous Patriot with 72 for the praying mantis 65 for the Bee 43 for cruel yet handsome eyes if you wish but i happen sen Jesse Helms and 37 for the cockroach. To think that when our founding fathers froze beetles As a group got 261 votes but the Beetle their buns at Valley forge they were fighting to vote was badly divided with no Clear a take National Bug has America drive to name coins / to Suzu if so what do you mean a its on again a no kidding Odd facts about famous folks Julia child at ago 34, could barely boil water Michael Landon a selected his. Name from a phone Book Jerry Lewis was nominated for Nobel peace prize in 1970 Cole Porter t was football cheerleader at Yale University a Jack Lemmon a born in a Hospital elevator a plane Sawyer won America s juniormissin1963 source Cote tasty Register 199q a amps Sharon Kilday charge Beetle emerging. This is a shame because one Beetle which received several dozen votes clearly deserves further consideration. This is the Bombardier Beetle which a and i am not making this up a has an internal reaction chamber where it mixes Chomi cals that actually explode enabling the Beetle to shoot a foul smelling High temperature Jet of Gas out its rear end with a distinct  it reminds me of Guys i knew in College. The time life insect Book has a series of photographs in which what is described As a a self assured Bombardier beetles defeats a Frog. In the first picture the Frog is about to chomp the Beetle in the second the Beetle blasts it and in the third the Frog is staggering away gagging clearly won Dering How come if never Learned about this in Frog school i would be darned proud As an american to be represented by this insect. An engraving of a bom. Bardier Beetle emitting a defiant blast from his butt would look great on a Coin. My Point is that although the Monarch Butterfly is clearly the front runner and has a Slick Well financed Campaign we need to give this National insect thing a lot More thought. Maybe As Reader James Buzby his real name suggests Congress. Should appoint a Stopgap National insect while we make our final determination. But whatever happens i intend to follow this. A Story even though i May irritate the powerful entomological society of America which for All i know could try to. Hey what Are these things crawling out of my keyboard ouch hey ouch a to plus sunday december 23,1990