‘For Better or For Worse’ more than just a simple strip

In the Feb. 14 letters column, Stella Rae Rosenthal complains about the rerun comic “For Better or For Worse” about a boy beaten by his father for a mistake he made. Rosenthal says it’s an old comic strip, but “it is still a serious matter and shouldn’t be laughed at.” The editors remark below read that “the Star intends to address this issue.”

I remember this portion of the strip when it was first printed years ago, and I’m shocked Rosenthal thinks anyone is laughing at it. Although they’re called “comic” strips, they aren’t always meant to be funny. Over its lifespan, the strip tackled several serious issues, including abusive parents, or teenagers coming out to their families as gay.

If the Star “addresses this issue” by censoring the rest of the story line to come, then the editors are simply adding to the problem.

Jil McIntosh, Oshawa