Letters to the Editor

Thank you for the article "Former students fondly recall longtime Jackson principal" James R. Nelson. On behalf of the family, we appreciate all of the kind words that were shared in the article. The former students captured his spirit with their loving memories. It was a warming article that related these special messages...

Each of us is only One Degree from someone with cancer. We all know someone who's battled this disease, and many of us have fought cancer ourselves. As a cancer survivor and someone who lost my father and father-in-law to cancer I traveled to Washington, D.C., last week to represent the voice of cancer survivors and patients in my congressional district. ...

How very proud I am of the leadership from Dr. Ruth Ann Orr, Julia Unnerstall, Rebecca Gentry and the entire staff at Alma Schrader School. They continue to seek out new methods to involve their students in ways that will develop these young lives into responsible, contributing adults in our great city...

Watching the news I see where Missouri State Senator Jamilah Nasheed has jumped on the Colin Kaepernick bandwagon and sat during the Pledge of Allegiance.

Soon we will be able to fight the forces of evil by carrying concealed guns. No need for any training and no need for a permit. Hooray! The gun-rights advocates have won. The NRA members can rejoice. We have taken a giant step. (Although in which direction, I'm not sure.)

Thank you so much for seeing that we had coverage by the Southeast Missourian newspaper this past Sunday at the dedication ceremony honoring the police and firemen.

To try to justify Colin Kaepernick's disrespect for our flag and our National Anthem is hogwash!

The presidential campaigns and President Obama's recent trip to China have given foreign trade and the pending Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) a fair amount of attention.

All right-minded Americans must think before condemning Colin Kaepernick for refusing to stand up when the National Anthem is sung. No doubt the flag is sacred, and thousands of Americans have sacrificed their lives in its defense. However, even more sacred than the flag is the pledge of allegiance to the lofty spirit for which it stands: Liberty and equal justice for all...

United Way of Southeast Missouri will kick off its annual community drive with United Days of Caring, a weekend of giving back, today.

While presidential candidates are busy one-upping each another with anti-trade rhetoric, millions of families on the other side of the world are gathering around dinner tables featuring meat, eggs, dairy and grains brought to them by America's farmers.

As a periodontist in Cape Girardeau, I need to say this to those who rejoiced at the recent Associated Press report that found little scientific evidence backing the effectiveness of flossing: You should definitely continue to floss.

On the campaign trail, all candidates for office say they want to help our veterans, but how many put those words into action? Unfortunately, not very many. We are lucky in Missouri to have a Senator who follows through when he says he'll support and care for our veterans. That means spending time with veterans, learning about the issues that matter most to us, and ultimately taking action...

Our national debt is our greatest threat, greater than ISIS, global warming, Russia, China, etc, not just because of the cancerous financial burden it poses, but also because of what it represents. The runaway spending is evidence of a broadening entitlement mentality. ...

I am writing on behalf of Safe Harbor, the only no-kill animal shelter in the Southeast Missouri area.

It is refreshing to hear common sense from at least one of our presidential candidates. It is baffling to see the opposition -- the opposing team, sure; but its own team members? Some believe Trump is rude. Some, that our country needs God and not simply a good business man. Some, that his ideas are too extreme...

We may or may not be voting on a constitutional change to permit the use of medical marijuana here in Missouri. I have no idea on the efficacy of marijuana as medicine. Studies, where allowed, are inconclusive and opinions vary so I make no commentary on its usefulness...

While it's generally great to see elk in Missouri, the two-facedness of the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) in reintroducing the animals is astounding. MDC is charged with preventing the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in free-ranging deer and elk in the state. ...

We had A/C problems at Bethany Baptist Church on election day. We became aware of this problem at 7:30 and called a repairman. By 8:30 the problem was resolved and cool air returned. We apologize to any poll worker or voter who may have been inconvenienced by this...

Picture an average person -- a doctor, nurse, janitor, or construction worker. What do they do when they aren't working? They spend money. They go to eat at restaurants, buy groceries, give their kids lunch money, and go to the movies. Their employers also spend money, too. They pay for wages and supplies. All that spending is taxed by the state...

It seems to me that if the City of Cape Girardeau really wants to recognize the excellence Jess Bolen has presented over the last 50 years there are two things they could do. No. 1, give the Capahas $50,000 to use for their upkeep, say $1,000 for each year managed...

It is especially important for each Missourian to think about oral health -- your own, your family members' and your community's. Too many of us consider oral health to be an issue that can be left for later. Leaving oral health for later is a bad deal. ...

Please remind your sports department that some of us are not from the Cape Girardeau area, so we would appreciate some coverage of all the games. I am particularly interested in the New Orleans Saints, who get little attention as a rule. I would also like to suggest that once a week, probably on Sunday, a listing of daytime TV programming (not in depth; "movie" or "paid programming" would suffice) would give those who are not familiar with Cape TV a better chance of finding something interesting.. ...

Forty years in broadcast television news and station management have given me a unique window into the campaigns of local, state and federal politicians. Fifteen of those years were in Cape Girardeau. How well the media is used on a daily basis is always a major key to success. ...

The recent incidents of police brutality against black people and retaliatory killings of innocent white policemen in Dallas and elsewhere raise the question: "Which came first?" There is no excuse for either of these misdeeds. There is no doubt many black people disobey commands of police when they are stopped. This behavior is as much due to mistrust of, and loss of respect for, the police for the way they behaved with them, as failure of their parents to teach them to obey the law...

I have told the city management and the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce over and over again about the extremely poor location of the Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB), so we learn that the mistake is being perpetuated and money is being wasted...

I am requesting your support in re-electing Paul Koeper for Cape Girardeau County Associate Commissioner. Citizens should be proud of his dedication and commitment to the success of Cape Girardeau County. His experience in building roads and bridges has saved thousands of dollars for our county. ...

I don't have to tell you how important this election is; it's time to get back on track. This is especially true for the office of Secretary of State, which has been plagued by liberals advancing their leftist agenda. With Jay Ashcroft, we have the chance to send a principled, conservative to Jefferson City. Jay will ensure our elections are fair and free from corruption, that the business registration process is not cumbersome, and he will always stand up for our Missouri values...

Regarding your "Our Opinion" item appearing July 11: It was a little surprising that out of what were fine remarks made by Sen. Roy Blunt, you chose one sentence: "Legal immigration is one of the things that made our country as great as it is." While this is somewhat true, the use of the words "legal immigration" do not appear in federal law until the late 19th century...

A reflection on the back-to-back murders of the past few days and how emblematic it is of the polarized and despairing current culture of America: America's heart is black and blue, bruised and beaten from blows given by blinded, prideful (rhetoric? -- far from it) and hateful, despairing violence...

Thank you so much for the editorial about the new child-custody law. Shared parenting is common sense, and research backs it up. The gender bias in our family courts must be whittled away. Children deserve to have both fit and willing parents in their lives. Shared parenting is best for children, best for parents and best for society...

"Special tax district operates with virtually no oversight" was the headline in Sunday's Missourian. That is appalling! Sadly, it's not surprising. We enact more and more laws, ordinances and regulations all the time. I constantly read that there is a lack of oversight. No accountability, no retribution, no consequence of doing a poor job...

Common sense has taken a vacation in Washington, D.C. Common sense is defined as good sense and sound judgment in practical matters. However, in America 2.0, common sense has been shelved and replaced by something called political correctness. Political correctness is the avoidance, often considered as taken to extremes, of forms of expression or action that are perceived to exclude, marginalize or insult groups of people who are socially disadvantaged or discriminated against. ...