Letters to the Editor

Senate Bill 446, the "Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017" was recently introduced in Congress. This chaotic and dangerous bill does not create consistent concealed carry requirements across the country. Instead, it would gut existing gun laws, override state laws and make the weakest link the law of the land. Unlike drivers license laws, concealed carry laws vary drastically by state...

If you missed the recent community activity at the River Campus, Sounds for Hounds, you missed an amazing performance. Thanks to Jerry Ford and associates for organizing such an outstanding program! Perhaps we should request that the name of our hound be Jerry! Cape's community sure has some terrific talent. The crowd was large and seemed to love the music...

The current situation of President Trump reminds me of a tragic situation I dealt with many years ago. As ordered by a court, I did a psychiatric evaluation on a 29-year old man charged with a heinous crime. To get relevant background information, I met with his parents, who seemed surprised that their "wonderful son" had committed a heinous crime. ...

The Aug. 6, 2017 Southeast Missourian printed an Op-Ed column by former Senator Phil Gramm and Michael Solon. They advocated reducing taxes as a pathway to economic growth and increased federal revenue. To support their contentions they cited the record of Ronald Reagan. ...

Perhaps the biggest presidential lie in recent memory is when Bill Clinton pounded the desk and said, "I did not have sex with that woman. Not one time." However, the blue dress later proved that something of a sexual nature had occurred. George H. W. Bush famously said, "Read my lips! No new taxes!" Then he went on to support a tax increase, which played a big part in him not getting elected to a second term...

Our political leaders in Washington are spending a lot of political capital to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act instead of making it better. Over 18 percent of our national GDP is spent on healthcare. When compared to other developed economies throughout the world, it is about twice as much with no increase in health outcomes. ...

As the Right-to-Work bill carrier in the Missouri House, I want to be sure Missourians are clear about what the legislature passed and Gov. Greitens signed when it comes to our new Right-to-Work law. Right-to-Work means the worker who is earning the money has the freedom to choose. ...

I have the privilege of going in to the Cape County jail once a week to help guys see a different option in life. Our group being there encourages them; but there is little evidence of lasting change. I have never been one to stay with something that does not work. So lately, I have been asking myself, and them, "why so little evidence?" It has led to some good discussions...

Christians do have an alternative to Obamacare (ACA) or Trumpcare. On a recent surgery, I paid zero on a $6,643 surgery, etc. charge. My Christian brothers and sisters shared the bill, and after all was said and done I paid nothing. I am 61 years old, and I pay around $320 a month. Yes, $320 per month,...

If you're like me, you've noticed a considerable recent rise in crime in our town. While many of us haven't been directly impacted, nevertheless it's something we should all be concerned with. So pick up your phone and dial 651-2265 and order tickets to the Sounds for Hounds concert to be held on Saturday, July 29 at 7:30 p.m. ...

A recent article in the Missourian, June 9th edition, small article on page 3 detailing the cuts to the University of Missouri lobbying efforts in both Washington, D.C. and Jefferson City to save a few dollars caught my eye. In the last paragraph of the article it mentioned that the one cut they would not make was with the contract of Andy Blunt, son of U.S. ...

I would like to address an issue that is rarely talked about or understood-kidney disease. A little over 2 years ago, after several months of severe stomach cramps, I was diagnosed with kidney failure. I used to ride my bicycle all over town, swim a mile at the gym and cut grass professionally, but now my life is centered around my dialysis sessions, three days a week, 5 hour treatments...

People's names can be trendy. It's common to name babies after famous people, so names can date us to a certain period. (My name is Gary, which was popular back in the 1940's and 1950's.) And of course being a nation of immigrants, many of our names originated in other countries. But famous and foreign names aside, we are now in a different era regarding names...

A bill is presently pending in the United States Senate to change the manner in which this country pays for its citizens' medical care. In connection with this pending proposal, I would point out the following: n Medicare does not pay benefits for more than 100 days of long term care. After that an eligible individual would receive assistance from Medicaid...

I am writing to inform readers that the EPA has just proposed to repeal the Clean Water Rule, which provides key protections for the drinking water of 2,498,142 Missourians. After seeing what happened in Flint, Michigan, it is hard to understate the importance of ensuring safe drinking water for all communities...

Last month Republican legislators in the House of Representatives passed the American Health Care Act (AHCA) opposed by every Democratic legislator and also the American Medical Association, the American Health Insurance Plans trade association and the American Association of Retired People. ...

I was born and raised in the suburbs of Birmingham, Alabama. I remember my faithful churchgoing grandmother's use of the word "niggra," which I guessed was a slightly cleaned up version of a word that was more often used. My first remembrance of the word "integration" was one morning as my mom was "carrying" -- that's the way we say it in the south -- me to school. As we passed a school, she used the word to describe what it had just done. I could tell she didn't like it...

What do Bill Clinton, Bill Cosby and Bill O'Reilly have in common, other than the obvious moniker? That's right. They have all been charged with some form of sexual indiscretion. We know for sure with Bill Clinton. We are pretty sure with Bill Cosby. And although we are unsure with Bill O'Reilly, we know he paid large sums of money to quieten allegations...

The relocation in 1995 of a monument to Confederate soldiers to the grounds of the Common Pleas Courthouse was problematic. But, now that the city council has commendably renamed the park Ivers Square to honor a black Union soldier and his wife, the continuing presence of the monument in its current location is intolerable...

Regarding the City of Cape Girardeau to spend $80,000 to update the Comprehensive Plan: A comprehensive plan is good to have. Vision and planning must have a starting point. I cannot see why we need to employ outside companies to tell us what we should do, especially after we tell them what we want! Eighty thousand dollars, not to establish a plan but simply for an update?...

Cape Girardeau's downtown area is experiencing a new era of revitalization that is attracting new jobs and businesses while maintaining the historic character of our city. This economic revitalization is no accident. It's a combination of our community's leadership and vision combined with a key economic tool in the form of historic tax credits...

Dear Kathy Griffin, I am a Democrat. I'm not a true-blue Democrat. I have crossed party lines a number of times. I just happened to register to vote when John Kennedy was president, and never changed. I am writing to give you my "free speech" as provided for in the First Amendment of the U.S. ...

On June 7, Lions Clubs International will be celebrating 100 years of service and the Missouri Lions would like to thank you, the reader, for your help over the years, including a very busy 2017. The idea of a man named Melvin Jones has grown into the world's largest service club organization with over 1.4 million members!...

In a recent special session the Missouri Legislature passed a bill which allows the Public Service Commission to approve special low rates for the electrical power that Ameren Missouri would sell to two potential industrial customers in New Madrid County. This is corporate welfare pure and simple...

A recent letter chastised Senator Wayne Wallingford for not towing the conservative line, and "proposing two new taxes", one on cellphones for 911 service, and another on internet purchases. It is debatable whether these can really be considered new taxes since they replace tax revenue lost due to changing technology in the 21st century, and I'll wager most Missourians would applaud the Senator for preserving 911 and other vital services...

Editor's note: You can nominate individuals for the 2017 Spirit of America award through June 13 by submitting the printed application that appears in the newspaper or online at semissourian.com/spirit. On July 4, 2016, I received the Spirit of America Award after being nominated by Mr. ...