PEOPLE

The Southeast Missourian asked people for their thoughts about the recent events in the Soviet Union.

Gerald Stevens: "We should feel gratified that the Soviet young people particularly stood up for democracy despite their hard economic times. I think that Yeltsin will eventually take over in some democratic fashion."

Bob Stricker: "I'm glad that Gorbachev came back to power, but I think Yeltsin will be leading things after all of this. I would like to see the smoke clear for a while. Three days is enough for everybody."

Jane Clark: "I feel that Gorbachev is definitely a leader, or he could not have come back to power. Yeltsin is in a position to influence Gorbachev through the public. If they work together, they can bring about a democratic victory."

Wayne Bock: "It is good to see that freedom has taken hold there and cannot easily be taken away. It looked like it would be a return to a cold war situation, but I don't think the people would let that happen any more."

Tina Kaiser: "I was surprised that the people were out in the streets, and that they were not shot down. I think they are on their way to improvement. I was also surprised that Gorbachev came back as fast as he did."

Bob Tamalis: "I think Gorbachev has played out his role, and the Soviet people will look to Yeltsin to be their leader. I think that the Soviet Union will break up into separate states, but still be loosely aligned."