Cape loses outstanding citizen

"MARTY" HECHT passed away last week. He was a unique man, not only to Cape, but to his religion and his world.

He was a quiet leader doing many good things anonymously, such as making a major donation to Southeast Missouri State University for a facility named for someone else. Few knew of this contribution.

His legacy of the HECHT SYNAGOGUE in Israel was one of just a few contributions to his religion.

He and his wife "Tootie" ran one of the top women's fashion stores in the country. They traveled regularly to New York to bring the latest fashion to Cape for their discriminating clientele.

Marty never took or asked for credit for his many volunteer contributions of time and money. He helped make Cape a better place to live.

He was truly one of Cape's outstanding citizens.

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Some books that I have recently read and recommend...

• "The Churchill Factor -- How One Man Made History" by BORIS JOHNSON, the former mayor of London.

Praised by many magazines and newspapers, the book discusses Churchill's involvement in England from World War I to World War II and beyond.

It doesn't gloss over his mistakes but discusses much of the history of that era and its leaders.

Johnson's interpretation of Churchill is informative and the events leading up to Churchill's "Iron Curtain" speech at Fulton, Missouri, is enlightening.

How little we know of the history and leaders that shaped England, the United States and the world's many facts and historic dates.

• Another book I read recently, also loaded with facts and data, is "Please Stop Helping Us: How Liberals make it harder for Blacks to Succeed" by Wall Street Journal columnist JASON RILEY.

In the book, Riley examines how well-intentioned welfare programs are, in fact, holding black Americans back.

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This is too funny not to pass on. How do court reporters keep straight faces?

These are from a book called "Disorder in the Court" by Charles M. Sevilla and are things people actually said in court, word for word, taken down and published by court reporters that had the torment of staying calm while the exchanges were taking place.

ATTORNEY: What was the first thing your husband said to you that morning?

WITNESS: He said, "Where am I, Cathy?"

ATTORNEY: And why did that upset you?

WITNESS: My name is Susan!

ATTORNEY: What gear were you in at the moment of the impact?

WITNESS: Gucci sweats and Reeboks.

ATTORNEY: What is your date of birth?

WITNESS: July 18th.

ATTORNEY: What year?

WITNESS: Every year.

ATTORNEY: How old is your son, the one living with you?

WITNESS: Thirty-eight or thirty-five, I can't remember which.

ATTORNEY: How long has he lived with you?

WITNESS: Forty-five years.

ATTORNEY: This myasthenia gravis, does it affect your memory at all?

WITNESS: Yes.

ATTORNEY: And in what ways does it affect your memory?

WITNESS: I forget.

ATTORNEY: You forget? Can you give us an example of something you forgot?

ATTORNEY: Now doctor, isn't it true that when a person dies in his sleep, he doesn't know about it until the next morning?

WITNESS: Did you actually pass the bar exam?

ATTORNEY: The youngest son, the 20-year-old, how old is he?

WITNESS: He's 20, much like your IQ.

ATTORNEY: Were you present when your picture was taken?

WITNESS: Are you kidding me?

ATTORNEY: She had three children, right?

WITNESS: Yes.

ATTORNEY: How many were boys?

WITNESS: None.

ATTORNEY: Were there any girls?

WITNESS: Your honor, I think I need a different attorney. Can I get a new attorney?

ATTORNEY: Can you describe the individual?

WITNESS: He was about medium height and had a beard.

ATTORNEY: Was this a male or a female?

WITNESS: Unless the circus was in town, I'm going with male.

ATTORNEY: Is your appearance here this morning pursuant to a deposition notice which I sent to you attorney?

WITNESS: No, this is how I dress when I go to work.

ATTORNEY: Doctor, how many of your autopsies have you performed on dead people?

WITNESS: All of them. The live ones put up too much of a fight.

ATTORNEY: All your responses must be oral, OK? What school did you go to?

WITNESS: Oral...

ATTORNEY: Do you recall the time that you examined the body?

WITNESS: The autopsy started around 8:30 p.m.

ATTORNEY: And Mr. Denton was dead at the time?

WITNESS: If not, he was by the time I finished.

ATTORNEY: Are you qualified to give a urine sample?

WITNESS: Are you qualified to ask that question?

And last:

ATTORNEY: Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check for a pulse?

WITNESS: No.

ATTORNEY: Did you check for blood pressure?

WITNESS: No.

ATTORNEY: Did you check for breathing?

WITNESS: No.

ATTORNEY: So then it is possible that the patient was alive when you began the autopsy?

WITNESS: No.

ATTORNEY: How can you be so sure, doctor?

WITNESS: Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar.

ATTORNEY: I see, but could the patient have still been alive, nevertheless?

WITNESS: Yes, it is possible that he could have been alive and practicing law.

Gary Rust is the chairman of the board of Rust Communications.