Letters to the Editor

A lot of us were drafted into the Army back during the Vietnam war, and when we went through basic training, we were vaccinated for about every disease known to mankind. I remember on one occasion we were told to get in line and walk between two medics, who were giving shots in both arms at the same time. They were using air guns, and if you flinched at the wrong time, the high pressure would slice your skin. Several of us came away with bloody arms...

On Nov. 2, the voters of Cape Girardeau are being asked to approve a use tax (internet sales tax). To enable me to be an informed Voter, I would appreciate answers to the following questions. 1. What is a use tax (internet sales tax)? 2. Is this a new tax?...

I am unvaccinated. I feel as if I can no longer remain silent because myself and others are being marginalized. We all have a right to self determination. I am not anti-vaccine, but I do have significant concerns about the safety and effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccination...

I find it ironic that many anti-vaccine people justify their choice as a matter of exercising and promoting "freedom." I say this is ironic because remaining unvaccinated is contributing to an erosion of freedom for virtually everyone in our society. ...

The people of Southeast Missouri have a lengthy history of giving verbal support to military veterans. This support finds specific expression in the following paragraph from Gov. Parson's press release for last year's Veterans Day: "On this Veterans Day, I encourage all Missourians to honor the service, sacrifice, and courage of our nation's veterans. These brave men and women deserve the highest appreciation and utmost respect not just today but every day,..."...

A popular argument for rejecting vaccination and the wearing of masks during the current pandemic appears to be the claim that we don't know enough about the effectiveness of either. Folks keep using the phrase "uncharted territory" to support refusal for following recommended guidelines. This was repeated by Eric Becking at Tuesday's Public Health meeting...

My sons attend junior high and Clippard. One is 12 and vaccinated. One is 9 and unable to be vaccinated. If local pediatricians, health department and anecdotal evidence from schools already in session point to masking mandates for children, why are the school board and superintendent not listening?...

Many Americans were appalled to learn that the Afghan army refused to use the billions of dollars worth of weapons Americans provided them to defend their citizens from the infamous Taliban. Yet here in our own country, many refuse to use the marvelous tools provided to them by our scientists to protect our citizens from a viral enemy, COVID-19...

I've been listening to people for several months trying to understand why so many won't wear masks or get the Covid vaccination. I know none of us like being told what to do, but I think it goes well beyond that. I have come to the conclusion that it's a matter of trust. I think many people just don't trust our government. And many don't trust the national media either...

Where are the doctors, the nurses, the health care workers? Does everyone agree with the school superintendent, Dr. Neil Glass, that masks will not be required for children in school? Dr. Glass said he and his team made this decision. Masks are the only defense school children younger than 12 have for their protection. Is that OK with everyone?...

In a recent article in the Southeast Missourian, Marc Thiessen sends a message to President Biden and fellow Democrats telling them to "Stop harassing the unvaccinated," that is those who have decided not to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and its variants...

On Aug. 1, 2021, The New York Times had an online article which said there were 79,763 new cases of COVID-19 in the United States. Countrywide this is an increase of 149% over the last seven days. On a per-capita basis, Cape Girardeau presently has a lower number of cases. But with its increase of 217% over the last seven days, Cape is on track to pull ahead of the national average...

This past Friday, we buried our long-time friend and fellow bandmate (Alex Riffle & The Stiff-Riffs), Larry Light of Sullivan, Missouri. He died from the delta variant virus. Before he was infected, he was a robust, energetic 57-year-old family man and one of the best flat-picking guitarist in the country...

The deer invasion is getting worse at our house. My wife hung bars of soap among the flowers and bushes in the yard because she heard that would keep the deer away. We had tried the stinky deer repellent stuff, but it was more disgusting than the inside of an over ripe porta-pottie. (It did stop the neighbor's cat and dog from messing in our yard for a while.) Anyway, we hoped the soap was the answer...

Friends in Cape shared the 50th Anniversary Doctors' Park article. My father, Dr. Gordon Nunnelly, was one of the leaders of the founding team and actually helped negotiate the first bank loan, kept the initial investor payments and books, found the St. Louis architects Peckham and Guyton who designed the complex, and designed the Doctors' Park logo...

On Aug. 4, 2020, the citizens of Missouri by a vote of 672,967 to 590,809 passed Medicaid expansion. This is a plan to offer public health insurance to thousands of additional low-income individuals. This vote defied the wishes of the Republican politicians who had blocked it at the statehouse for years and implored voters to reject it at the ballot box. ...