LETTERS: A CALL FOR DEBATES IN THE 8TH DISTRICT

To the editor:

Over 200 years ago, after the Revolutionary War cut our status as colonies of Great Britain, our nation was forged from the class series of debates on the Constitution, collected in the Federalist and Anti-Federalist debates. No one can dispute that the free and sharp exchange of views helped forge that dynamic document.

Nearly 150 years ago, only 30 miles from here, one of the famous Lincoln-Douglas debates was held in Jonesboro, Ill., Although Lincoln lost the election to the Senate, the notoriety of those debates and the crystallization of his anti-slavery views ultimately propelled him to the White House, where he helped to keep this country together.

The Sept. 21 Missourian had a lengthy letter to the editor in a sense debating the view held by the hospitals about the value of a merger. Given the letter, I would be surprised if there was not a lot of give-and-take that will help define the merits of that move.

Surely the election of a representative to Congress from the 8th District, while perhaps not as significant as those prior events, deserves the same kind of free exchange among the candidates. I am disappointed the Southeast Missourian has not taken the lead in calling for, and sponsoring, an honest-to-goodness debate among all the candidates for Congress. I know Judge Heckemeyer has been trying for some time, to no avail, to schedule a debate. I am sorry, but forums where the candidates simply repeat their pat answers are nothing more than life infomercials.

Before I send anyone to Congress, I want to see how they think on their feet without a script. As far as I know, the Libertarian candidate is not opposed to this idea. The only person who seems to be afraid to schedule a real debate is the incumbent, Mrs. Emerson. What is she afraid of? If she truly represents the people of this district, she should be prepared to show us what that means so we can make an informed decision about whom to elect.

I call on all the candidates, and also the Missourian, to take the lead and schedule a true series of debates for this post. The paper has been in the vanguard in past elections. Why not sponsor them and provide the money necessary to show them on the local-access TV channel?

I hope you will take this idea and make a call on the candidates to meet and bring back the spirit of real campaigning where the real winners are an informed electorate.

MICHAEL H. MAGUIRE

Cape Girardeau