LETTERS: EXPLANATION ON DOWNSTREAM FLOODING

To the editor:

I would like to thank Joe Vernier, who wrote again on behalf of the Lake Facts Committee, for clarifying and correcting the impression that he seemed to be trying to promot in his earlier letter. In his recent letter, Mr. Vernier acknowledges that the proposed Bollinger-Cape Girardeau County Lake would have no impact on flooding in the cities of Cape Girardeau and jackson. This is in contrast to his earlier claim, in the context of having both too little and too much water, that the "proposed Bollinger-Cape Girardeau County Lake offers a long-term solution to our water problems facing us today and in the future."

Had his earlier letter not seemed an attempt to foster the erroneous notion that "downstream" of the lake included Cape Girardeau and Jackson, there would have been no need for me to point out that downstream from the proposed dam does not include these cities. But now, Mr. Vernier seems to have clearly recognized geographic reality.

I would also like to note, with interest, that Mr. Vernier seems to have adopted in his commentary the technique of attempting to insult those with differing opinions, a technique that is so reminiscent of other local commentators and which is not effective or persuasive and does not promote the exchange of ideas.

ALAN R.P. JOURNET

Department of Biology

Southeast Missouri State University

Cape Girardeau