Speak Out 09/14/01

Licking its chops

TO THE caller of "Too much ticketing": I can tell you what is next. People doing 15 days in jail for tinted windows. Scott City is probably already licking its chops about how much revenue it can generate from that new law. I have lived in Cape for nine years, and you have Scott City's finest to thank for my residency here.

Rice hall of fame

CONGRATULATIONS TO Delta Farms generally and Gaylon Lawrence specifically for raking in a record $6.8 million in federal rice subsidies. I don't know if there is a rice subsidy hall of fame. If there isn't, one should be created. If one is started, Lawrence, who seemingly secures subsidies at an astounding rate and amount that I doubt will ever be surpassed, should be its first inductee. Southeast Missourians, join with me in saluting Gaylon Lawrence, the awesome and sure-fire rice subsidy king of all time.

Call attorney general

I'M CALLING about the obvious gasoline price gouging that occurred. It's hard to believe they would do this to the American people during the most tragic time in U.S. history. I hope everyone will call the attorney general's office with the name of the station owners and have them investigated. These owners should be ashamed.

No justification

CAPE CITIZENS, wake up. Don't let the oil companies kick us while we're down. There's no justification for local gas prices to soar due to the terrorist attack on our country.

Unpatriotic action

IT WAS unpatriotic of gas station owners to raise the price of gas during the national crisis.

Cowardly act

SEPT. 11 was a dark day in U.S. history. The events surpassed the devastation of Pearl Harbor. Sept. 11 was also a dark day for the city of Cape Girardeau. After the attacks in New York and Washington, area gas stations began to raise the price of their gas. This is price gouging. This is taking advantage of a terrible event to make a dollar. All area station owners and managers should be ashamed for taking advantage of a cowardly act.

Ill-timed humor

AS AN employee of one of the hospitals here in Cape Girardeau, I was very shocked and saddened to hear a doctor making jokes about the terrible tragedy that had struck our nation a few hours earlier. I could not believe my ears. This doctor seemed more concerned about the stock market being closed than the loss of thousands of our fellow citizens. In most instances, I agree that humor is the best medicine. But this was not one of those times.

No intimidation

I THINK Cape Girardeau needs to show its support for the United States. We have our wonderful flags that we received in the paper that said "God Bless America." It would be wonderful if everyone would bring out their flags they usually fly on Memorial Day and leave them up. Let everyone know we are Americans and we won't be intimidated.

Time to conserve

GOD BLESS America. American people lived through one of the most awful depressions in the world, and it looks like we're going to have some hard times ahead on account of this attack. I'd like to see the American people all work together regardless of race, religion or any other factor. God doesn't see those things. He sees what is in your heart. We need to pull together and conserve our resources. If you don't need it, don't turn it on. Don't take unnecessary car trips and conserve fuel. Let's conserve the supplies we have in case this thing gets worse.

The taste of terror

THE UNITED States now has a taste of what Israel has been going through all these years. We're seeing what terrorists do. Israelis have to live with it day by day. How does it feel for us?