Speak Out 10/10/04

Better act now

I THINK the city council's idea about trying to save the bridge entry ramp on the Missouri side is a fine idea, but they better get off their duff and do it before it gets tore up anymore. The road surface has already been destroyed. They should have thought of that a little earlier than now.

Prayers for president

THIS IS in response to an article in Monday's paper that said Sen. Kerry was calm, collected and in command in the first debate. I'm not trying to be unkind or anything but we need to think. It surely was a whole lot easier to be calm and collected when basically all you've had to do is campaign and practice your material but when you, so to speak, have the weight of the world on your shoulders, grieving families, the disasters in Florida and no telling what else, it has to be a different story. President Bush can't just campaign. He tries to be where the bad things are going on. He's been to Iraq. He's been to Florida. He takes his position seriously. Maybe he was fidgety and fumbled for words. I wouldn't want to be in his position. I might be a basket case. We shouldn't put a president down but we should lift him up continually before God and pray because he really needs it.

Non-smokers have rights

THIS IS in regards to "smokers have rights" in Tuesday's Speak Out. Well, non-smokers also have rights, and usually they're the ones whose air is filled with smoke from smokers who don't think or have the common sense to know and respect when others are around. I know, quite frankly, places that do have smoke-filled rooms. I just don't frequent them anymore because I'm not going to be inhaling second-hand smoke and possibly die of lung cancer. I think that smokers have to be considerate of other people and maybe smoke in areas where they're not subjecting other people to breathing their smoke.

Terrorists back Kerry

UNTIL KERRY and the Democrats quit making such a big issue about Iraq, the terrorists will keep on. That keeps them in hopes they will win if Kerry will be the president.

Feeling betrayed

SEMO IS using mentor tutors to try to save their football players' academic eligibility, but what will they use to build the players' morale after they took away the original name of their football team? There's no will to win games. The team feels betrayed.

Sight to see

WHAT A joy it was to see Ms. Kempe on KFVS12 television today. It just put a smile on my face and a song in my heart to see her sing and play "Baby Face."

Cost of funerals

I WOULD like to see every funeral home in Southeast Missouri print in the newspaper their general price list so that everybody knows what the cost of funerals really are.

Already apologized

DAN RATHER, I'll tell you what, I like him all the better and I hope he keeps on going. I hear these right-wingers blasting him right and left. No way they're going to fire Dan Rather. He must be doing something right if the right-wingers don't like him. The report was given to him and he only reported on it. The man said he was sorry and that's not good enough. If Rush Limbaugh says something, wow, he apologized so it's all right. I think I've never seen such biased people in my life.

Protecting the election

OUR NATIONAL security, FBI and police officers have done a wonderful job of protecting us the last few years. There have been lots of terrorist plots and the police have figured them out and stopped the terrorists before they could attack us again. But now we're getting close to the election and the Islamic terrorists completely messed up the Spanish elections by attacking Spain just before their elections. They will try to do it here and I hope that our police and FBI are good enough to stop it here before it happens before our elections. Islamic terrorists are dangerous but our police are good. Let's vote for the good team.