SPEAK OUT

A caring person

THANKS TO the caring person who paid my gas bill after I had gas put in my car at a station. I am 84 years old and work part-time to make ends meet. I volunteer at a hospital. I don't know who the kind person is, but God does. Thanks again. It was greatly appreciated.

Horrible death

I WAS horrified hearing about the little boy in St. Louis who was killed and eaten by vicious dogs. These people who have these big dogs should never let them run loose. The law needs to put strict regulations on these animals before it happens to another child. When something like this happens, the owner should be charged with murder, not that that would bring the child back.

Thanks for purse

I WANT to send a thank you note to the person who found my purse in a shopping cart on the lot of Country Mart in Jackson and turned it in to the store. I am very thankful to the person for doing that.

Chilling letter

I BELIEVE the letter to the editor from the biotech farmers was intended to make us feel warm and fuzzy about biotech foods. However, it ran a cold chill down my spine.

A devil baby

FOR THOSE of us who believe human beings have souls, tell us how is it possible for a cloned human being to have a soul? I think it's just a terrible thing to dabble with. It seems to me that a cloned baby would be of the devil.

Cape Rock speeding

FOR THE past couple of years, some of the people living on Cape Rock Drive around Dennis Scivally Park have tried to get the speed limit lowered. I've been told by two people at the police station that we don't have a speeding problem on Cape Rock Drive and that drivers adhere to the speed limit. We've had numerous accidents. What is it going to take to change the speed limit? So far these accidents have been occurring at night, but one of these days a child is going to get hit. Does someone have to get hurt for the police to enforce the laws in our community?

Just keep quiet

I DON'T know why the media have to make such a big deal about the school shootings. There aren't any shootings around here. Why don't the media keep their mouths shut so the kids around our area don't know as much about it? But no, the media have to keep making a big deal out of it. They can't get enough of repeating "school shooting."

Hotels and baseball

I HAVE no beef with Charles Drury, but I wonder if he wasn't stretching the truth a bit in his testimony to state legislators about Cardinals baseball. Your paper reported that he told them his hotels were filled as far south as Hayti and Poplar Bluff when the hotels in St. Louis are filled because of the Cardinals. If that's true, rural Missouri should back the Cardinals plan. He owns a lot of hotels in St. Louis too.

More roundabouts

THE NEW roundabout in Cape is a wonderful addition. I can think of several locations where a roundabout would be beneficial. There are too many four-way stops, which seem to be Cape's solution to every problem. Now a good option has been presented. Roundabouts are far safer, and you don't have to worry about the majority of people who can't operate at a four-way stop. I hope Cape will build more, larger roundabouts instead of bottlenecking all of the traffic as is current practice.

CONGRATULATIONS TO the Jackson fourth-grade girls basketball team for getting first place in the Excelsior Optimist Club League and also getting first place in the invitational tournament. You girls worked extremely hard and made us very proud. From your coaches.

DAVID LIMBAUGH recently recommended that Republicans work to be more inclusive and widen their appeal to black Americans. I agree. One way to do this would be to stop pushing for the repeal of the estate tax which would, if repealed, promote slovenliness among future generations of the then idle rich and, more to the point, dramatically widen the wealth gap between blacks and whites.

Sore winners

A SPEAK Out comment recently referred to Democrats as sore losers. With a complete, objective recount of the intentions of Florida voters soon to be released, perhaps Democrats should be more accurately referred to as sore winners.

Accolade for Blue

THIS IS another accolade for John Blue and Mary Blue. After they retired and took up residence in the Blue House in Chateau Girardeau Estates, John continued to be interested in the world around him. Last summer, we residents were planning patriotic celebrations, and John Blue suggested we have a flag displayed at every apartment and every house at Chateau. The idea was accepted. The Chateau became a flag-waving, eye-pleasing and thrilling site for us and for all passers-by. Thank you, John Blue.