SPEAK OUT

Prom photos

THANK YOU, Southeast Missourian, for putting the photographs of the prom on your Web site.

Public transportation

I JUST read recently that the No. 1 activity in the United States, ranked by dollars generated, is the manufacture, maintenance and fueling of automobiles. It's no wonder that the United States is the energy hog of the world. Is unlimited transportation freedom worth the high cost and damage to the environment? In places like Europe, Japan and New York City, most people don't even own a car and rely on public transportation. Why can't this work in the United States?

No socialism, please

TO EVERYONE complaining about their gas prices -- this is just capitalism hard at work. The gas and oil companies realize you have high demand for their product and most will pay that $3 a gallon no matter what. Asking the government to help fix prices -- doesn't that sound (gasp) socialist?

Anti-smoking spending

OUR ILLUSTRIOUS Senate leader, Peter Kinder, should be ashamed if the report from one columnist is true that he wants to commit all but $30 million of Missouri's multibillion-dollar tobacco settlement to road building instead of what it was originally intended for. We need to use it to lessen the severe handicap that results from smoking and to eliminate it as much as we can from this state.

Beautiful morning

WHAT A cool, pleasant morning as we watch the rabbits feed on the ground at Dr. Lewis' office in Jackson. And the squirrels zip along the telephone lines doing their high-wire acts, their tails switching with grace. And the birds, echoing their spring happiness with sweet chirping and singing. Everything's so quiet and cool. A beautiful morning.

Build roads, not stadiums

I AM outraged to hear state Sen. Peter Kinder throw his support toward a new stadium in St. Louis that would use taxpayer money. This is corporate welfare at its worst. The players and owners are making millions and should build their own stadium if they so desire and not with hard-earned taxpayer money. Missouri is listed as having the worst roads and bridges in the nation. Anyone driving in this state can easily attest to that. Driving on roads with outdated bridges and roads full of potholes that need repair to go see a ballgame at a new stadium built at taxpayer expense just doesn't make good economic sense to me.

Sharing our blessings

I ENJOYED the very nice Speak Out article about what the caller enjoys. I was prompted to say that I have a beautiful family and a wonderful church, and I'm very happy to live in Cape Girardeau with so many nice and wonderful people. I hope everyone else can enjoy similar blessings too.

Willing to say no

THANK YOU, Kim Mothershead of the SEMO Regents, for being the dissenter on the increase in tuition and room rates. As a mother of four kids and one through college, she knows the cost of putting people through college. She's in touch with the university. They keep raising costs so there's no way you can put all your children through college.

Different experience

MY DAUGHTER had a great time at her prom and is going to have a great time at her graduation. Everything is special. She is beautiful. She was asking me how I felt about my prom and my graduation. Well, I hated school because I came from a poor family. I was skinny. I had no nice clothes. I went to school with some of the richest people in town. And I went to school with a lot of people who were mean to me. And my graduation, I couldn't wait to snatch that diploma out of that man's hand to get out of Dodge because I hated it. I'm glad my daughter is having a much better time than I ever dreamed of having.