SPEAK OUT

Head in the sand

IF YOU think Democrats have a monopoly on illicit marital affairs, you are a tragic victim of the ostrich syndrome, which is in keeping with most other GOP thinking.

Picking verses

IT IS truly amazing how so many of you Speak Out callers love to quote biblical texts which you feel support your thinking yet are able to ignore other texts which are opposed to your thinking.

GOP welfare

HAVE ANY of you proud Republicans ever heard the term "corporate welfare"? If not, research it and you will know why I am a prouder Democrat.

International climate

I ENJOYED reading about the international dimensions of the MBA program at Southeast Missouri State University. The presence of a number of international students in an academic program allows our local students to have international learning experiences here in Southeast Missouri. An understanding of the international cultural dimensions of business is very important to the success of our future business leaders in Missouri.

Undercover menace

I HAVE seen enough of this cowboy who drives a blue car around Cape. He cuts into traffic, flies around anyone he meets and in general does not obey the law. He is dressed in black. The car he drives has regular Missouri plates (not city). He has red and blue lights. And he has a badge. This undercover officer is a menace to himself and the rest of society. I would like to know how the city can condone this activity. Someone needs to put a stop to this guy immediately and end this form of entrapment. What happened? Did Cape spend too much on the roundabout and now it has to make up for lost money?

Church plans

A CHURCH wants to build a beautiful park with a lake. If the new church looks anything like the part facing Mount Auburn Road, it should have a nice, pleasant look to it. I do not attend that church, but I think it is one of the best looking in Cape. We preach that the problem with kids in this town is they have nothing to do. This church is working to make a difference and provide a place to play in a safe environment. If property owners are worried about property values from a church, they must not realize people probably thought that about their church.

Middle-of-river acts

THE ONLY way downtown Cape can attract world-class acts would be to tear down entirely, make retractable or at least make transparent the wall by the river. Then groups could perform on the river in front of crowds of hundreds of thousands. These crowds would line both sides of the Mississippi if we could some way legally annex and clear the land on the Illinois side across from Cape. It may seem a stretch to many of you, but I think it is well within the realm of possibility that we'll some day see the likes of Metallica, Monster Magnet and Mudvane performing in the middle of the mighty Mississippi. In retrospect, Woodstock would seem a small gathering.

A boon for all

WHAT SEEMED to be a mean-spirited Speak Out caller claimed Missouri Gov. Bob Holden favors a bailout of the St. Louis Cardinals. Far from it. Holden's concept is progressive and visionary. He proposes a combination of private and public funds to be used to refurbish downtown St. Louis and be of benefit to all of Missouri, the Midwest and, because the Cards are truly America's team, the entire nation.

Big help with trash

I HAVE thanked him personally. Now I'd like to let our community know. One of our city sanitation employees has gone above and beyond his line of duty with trash pickup. We need more citizens like him. Thanks again from a resident of the Alma Schrader district.

Forgetting our values

IT'S A shame how politicians forget their religious values when they accept their godless platform. But the real shame is that the voters forget it too.

Save the trees

I HOPE when they widen Siemers Drive they don't take those nice trees out. They are just beginning to get to be nice size.

Glad and not glad

I THINK Bob Holden is a good man, and I'm glad I voted for him. On the other hand I voted for George Bush for president, and I'm not so sure I'm glad I voted for him.

Support the victims

RECENTLY ARTICLES have appeared in the newspaper with regard to various offenses by adult men against our youths. The gossip in the community has ranged from "I've been framed" to "I've been blackmailed." Everyone is innocent until proven guilty. But let us remember when adults are accused of sexual crimes against children, the children always deserve the benefit of the doubt. What is wrong with us as a community that we do not stand behind our youths? It is difficult enough to come forward as a child. The fear that someone will know this awful thing that happened is unimaginable. Please, let's support the victims as much as we support the accused.

Not enough progress

I AM very disappointed in our city's progress. My job demands that I travel all over the Midwest and the Southeast of the United States. I see many cities that are around the size of Cape Girardeau. The thing that disappoints me is these cities are way ahead of Cape Girardeau in many respects. They have well-developed industrial parks with big-name companies. Many have tourist attractions such as lakes, casinos, professional athletic teams or even a flourishing downtown filled with entertainment opportunities. Cape Girardeau has been blessed with many resources such as the Mississippi River, I-55, railways, airport, university and location between St. Louis and Memphis. Yet Cape Girardeau doesn't take advantage of these resources.

Disabled in church

I'M CALLING in response to Miki Gudermuth's letter on the Opinion page. I think she is probably trying to create a tempest in a teapot. I have been associated with dozens and dozens of churches over the last 45 years, and we've had disabled people come to services. It was never a problem, and the congregation goes out of its way to make it comfortable and make any other arrangements we need to do for disabled people. She says there are numerous complaints from individuals with disabilities about churches refusing people with disabilities. I take offense to the idea of bringing a dog into church. When a person who comes into church is subject to seizures, we generally assign someone to be with that person and care for them in case something comes up. We have disabled people attending our church all the time in wheelchairs.