SPEAK OUT

Youths rake leaves

I JUST want to tell the people that something happened to me that hasn't happened in a long time. I'm an old lady, and there were some teen-age kids playing ball at the church at West End Boulevard and Bloomfield. They quit playing ball and came over and raked my yard and got the leaves all piled up for me. They wouldn't take any pay at all. They were real nice, smiled and so kind. I just can't get over how amazing it is that so many young people can be so sweet to an old lady. I want them to know how much I appreciate it.

Look it up for yourself

IN HIS Dec. 3 letter, Justin Campbell indicates that he wants to be a member of the anti-ignorance community. Well, I'm going to eliminate some ignorance here. The Second Amendment does not protect an individual's right to own firearms unless he is a member of the National Guard. Period. I invite anyone who disagrees with this to look it up. This is not my opinion but the opinion of the U.S. Supreme Court and other courts in this country. Please, everyone who does not believe me, look this up and let's eliminate some ignorance.

Forget it for a few years

IT SEEMS very unusual to me as a taxpayer that our city elected officials find the time and the financial resources to finance the university River Campus project but cannot find the time or the resources to get new schools in our city. Who do they work for and who pays their salary, Nitzschke or the taxpayers? Let's forget River Campus for a few years. If downtown Cape merchants and college professors want it, let them finance it. Don't get the city taxpayers involved. Enough is enough.

It's a lose-lose situation

IF THE parents of those who died at Heath High School want to bring legal action against those who are truly responsible for what happened, in my opinion they need to bring suit against federal government, the courts and the lawyers who for the past 20 years have made it impossible for school boards, administrators and teachers to take action against troubled, unruly students. Administrators or teachers who push for action to against troubled students are in danger of having the wrath of the federal government, the courts and the defense lawyers brought to bear on them. Administrators and teachers have been in an untenable position for the past 20 years. If they try to do something about troubled students, they're in danger of having legal action being taken against them and being ruined professionally. If they do not try to do something about troubled students, they're in danger of having legal action taken against them and being ruined professionally. The federal government, the courts and the defense lawyers have put far too many people in the lose-lose situation for the past 20 years.

Acceptance is real tragedy

THE REAL disaster is not the president's character and perversion. He's one individual. The excuses and acceptance by the majority of the American people is the tragic reality.

Cat thrown from van

I WOULD just like to tell the lady with short brown hair and big-frame glasses in the blue and gray van that I saw you on Kingshighway throw your cat out of the van. I cannot believe you did that. I wish there would have been a chance I could have turned around and gotten your license number, because I would have turned you in. I hope you can live with yourself knowing what you did. I just can't help but wonder if you throw your children out of your home when they make you mad also.

It's a matter of money

IF HEALTH-care professionals want to protest the current attendance policy at Central High School, they should be honest about their real reasons. Their concerns are not for the teens. Their concerns are for their offices, their own convenience and their finances. At least two of the doctors at the meeting have complained to me personally about the difficulty imposed on them because they cannot schedule appointments for high school students during school hours because students don't want to miss classes. They have empty time during the day, and they are overly busy after school. At least the school administrators have admitted that their policy on attendance is a way to increase the bottom line -- that is, money. Health-care providers should be honest enough to do the same.

All liars will run

SINCE THE Democrats are saying that perjury, which is lying under oath to a judge and to a jury in a courtroom of law, is not an impeachable offense, then you can expect every liar in the entire country to run for president after this.

No Christmas in Florida?

DON'T GET me wrong, I loved the recent warm weather, but it sure was hard to get in the Christmas spirit when it was 76 degrees outside. I bet people in Florida never buy a Christmas present or sing a Christmas carol.

Giving is a good feeling

MY HUSBAND and I try to give as much as we can to the elderly, but what I don't understand is why people that could give don't. My grandmother told me that the best thing you can do in your life is to help those in need. I've noticed so people with money are greedy. Giving makes me feel good and a better person. I learned growing up you can take your wealth with you when you die. I'm going to give as much money as I can.

Wild West attitude

NOW THAT the streets of Cape Girardeau are like Dodge City in it's heyday, maybe Peter Kinder would understand why we need new and tough gun laws. The person who shot the little girl should spend the rest of his life behind bars. It isn't even safe to be driving downtown in the daytime because we don't control the possession of guns by undesirables. If all the shooters involved in the shooting spree were sentenced to a minimum of 20 years, the rest of the goofy jerks might get the word. Get with this, Petey, and get the guns and the shooters off the street. Your Wild West attitude may next lead to death, and I don't want to be shot driving down Main Street in the daytime.

Paying for medical records

SINCE WHEN did you have to start paying a doctor whenever they retire or move to get your chart? You pay them your office fee and whatever they do for all your lab work when you're seeing this doctor. And whenever they quit, they don't keep your chart. Your chart's not stored anywhere. It's disposed of. There is no place to keep it. So they don't make copies. You're not paying for copies, but they want you to pay a fee plus so much for every page. That's because they have to pay someone to stay behind and get rid of this stuff. And you, the patient, pays for this. That's not right.

Leaf pickup is great

THIS IS in response to the person complaining about Cape Girardeau leaf pickup program. I'd just like to say that the crew did an excellent job around my property. They had a great machine, and the three guys were working very hard. Maybe if this caller knew how to follow the city's instructions on raking leaves to the curb, they're property would look much better also.

It's about forgiving

CONCERNING SOME of the comments about Mr. Clinton in the paper. People need to realize in the Bible it says to forgive. If alcoholics can become preachers and alcoholics can become lawyers and judges and so forth, why can't a man that has committed adultery be forgiven?

Playing Buck Rogers

I WANT the people who are complaining about the ozone and the global warming to read carefully about some of the experiments and some of the things they know about the rockets crashing through our ozone layer. Don't be stupid. Read between the lines, because that's where the truth lies. We're burning up our own shelter. Why in the world do we have to send millions and millions of dollars up into the air destroying our own earth just for some stupid kid who wants to play Buck Rogers?