Speak Out 9/27/01

I NEVER ever had a hero, but after this tragedy, I have close to 6,000 or so. God help me if I should ever groan and moan about my pain again.

Too much Clinton

I WANT to reply to a Speak out in Monday's column saying that he's tired of CNN showing nothing but Clinton and Mrs. Clinton on TV. I guess he doesn't know that CNN stands for the Clinton News Network, just like CBS is the Clinton Broadcasting Company. What he needs to do is watch Fox News if he wants to really know what's going on.

Tell the Cabinet

THE LETTER in Sept. 24 from Mountain Grove, Mo., expressed my feelings exactly. I wish he would send his letter to the president and his Cabinet. We don't need to sacrifice our young men and women, we need to find out the reason. As Mr. Jackson said, war is ugly.

Not the measure

WHETHER SOMEBODY has the flag flying or they don't have it flying does not measure one's patriotism. Maybe they cannot afford a flag or cannot find a flag. I flew my flag before the politicians and news media said anything. Does that make me a better patriot than anybody else? Worry about your own patriotism, not someone else's.

Cape has flags

I'M CALLING in response to the "come to Jackson" Speak Out item in Monday's paper. There is no need for anyone to go to Jackson to see American flags displayed. Almost every home and business in Cape Girardeau have flags flying.

Old song

OUR COUNTRY is in a crisis, and I want to say a few words from a song I learned when I was a teen-ager: "No man is an island. No man stands alone. Each man's joy is joy to me. Each man's grieve is my own. We need one another. So I will defend each man as my brother. And each man as my friend." Pull together now, people. No more violence against our fellow citizens.

Too afraid

I'M SORRY, but I disagree with the FAA grounding crop- dusters. I think that terrorists have us right where they want us. We are afraid of our own shadows and the potential of something that will never ever come true. This is sad, and we need to be pitied. We need to have faith, not fear.

No draft expected

I'M VERY glad to hear we will not need to have a draft. I know that will put the children at ease. I just wanted to pass that on.

Kudos to Wille

I WOULD like to thank Grace Wille for promoting the POW-MIA march this year. Grace has never forgotten the patriotism she was taught as a child. She worked tirelessly building the memorial wall, calling veterans all over the country to get their names for the wall and paying for many of the names out of her own pocket. She also raised money for trees to line the memorial drive. Grace helps take up and put away the flags that line the memorial wall each holiday. This is just a start of all the things that she has done to keep patriotism alive in our town.

We will win

NOW IS not the time to doubt the capability of our troops in Afghanistan. If we go there we can win, and we will win!

Insightful piece

RETIRED AIR Force Lt. Col. Dr. Tony Kern recently wrote an insightful and instructive piece for perusal by the American people. According to Prussian General von Clausewitz (as quoted by Kern), a key component of victory is the will of the people. The juxtaposition of a Speak Out caller's comment on the same page as Kern's analysis was anxiety provoking. The caller, probably echoing the sentiments of many, said we should try to win the coming war but without the use of American ground troops. So our will seems weakened before we have begun.

THIS IS for the Speak Out caller in Tuesday's paper who suggested ending the war quickly by dropping a few bombs. This caller is sorely misinformed. Russia tried for 10 years to defeat Afghanistan, and it bankrupted the entire Soviet Union. So please get your facts together.

Hard to comprehend

TRYING TO win a war against terrorism in Afghanistan and other nations without sending in ground troops is so senseless it is difficult to understand the mind set of a Speak Out caller who suggested it.

Turn of events

WHAT WE thought was the best thing that ever happened to western civilization -- the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War -- may prove to be the worst. We let down our guard, lost our resolve and became fat and lazy. Though the historical parallels with Rome in decline are numerous, we can turn it around. However, the barbarians are at the gate.

Confusing gesture

TALK ABOUT being slow on the uptake. I was watching Senator Rodham-Clinton while the president was making his speech at the Capitol. She seemed to clapping in a rather odd manner with not much enthusiasm. It wasn't until tonight I realized she wasn't applauding. She was waving good-bye to her year 2004 presidential bid. My face is really red in embarrassment.