Speak Out A 03/14/02

Eternal vigilance

I WAS not reassured by your March 8 editorial. Your message was a more than cavalier one to the effect that when it comes to terrorism Cape residents don't need to let their guard down entirely, but that it's OK to do so somewhat. So much for eternal vigilance being the price for liberty.

Poetry for animals

REGARDING THE case of the abused horses:

Oh, shame on the mothers of mortals

Who did not stop to teach

The sorrow that lies in dear, dumb eyes,

The sorrow that has no speech.

For the same force formed the camel

That fashioned man and king.

And the God of the whole

Gave a spark of soul

To each furred and feathered thing. -- Unknown

Proud of service

I WOULD like to thank the Southeast Missourian and KFVS-TV for their great coverage of the Sadler brothers' graduation. We are very proud of our fathers and our uncles for their service to their country and feel this was something that was well-deserved. Again, thanks for a job well-done.

Mostly drug inmates

THE SOUTHEAST Missourian editorial regarding prisons failed to point out why we have the current prison overpopulation: 60 percent of the current population is there due to drug-related changes. The majority of those are for marijuana, not meth or cocaine. When will this nation wake up to the fact that prohibition didn't work against alcohol, and it's not going to work against marijuana.

Naive landlord

I'M LOOKING forward to Sam Blackwell's column for this week and thereafter. There are two advantages of the landlord in his situation. He will have enough material for his column every week until he finally opts for eviction. I can't believe he was so naive.

Spend or save?

ONE DAY you read that Americans should shop and spend big time to keep the economy in good shape. The next day you read that Americans are not saving money. How can you have both?

Sounds familiar

I HEARD something that reminds me of the editorial staff at the Southeast Missourian. "I may not know anything, but I am never in doubt." This is the case with Peter Kinder and David Limbaugh.

Playboy connection

I DON'T know why the AP felt it was necessary to mention that Anna Nicole Smith was a Playboy playmate in the story about her getting money from her husband after his death. She is also an actress. I think the Southeast Missourian needs to do a better job of editing. I don't think the mention of Playboy should be in a good, upstanding paper like the Southeast Missourian.

Let them do the job

I'VE BEEN a Cardinals fan for years. Please leave state Sen. Peter Kinder and Gov. Bob Holden alone about the stadium.

Stadium is OK

I ASKED my spouse who is fiscally conservative about the Cardinals stadium. He thinks the old one is just fine. He also says there is record attendance, so you don't need a new building to bring people in. They were already coming.

Represent the people

WHILE VIEWING a recent Cape Girardeau City Council meeting, I concluded that the city attorney's claim that a requirement that new cell-phone towers be located a safe distance from roads was a violation of law was the most absurd statement I had ever heard. I was wrong. He topped it only seconds later with his assertion that requiring cellular providers to prove they needed a tower before permission to build was granted constituted an unreasonable burden. It is time that our city officials recognize they are supposed to represent Cape residents. The telecommunications industry already has plenty of lawyers and lobbyists on their payroll.