Speak Out A 03/16/03

Maintaining standards

I BELIEVE the residents of Missouri are more worthy and more responsible than our neighbors in Iowa, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas and Oklahoma -- and we will be as long as we continue to defeat concealed-weapon laws.

Doing their jobs

FORCING A store clerk to pay a fine for accidentally selling liquor to a minor is ridiculous. These people are generally paid minimum wage as it is and do not have the training to spot fake licenses. Cashiers should be required to ask for ID and refuse sales to those without IDs or with obvious fakes. Cashiers can be fooled and make mistakes. They shouldn't have to worry about being fired, fined or jailed for just doing their jobs.

It's his recession now

EIGHTEEN MONTHS ago you could call the recession a Bill Clinton hangover. But no more. Now it's clearly a George Bush recession. Everything he does makes it worse. This mindless warmongering not only adds to the economic problem, but it's also isolating the United States from the rest of the civilized world. It will be a long time before nations forget the arrogance and military selfishness of the United States under this president.

She was well-loved

THANK YOU for the article on the tragic house fire. As Katrina Krumrie's uncle, it was heartening to know how well she was loved.

But who eats the cats?

TO THE caller who thinks cats are destroying our wildlife: You must be joking. Most outdoor cats eat mice and other rodents, which can quickly become quite a problem if not controlled. They are in the food chain, and we cannot mess with that. Leave the cats alone to do what comes natural.

Tough on criminals

PEOPLE WHO commit horrific crimes deserve to do their time by working and doing something productive. What they shouldn't be doing is relaxing in an air-conditioned cell watching TV. Let's get tough with those who commit crimes. Maybe then they won't be so quick to repeat it.

They made a choice

IN REPLY to the person who said most people are in prison because they made a mistake: That's sort of like saying you got accidentally pregnant because you had no idea that having sex could cause pregnancy. Criminals didn't make a mistake. They made a choice. Now they are paying for that choice. If you can't do the time, don't pull the crime.

A better way

ALL THIS debate about underage drinking brings back memories. Many times when we were teens we were caught by the Cape Girardeau police drinking in the park and a few other places in town. We were told after they got all our names that they would return in a few hours and if there were any litter we would be prosecuted. We were careful to pick up after ourselves and never heard any more about it. This same thing happened twice with Missouri State Highway Patrol troopers, also in county settings. Why can't this kind if thing still go on today? We were careful, and we survived with a true respect of the law enforcement officers.

Making choices

MANY PEOPLE choose to live a life of poverty and dead-end minimum-wage jobs. My daughter chose that path when she dropped out of school at age 16, married a bum who deserted her after getting her pregnant and refused to get her GED. This 25-year-old woman and her preschool child are living with her parents, unable to support herself on a part-time job. If she worked full-time, she would lose state-paid child-care benefits. My son chose to complete high school and finish college and is bringing home a nice-sized paycheck to support his wife and preschool child. Bad choices lead to bad consequences, and good choices lead to good consequences most of the time.