Speak Out A 09/10/01

Emergency response

RECENTLY I had to call an ambulance for one of my family members. Shortly after I called 911, two men arrived and identified themselves as firefighters and first responders. They provided care for my family member to the best of their ability. They were nice and knew exactly what they were doing, which is more than I can say for our ambulance service. They were not nice or professional.

Swell furnishings

THERE WAS an article in the Missourian a few days ago about the government spending $64 million to furnish a new office building. One of the items was a shower curtain for $250. The government said it is short on money and may have to dig into Social Security. I think this is wrong. I think $64 million would furnish every home in Jackson.

Making judgments

I WOULD like to comment about the caller who said you are not supposed to judge. If you see someone smoking dope or messing around on their wife and getting drunk, are you not supposed to tell your kids that's bad behavior?

Stand for the flag

I BELIEVE Cape Girardeau is generally a patriotic town but it is ill-informed about flag etiquette. With the SEMO District Fair parade coming next Monday, viewers should be aware that it is proper to stand when the flag at the start of the parade passes, but you need not stand again if the flag appears later in displays in the parade.

History lesson

I HAPPENED to notice the article about reparations for Union soldiers. You must remember one thing. The idea behind the Civil War was not to free slaves but to save the Union. The idea was not only to save the union but to transfer the labor force from the agrarian South to the industrial North that was gearing up for the industrial revolution.

Look for Chandra

WHEN IS the press going to string Gary Condit and his family up in the town square? Why don't they put all that energy into finding Chandra Levy? Reporters seem very desperate for a story, I hope it backfires on them. If he had an affair, he sure isn't the first politician in Washington to do that.

Anti-Catholic brochure

TO THE pastor of a church who had its members and their children passing out brochures discriminating against Catholics at the Advance Labor Day Picnic: I am Catholic. I changed from your denomination seven years ago. The priest who gave me Catholic instruction taught me to worship God, his Son and the Holy Spirit, not the pope as you imply in your brochure. He explained that the pope is the leader of the Catholic church, the same as the president is the leader of the United States. Vatican I of the Catholic church taught purgatory, and Vatican II does not teach it. I wish you would get your facts straight before you judge us. You may not realize it, but we read the same Bible, worship the same God and are trying to go to the same place. We just have different denominations. Judge not lest you be judged.

Ethanol subsidies

THANKYOU for going green in your glowing endorsement of ethanol as a fuel additive. I second your call for increased ethanol usage and the implicit out-of-sight subsidy to support it.

A fair tune

WITH APOLOGIES to Simon and Garfunkel: Are you going to SEMO's big fair? Do not rage, and have a good time. And remember when navigating your way there, be prepared to turn on a dime.

Too much ticketing

WAKE UP, Southeast Missouri. When you have people arrested for turn-signal violations and Scott City police giving out tickets north of the Diversion Channel in Cape Girardeau County, what's next? Burning at the stake for having a taillight out? Our city fathers don't care. They are so far out of touch with average people it is getting terrifying.