SPEAKOUT

Right side up

I read the article about upside-down tomatoes with much interest because I tried that one time. I have one question: Why? If you are going to put them in a pot, why not put them in right and set them on a patio or under a tree or in any other nice location and let them grow upright instead of down.

What parents?

Sometimes I think the Southeast Missourian editorial staff lives in a world so sheltered they think it is the 1950s. A recent editorial tried to convince us that anti-drug education has no place in public schools and should best be left to parents. What parents?

Animal cruelty

To the caller who has trouble with cats roaming the neighborhood: I feel your pain. The owners of these animals should be put on display in the dog pound for a couple of days. But they will cry animal cruelty especially when their animal doesn't return home. So long, puss.

Can't change it

I would like to make a comment about all the people who are downgrading Mr. Clinton. You are doing nothing but boosting his ego even further by complaining about the acts that he has done. The things he did are over and done, and there is nothing we can do to change it. Some of you are just probably mad because you are not in the White House doing the same thing.

A good idea

A Speak Out caller recently raised the question as to why the Parks and Recreation Board hasn't commented on Mr. Robinson's idea to develop Cape Rock Park. That is a very good question. I consider Mr. Robinson's idea one of the most visionary proposals to beautify Cape in the history of the city. God bless you please, Mr. Robinson. This idea won't up and go away.

Just qualifications

The democrats are raving about having a man of the Jewish faith as a vice presidential candidate. Breaking down barriers, they cry. Maybe next a black. What demagoguery. What racists. Democrats stir in the pot of hate though there is none. What difference if he is Jewish, Catholic, Protestant, black or white? If he is a decent man with values and qualifications for the job, then he should have it. The Democrats can't say anything without racial or religious overtones.

Listen to Drury

There is a lot of praise that should go out to Jim Drury and the rest of the Drury family. They have done more for Cape Girardeau then any other industry or business around. Jim Drury is trying to help this city, not hinder this city. So the city officials should listen to him on several different subjects.

Show of patriotism

What a show the Democrats put on trying to show patriotism. This is a party that has destroyed the morale of the military and cut its readiness.

Apartment taxes

In A recent letter to the editor, Mrs. John Moyers says that she feels it is high time the Jackson school board looks to the hundreds of people living in rented apartments and who have children in school to pay their share of school taxes. If they would pay their share, says Mrs. Moyers, in all probability there would be no need for a bond issue. This is not true. On those rented apartments there is property tax paid by the owners. That is how property tax is assessed. That is how our system is set up. The owners of those apartment buildings pay property tax just as you do as a homeowner. Then it is up to that owner to decide how to recoup that cost. The apartment owner figures that in the rent or what have you, but every apartment in Jackson and Cape and every other owner does pay property tax. No school district is losing money just because there are apartments. Those renters pay property tax in all likelihood as part of their rent. I know if I owned an apartment building and I was figuring up the rent, I would take things like property tax and so on into the cost, and I would divide that up among the tenants. That is just common sense.

No thank you

What mother would want her daughter in Clinton's class if he teaches after he leaves the White House? This predator and his accomplice Al Gore are an absolute disgrace to America.

Meeting strangers

A few weeks back I met this wonderful Christian in the Cape Wal-Mart. I enjoyed talking with her about the Lord. I just want you to know that I think of you often. Thank God for the strangers we meet in our lives who are also blessed with the love of the Lord and who also love and trust in the Lord. God bless you.

Justice now

Clinton and Gore love to use mockery of our democracy. They are now promoting integrity, decency and moral values as their party slogan. Sheer mockery. These traitor scoundrels have shown the complete opposite of those American democracy values. They accepted and promoted Communist Chinese money to infiltrate our American national election. Treason needs justice. When is America going to get justice? Voters, we can get justice at the ballot box in November and kick these traitors to our democracy out to oblivion.

Sikeston example

Concerning the widening of Mount Auburn Road: Maybe we can learn something from the fine city of Sikeston. Malone Street that runs east and west through Sikeston is four lanes with no separate turn lanes. The inside lane is used as a turn lane. That highway is no wider than Mount Auburn, and the traffic runs smoothly. So why spend money to widen Mount Auburn when all we need to do is paint for four lanes? I think the city of Cape is getting a little ridiculous with putting those turn lanes everywhere.

Terrible uniforms

I wonder who came up with the idea of the new St. Louis Rams uniforms. I think they look like the New Orleans Saints uniforms. They are terrible.

Farming illusions

As you said in your recent editorial, the solution to the farm problem is a tough one. We've been trying to fix it for three-quarters of a century or more. The tricky part is to give farmers enough taxpayer money to keep them happy but not so much as to lead them to quit believing in the illusion that they are rugged individualists in need of no government assistance.