SPEAKOUT

Reason to vote yes

THANKS TO Jim Wilhelm for his Sept. 22 letter to the editor. His example of what can happen to an area without planning and zoning is the very reason I have been in favor of it for Cape Girardeau County. I'm voting yes.

Road full of weeds

I LIVE on the Missouri side, but I frequently drive over to the Illinois side to visit my sister. I can't believe that beautiful river road going down around Thebes is covered with brush and Johnsongrass to where you can barely see the river anymore. Can anything be done to fix this?

A risky scheme

I THINK the just-released press announcement that Clinton and Gore are releasing oil from our strategic oil reserve is a risky scheme on their part.

Makes us proud

THERE WERE many grandparents attending Grandparents Day at Schultz School. I enjoyed it. It was such a good feeling to see and listen to the young well-mannered group of people being taught by the nice teachers. They will make us proud when they are old enough to help run our beautiful city.

Not good timing

STATE REP. Bill Foster is one of the finest, hardest-working individuals I know. What a pity the university has given such honor to state Sen. Jerry Howard at this particular time. It appears to me that it's politics at its worst during the tight race for senate seats. Shame on the university.

Street lights

WASN'T IT just recently that the City Council stated that one of the top street improvement projects would be more street lights around town? Has anyone noticed that there are 16 street lights burned out between Independence and Lexington?

Enough said

ON THE commentary by John H. Fund, "Ignore the polls: The campaign isn't over yet": It seems funny to me that when the Republicans were ahead in the polls. That's all you heard about. Now that the Democrats are ahead, it doesn't mean anything, according to the Republicans. What does this tell me? We live in Southeast Missouri. Enough said.

And flat earth too

THIS IS a response on the global warming comment. The retired science teacher shows that he has wisdom as well as the ability to analyze data, much more so than the political scientists who push the global-warming theory. The empirical data show that there are normal, regional temperature variations around the world. Some areas get warmer. Some areas get cooler. And these cycles vary over time. But in the aggregate, the empirical data do not support global warming. This proves that those who are supporting global warming are in the same camp as the flat-earth theorists.

Words vs. kisses

WHAT IS up with this Bush nonsense? Bush can use foul language, but Gore can't even show a bit of affection to his wife? If Bush can't even watch his language, how is he going to do as president?

Advice for voting

THIS SPEAK Out is in response to David Limbaugh's column on Gore turning dreams into nightmares for Americans. I could not agree with him more, and I would like to propose to the community two very important tests for voting in the coming election. 1. Does personal integrity and character figure into the selection of a candidate? 2. Have you considered that the next president of this country will determine the future Supreme Court justices that make decisions on the law of the land? If citizens would consider these two questions, this may help them to figure out how to vote and to ignore the polls.

Targeted phrase

IT'S JUST my view, but using parochial phrases like "flat-out wrong" in a prestigious nationally syndicated column seems designed to target the Bible belt at the expense of the broader national and international community.