OpinionFebruary 4, 1999
SPEAKOUT
I WANT to comment about the scandal in the Olympics committee where they gave prostitutes and money to the people who were on the committee in order to get the games held in Salt Lake City. I think we should put this all behind us. After all, it's all about sex. ...
Put it behind us
I WANT to comment about the scandal in the Olympics committee where they gave prostitutes and money to the people who were on the committee in order to get the games held in Salt Lake City. I think we should put this all behind us. After all, it's all about sex. You know, America has no morals now. There's no right and wrong here. So we should just go on. The economy's doing good, and they should put that behind them and just let these people alone. Let them get on with their jobs. I just think this is how things are going to be. The majority of Americans want it that way. So let's go on and give the people what they want. Give the committee members even more girls and more money.
Can't have it both ways
I HAVE some Catholic friends who support and praise Bill Clinton and also praise the pope for his religious stands on abortion and traditional family values. For Clinton, a no-values person, to be on the same stage with the pope is an outrage to me, and I am not a Catholic. I think the pope is a devoted and sincere man. You might as well worship Mr. Clinton all the way or give up your pretense of your devotion to your faith. You can't have it both ways.
About those police cars
THE CITY of Cape Girardeau must be a very wealthy town if it can equip police officers with Crown Victoria vehicles. The city should never ask for another tax increase. Enough said.
Shouldn't have been loitering
THIS IS to the lady who commented in the Speak Out, fussing at the authorities for having her child pulled in to juvenile hall because he is innocent. Well, shame on you, lady. He had no business being down there on those people's property. And shame on you for assuming he wouldn't get in trouble. If he was there, he is as guilty as the ones who was there deliberately. He shouldn't have been there. It wasn't his place to be there. He should have eaten his breakfast and gone straight to school instead of loitering around, talking to his friends on property that did not belong to him. The business people have a right to keep that area cleared. They were warned previously, and they refused to obey. If you dance to the fiddler's music, you pay for the fiddler's tune.
Need to face reality
TO THE lady who's child was arrested before school: Wake up. I drop my child off at the junior high every day. I've noticed a group of kids in the alley behind Triple A hanging out. It doesn't take a genius to see that they were smoking and not where they were supposed to be.
Don't need county P&Z
I WAS reading the editorial in the Southeast Missourian about county planning and zoning. They can keep it off the ballot until August 2010. It still won't pass. It's just more government control. We haven't had planning and zoning for a long time, and everything is going just fine. Not everyone in this county is a Democrat. Some of us like to think for ourselves. We don't need more government telling us what to do.
Sad view of Washington
I AM sick to death about what's going on Washington, D.C. It seems to me that the pot is calling the kettle black. I think all of those politicians there live in la-la land.
Commuting death sentence was wrong
JUST A few words about the pope's plea for this man on death row and Carnahan's acquiescence to commuting his death sentence. This man on death row murdered three people. Put yourself in their position. Put yourself in the family's position. What the pope did was wrong. He's interfering in the workings of our government, and Carnahan should not have listened to him. We don't want foreign officials coming over here in meddling in our politics. Let's keep religion out of this, as you liberals would say.
How the wind blows
I CAN'T believe Governor Carnahan commuted the sentence of a condemned killer to life in prison. Another wishy-washy Democrat. Governor, you can't play both sides of the fence. I'm Catholic, but I believe in the death penalty. Apparently, Carnahan goes anyway the wind blows.
Depends on whom you know
WELL, I guess justice in Missouri just depends on whom you know. If you happen to be a convicted killer, convicted of murdering a man, his wife and his paraplegic grandson, then you can get away with murder if you know the pope. I can't believe that something like this would happen in Missouri. I sure hope that if I ever commit a crime, I can get some of my friends to come to my aid and they're important enough that the governor listens.
Receive Daily Headlines FREESign up today!
He went too far
I HAVE a lot of respect for Governor Carnahan. I've always voted for him every time. But this week I think he went too far. He should be ruling this state, not the pope from Rome. If the Catholic church wants murderers to live out their lives in prison, let them pay for the daily cost of upkeep. The death penalty should be carried out immediately in Missouri.
Deserves death penalty
I'M VERY disturbed after reading the article in the Southeast Missourian, "Pope gets wish, killer will live." I don't have a problem with the pope looking over a list of death row inmates and finding one or two that might be questionable, but this guy killed three people, one an innocent. The murderer deserves the death penalty. Carnahan, you will not get my vote again.
Look at crime-scene photos
I CANNOT believe what I read in the paper. Gov. Carnahan commuted the sentence of this horrendous murderer. I have the utmost respect for the pontiff because I am Catholic, and I can very well understand his position on death penalty. However, what about separating state from church? I know the pope had to make the plea from his own religious beliefs, but I personally believe that Mr. Carnahan has committed political suicide. What about all the people before who were put to death, and what about all the people still on death row? So now what we have to do is have a death-row inmate call the pope and say, "How about calling up Mel and ask him to let me off the hook?" OK. We'll take care of it for you. I'm a firm believer in the death penalty. Why? I would like to show you crime-scene photos of people who have been murdered -- maliciously beaten, stabbed, shot, kicked and brutalized -- and then have you tell me that was OK. I cannot believe what I read in the paper. What about the victims? How do you think they feel? That is the crime right there. It is a crime against the victims as always.
Pushing wrong direction
I WAS wondering if one of you holier-than-thou people could explain to me why in many European countries -- where they have no legal drinking age, where abortion is legal, where one in 20 people attend church regularly, where they have handgun control and where there is no death penalty -- they have a lower serious crime rate than the United States. Maybe all these things that you have been pushing for all these years are pushing in the wrong direction.
Giving due credit
IN YOUR article about the Clippard School chorus, you forgot to mention the name of the helpful, hard-working and talented art teacher, Anita Dickerson.
No respect for property
THIS IS in response to the woman who called in about her poor, innocent son being picked up for trespassing on Broadway. First, he wasn't at McDonald's as he was supposed to be or he wouldn't have been picked up. Secondly, these youths have been warned about trespassing. Thirdly, I bet it wasn't the first time these youths were tardy for school in the morning. Do you raise your kids with no respect of others' property?
Let the archdiocese pay
IT MAY cost Missouri taxpayers an additional $800,000 because of Gov. Carnahan's commuting of Darrell Meace's sentence. I certainly hope he plans on billing the archdiocese for this additional burden to the taxpayers. My compassion for Mr. Meace died with the last breath of people he murdered.
Give him breakfast at home
TO THE lady whose 14-year-old son was dropped off for breakfast at McDonald's and then went over to the parking lot which was posted no loitering before he went to school: If she had fixed his breakfast at home and then dropped him off at school, she wouldn't have this problem.
Which to remember?
ASK THE youths of America about the sinking of the Titanic in the ice-cold waters of the North Atlantic, and I would venture to say almost all could give you details after having seen the Academy Award-winning film that renewed interest in this historic event. Ask them about the sinking of the S.S. Norchester in the same icy waters off the coast of Greenland on Feb. 3, 1943. There were 902 young American troops aboard, and 230 survived in part because of the four heroic chaplains who gave their life jackets to remaining soldiers and were last seen with linked arms in prayer as they disappeared into the sea. I would predict only stares of bewilderment by the youths of today. Fifty-six years ago, the sinking of the Norchester with it's precious messages of the heroism of four Army lieutenants -- two Protestants, a Catholic priest and a rabbi -- made mostly unknown by comparison to the Titanic sinking because it produces little if any revenue. Which of the two do you want our future generations to immortalize?
Cheerleaders next?
THANK GOODNESS they captured the notorious McDonald's gang last week. Juvenile authorities and the Cape Girardeau Police Department don't have enough to do without starting these children off right on their pathways to success. Next, let's move on to the cheerleaders, the student council, the athletes and anybody else we can get to prove a point.
Story Tags
Connect with the Southeast Missourian Newsroom:
For corrections to this story or other insights for the editor, click here. To submit a letter to the editor, click here. To learn about the Southeast Missourian’s AI Policy, click here.
Related
Advertisement
Receive Daily Headlines FREESign up today!
