SPEAKOUT

Schoolchildren back to selling

WELL HERE they come again, all the little school children selling us sausage and cheese, candy, peanuts, calendars or whatever in order to raise money for their interests and activities in their schools. Their products are overpriced and absolutely useless to most of the people they try to sell to. I would rather just hand a child $5 that they could take right to the school. I would rather the school district send teen-agers out who would ask if they could do any chore around my home. I would give them $3 to $5 to wash each window, but I will not buy this cheap stuff.

No pay raise for 15 years

I JUST saw two ads for teachers and teacher's aides and substitute teachers in the Southeast Missourian. I think schools should get a clue that substitute haven't got a raise in the past 15 years, and that's why they have a hard time finding them.

Make park, trail on old bridge

I SAY save the bridge over Old Man River. It could be made a park and a bike and walking trail. With this great nation, anything could be accomplished by the city of Roses. Remember, when the floodwaters are up, the gates are closed.

Turn Houck into parking garage

ONCE AGAIN, I have to suggest they use Houck stadium for something constructive, like possibly tearing it down and building a parking lot to solve some of the problems of the university. We can always do away with the football team. They don't seem to be having a whole lot of success over the past 10 years anyway.

Gun education, not regulation

I WOULD like to ask people to think about what they are doing before they elect another president who wants stricter gun laws. Clinton has been trying to take away America's guns since his first day in the White House. Doesn't anyone remember that when Hitler became the terrible dictator he was, he took away the nation's guns. Why? Because it makes the nation defenseless. Just because we have all these school shootings doesn't mean that guns are the problem. It's family values and teaching our children right from wrong. My parents kept guns in the house for as long as I can remember, but they educated us about them, and we were always clear about guns not being toys. So, parents, why don't we try education instead of regulation, because the only way you are going to get my gun is when you pry it from my cold, dead fingers.