SPEAKOUT

Full of admiration

AS A senior citizen, I too would like to express thanks to the honor society and student council of Jackson High School for a wonderful evening. With this kind of activity, you can't help but admire these kids who have worked hard and gained recognition in their school years. A big thank you also to Sara's mom who coordinated this event. Thank you.

A felon in the classroom

WAIT A minute. I don't understand this. We have a former senator, Banks, who is an admitted felon but who's fortunate enough to have his sentence suspended because, in part, of his poor health, yet he's healthy enough to be considered to be a professor at Harris Stowe State College. What am I missing here? What's wrong with a school that wants a felon teaching our children? And we wonder why our kids grow up like they do.

In defense of farmers

I NEVER heard so much garbage in my life from the guy who called in about the farmers. The farmers probably would have had it easier if they had been drafted. Right on, that's all I've got to say. And what's this hogwash about a farmer not getting run off by Germans and the bombing of Pearl Harbor? The fact is, it's not the Army versus the farmer. The farmer couldn't have done without the soldiers fighting for his rights and fighting for our country, and the soldier couldn't have got anywhere without the American farmer. We needed each other. It was just as patriotic to stay at home and farm the land and feed the troops as it was to fight on the front line. Most of my brothers fought in the war. One of them was on a ship that was bombed during the war. Still, we couldn't have got over there without the American farmer, and he's not getting credit for it. Not only that, rocks are being thrown at him by the people whom he farms for and who eats his food. That's all I've got to say. The farmer isn't calling in because he hasn't got time to counteract any garbage like this in Speak Out.

Overbooked doctor

DEAR GENTLE doctor: I waited in your office to see you two hours yesterday, and if I wasn't sick already, I was sicker. And so was your room full of people. If you think we're going to be like lambs led to a slaughter, I've got news for you. Please tell your ladies to quit overbooking. We're sick when we come to see you. We don't want to sit there all day.

Now it's an issue

IF HILLARY is so concerned about violence and the homeless, where has she been for the last seven years? No matter what promises or concerns or proposals Hillary or Al Gore come up with, that same question will apply. And also, "Why haven't you done something constructive about all your proposals in these last seven years?"

Some weren't celebrating

I WOULD just like to remind the city merchants here in town that not everyone celebrates Christmas. How about considering those of us who refuse to take part in the very pagan observance of Christmas? We're sick of hearing "put Christ back in Christmas." You can't do that. He never was in it. And for all the hype of it being Christ's birthday, how come the birthday recipient gets ignored and the guests get the gifts? Some birthday celebration, I'd say. And who's going to feed the hungry and clothe the poor the other 364 days a year? Think about it.

A gift from Scott City

IN THE spirit of giving, we of Scott City would like to give to the city of Cape our stop light. You guys really need a stop light at Bloomfield and Siemers Drive and even at that corner where Circuit City and Wal-Mart and Sam's Club traffic all comes together. It's hard to take turns when there's about 12 lanes of traffic. So in the spirit of the holiday, we in Scott City give you our stop light. Our interchange couldn't be any worse without it, so it's yours. Come and get it.

The fate of an alcoholic

GEORGE W. Bush's wife and mother admitted on a Sunday interview that G.W. Bush had a drinking problem until he quit drinking in 1986. The sad fact of this, that unless he has gone through a program he is what is known as a dry drunk. Alcoholism is an incurable disease and the inflicted person will usually start drinking again. When they do, they will resume the decline where they left off. The Republicans surely have a person of high caliber who is not addictive personality, so they won't take a chance with G.W. Bush. The addictive person usually has an immature personality with feeling of omnipotence and suffers from relapses and then they move up the scale of addictions. On top of this, they usually suffer brain damage.

Too much repetition

I'D LIKE to congratulate Tim Billings on being appointed the new head coach for SEMO football team. And I'd like to ask the Missourian why in every article they write about him, they have to mention that his wife passed away. I don't see how this is newsworthy in any way or has anything to do with this guy's position. Mentioning that once is understandable. Mentioning it every time you mention his name is ridiculous.