SPEAKOUT

Madison County prosecutor needs help

I AM so pleased that two men have been charged in the murder of Gina Dawn Brooks of Fredericktown. This has been a nine-year-plus ordeal which has certainly been grueling for all involved. I certainly want to say that I realize that a charge of murder is certainly not a closure or conviction. My concern in calling is that the prosecuting attorney in Madison County will need some help in prosecuting this case. I am calling with no hard feelings toward the prosecutor, but his record of prosecutions in Madison County is dismal. Is it possible that he could be provided some help from the state in prosecuting this case?

Garage-sale signs need to come down

I KNOW there is a city ordinance against leaving garage-sale signs on telephone poles after the sales. At the corner of Mount Auburn and Bloomfield, the signs stay on the post until they eventually fall onto the ground and lay there amidst the other debris and grass clippings. There is an aluminum one there. It's been there for weeks, and it won't disintegrate.

My school taxes should be less

A VERY interesting article in Saturday's Southeast Missourian by Tamara Zellars Buck about the arbitrary power of school district's to increase tax rates without a vote of the people. I'd just like to say obviously the Cape Girardeau School District did just that. Quite assuredly, I should be paying $74 a year less in personal property taxes, except the school board thinks I should be paying this extra without my personal vote. I'm disgusted and disheartened.

What about room rentals at White House?

WE WERE hoping for more than a sex scandal in the Ken Starr report. The White House belongs to all the people of the United States. It was built with taxpayer money and maintained by taxpayers' money. Taxes pay for the elaborate lifestyle of the president's family and for the lavish parties and entertainment at the White House. That's the way it should be. But when the president rents out the Lincoln Room at $50,000 a night and keeps all the money for the Democratic Party, that seems to be an abuse of power. Democrats aren't the only people who pay taxes. The Republican Party and other interested parties should sue the Democratic Party for their fair share derived from renting out the Lincoln room.

Be careful with precedents

I BELIEVE the American people should fire President Clinton on the grounds that he's too stupid to leave. He knew that special prosecutor Ken Starr was watching his every move, but he still carried on an illicit affair right under Starr's nose. Now I'm eager to see if the Republicans have the guts to do their duty. The world is watching us. If our country condones Clinton's actions, we'll all pay for it as long as our country stands. We're setting our precedents here. We'd better be careful.

No minimum-wage disasters

IT'S BEEN several years now since the first minimum-wage increase was proposed, and all of the negative things that the Republican politicians said were going to happen did not. The economy did not go to pot. The price of a hamburger or a cup of coffee did not double. No one was laid off because of the small increase that I'm aware of. In fact, there are help-wanted signs everywhere you look. When you put money back in the working man's pocket, I think everyone benefits, not just the wealthy. I think it's time for our Republican friends to realize this. During the eight years that Reagan was in office, he vetoed every minimum-wage increase. And with his tax cuts for the wealthy, the rich got richer and the poor got poorer. The national debt grew more in eight years than it had in the history of our country. We're on the right track now. I say the best tax cut now is to take the budget surplus and pay off the Reagan debt.

Official addresses

COULD YOU please tell me the address of Sen. John Ashcroft and Sen. Kit Bond in Washington and Rep. Jo Ann Emerson, our representative? I'd like to send them a note regarding our president on his actions. I think we ought to get the bum out of there.

REPLY: The addresses and telephone numbers of state and federal officials are published each day on the left side of this page.

Preachers have responsibility

PREACHERS AND pastors, are you taking a stand against the sin and shame this president of our United States has put upon this country? Shame on you if you haven't. You should be calling for his resignation or impeachment. When we see you religious leaders smiling and saying, "Yes, I forgive the president, but I don't think he should have to resign," then it is time you left the clergy. Jesus forgave the woman for being stoned by those men, but he told her to go and sin no more. Bill Clinton has no stopping place. He is a sex-craved pervert and has never been fit to lead this country. Sure, we have others who have done these things, but someone should have spoken up before now. Clean house and get rid of Bill Clinton and any like him, Democrats or Republicans.

Accept forgiveness and resign

MR. PRESIDENT Clinton, we do forgive you. Everyone sins. But we do not want you as president anymore. The president's job is far too important to be held by you. We frantically hope that you haven't done already actions concerning our country which could be disastrous. How can we trust you with our country when you can't be trust with your own family? We want you out now. We hope that you are sincere when you say you are sorry, and we do forgive you.

Washington bunch is disgusting

I CAN'T believe that bunch of idiots in Washington would release the trash that Lewinsky said out to the public. The whole lot in Washington is disgusting. That includes Emerson, Ashcroft and Bond. None of them will ever get my vote. I hope Tripp and Lewinsky are proud of what they have done. I haven't heard Lewinsky ask for forgiveness from the Clinton family or the American public. Neither one of them should ever have a government job. They have cost the taxpayers enough for a life time.

Not everyone commits adultery

I VERY much resent those who are defending the president's adulterous behavior by stating that everyone commits adultery and it's no big deal. First of all, not everyone commits adultery. I have been married for over 40 years. I know I have not committed adultery. I know that the majority of the members in my family have not committed adultery, and I know many friends who have never committed adultery. Secondly, when adultery has happened in my family, it has been a really big deal. It has lead to anger, distrust and frustration with the marriage. It has lead to divorce in which children have been forever scarred. In my opinion, it in unconscionable for those defending the president's actions to send the message to these of America that everyone commits adultery and they, and, therefore, we have to accept that there will never be anyone in their life they can expect to be totally committed and faithful to them. What a sick message that is.

Need a junior college first

I WOULD like to see the university pursue a junior college for students who don't quite qualify for admissions to SEMO in preference to the arts campus they want to put down at the former St. Vincent's Seminary.

Clinton was a GOP target

YES, IT'S true that President Clinton lied under oath, and that's a shame. But in my opinion, the Republicans put him that position. They were on a witch hunt from Day One to try to get something on him, and they finally found his weakness. You knows what Republicans in the same situation would have done had they been put under oath. Would Dan Burton have lied about his affair and his illegitimate child had he been placed under oath? Who knows? The world will never know. I still think it's a shame. I don't think Clinton should be impeached, because they were out to get him.

No special military treatment

IN RESPONSE to the article in Missourian about the mother wanting the Veterans Administration to furnish a marker for her son: Regulations in the military are exactly that. Why should this person deserve special treatment? He didn't do anything heroic or special. He served not too long past basic training. I served in the U.S. Navy just short a few weeks of two years. I don't expect a marker or any other death benefits. Why all the special treatment for this person?

Cosby compromises his name

BILL COSBY has certainly compromised his name, talent and words with the show he put on last week, and so many of them are in the same vein. It's such a shame, because he's such a wonderful actor and we enjoy him so much.

Thanks for cookbook and history

I WAS visiting at the SEMO District Fair Sunday afternoon, and I passed by a booth being sponsored by the Senior Center ladies of Cape Girardeau. They were selling cookbooks. I went through one. Gee, the pictures and info and history of historic houses -- what a great thing for reading and recipes. I was quite impressed by it. I think we should thank those ladies who worked so hard to put this together. We need to let the community know who they are and what it's all about.

Rabbi should criticize Monica

I READ in the paper where Lewinsky's rabbi is lashing out at Clinton. Well, isn't that great? Why isn't he lashing at her for her behavior?

As seen through children's eyes

EVERYBODY MUST call their senators and representatives and ask that Bill Clinton be impeached. If he resigns, we still have to pay his pension. If he's impeached, we don't, and he is not worthy of staying in the White House. Can you imagine what we're going to look like to our children if we allow him to remain there? They're going to say, "Well, they approved of his behavior." Can you imagine what will happen to our children?

She started it

MY OPINION is Monica started all that mess, so what are they going to do about her? Are they going to send her home or does she get off scot-free? She's the guilty one.

Litmus test for representatives

TO EACH one of the House of Representative members who are deciding on the president: I challenge any of them to answer the question, "Have you ever cheated on your spouse before? Have you ever lied before." If you have, I think you ought to excuse yourself from sitting in judgment on the president. I think that ought to be asked of you. In other words, if ye be without no guilt, then be free to cast the first stone.

An uneasy explanation

I WOULD like to thank Richard Kline of Gypsy. Throughout the history of mankind, we have been trying to figure out why humans behave as they do. Now Mr. Kline has explained the motives for human behavior in one short letter to the editor. Finally, I think I understand why Kline publicly compared VA hospitals to Nazi death camps.

Watch out, politicians

ALL POLITICIANS, Republican and Democrat, should make sure their personal lives are very clean, because it is now legal to put it on the Internet, television and newspapers for everyone to read. The Republicans have started this, so it's their headache.

Is Monica's mother proud?

I CAN'T help wonder if Monica Lewinsky's mother is proud of her daughter after all these things she's confessed to. But this is not the first married man she's messed with. There was her teacher and goodness only knows how many before or after.

Libertarians and moral responsibility

THE SEMO District Fair parade was great with all the children picking up candy, Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops, antique cars, tractors. It was an enjoyable time for all. Yet one thing troubled me: the Libertarian Party using children to popularize the party and its viewpoint. To use the term brainwashing might be a little strong. Yet using immature minds to one's advantage is not commendable. Though the Libertarian Party does have many ideas which are very moral and democratic, many others are, at the least, morally irresponsible and at the most logically self-destructive to both ourselves and our country. Their alternative viewpoints fit in very well with the immature viewpoints of a media-induced Generation X child. So I am asking the Libertarian Party to become morally responsible in their views.

American has become Soddom

IF THE nation as a whole wants to keep Bill Clinton in office, this nation now is Soddom and Gomorrah. This man is a worker of iniquity. He is the anti-Christ. He's proved that time after time after time. There's no chance for America if this is true. God has turned his back on us.

Just get good results

DEMOCRATS ARE saying that yes, Bill Clinton did do something wrong, something deplorable, something terribly wrong, but the majority of the American people want him to stay in office. That's the same thing as doing anything for a dime. That's the same thing as telling our children, well, if whatever you did came out, all right, we don't care how you do it, or you did it, you can lie about it if you want to, as long as you get the good results that we want. That's the way it is.

It takes a village

WHEN IT comes to women and Bill Clinton, Hillary is right. It takes a village.

All federal employees have rules

I AM a 40-year-old federal employee just as President Clinton is a federal employee. I'm sick to death of hearing that what he did is a personal and private matter. Does this mean that if I have oral sex with our 21-year-old volunteer in the supply room where I work that I cannot be fired from my job, as this would be a personal, private matter? Didn't he take the oath as a paid employee of the U.S. government as all federal employees do? It is my opinion that if he had his personal and private meetings anywhere other than his place of employment, then he could possibly make the case that it was personal and private. But since these sexual meetings occurred in his office where we taxpayers pay him to do his job as a federal employee, then I feel he should be immediately dismissed from his job as any other federal employee would be if he or she if they committed the same act at their place of employment. If he is not fired, as in impeached, then how can the federal government ever reprimand any other federal employee for having sex in the office when the public is paying his salary? I doubt I would ever do this, but if anyone ever would, believe me, their defense should be that the commander in chief and top federal employee did this and retained his federal job. This is a precedent that says such action is acceptable behavior for a government employee.

It's really sickening

I HAVE read the Starr report, and this thing makes me sick to my stomach. I think if our president doesn't want to resign, we should impeach him. This is the most disgusting thing I have ever read in my life, especially concerning to the highest office in our land. Mr. President, you have really done something that the American people will never forget, and we will never accept that. We might accept your apology, but the things that you have done are really sickening.

On the brink of starvation

IF EVERY man or woman who has cheated on their spouse loses his job, the whole country will starve.

Free movies were appreciated

I WANT the merchants who sponsored the free movies on the first Wednesday of the month at the mall to know that they were appreciated and they are now missed.

Rational and unappealing

IN HIS letters to the editor, Alan P. Journet's arguments are rational, logical and scientifically based. That is why they are so unappealing.

Pulling for Sammy Sosa

I CAN appreciate the fact that Mark McGwire has broken the all-time home run record for a single season and the Southeast Missourian is pro-Cardinal. Excuse me, why must the few Cub fans who live here always have to flip page two or three of the Sports section to see a little blurb on Sammy Sosa? I mean, he does have 60 home runs. My wish that when the season ends, the leader for the all-time home run record for a single season will be Sammy Sosa. Maybe then he will be worthy of the front page in your Sports section.