SPEAKOUT

Disabled veteran's headache

Before you discriminate against people who don't seem to have gotten their share in the brain department, you might try and remember how much you enjoyed being educated in a free environment without fear of being invaded from foreign forces on our shores. Has that ever crossed your mind? It might just be that guy you're having questionable thoughts about is one of many who was wiling to defend against those possible foreign invasions. When you see people with disabilities, you don't know them or where they've been, so maybe instead of making judgments about them, you might remember that one or two of them deserve a thank you instead of a cold shoulder.

It's an internal matter

I AM a Baptist, and whether or not the doctrine interpretation of Scripture is correct or not, we shall have to wait until eternity to find out. However, there is one thing of which I am absolutely certain: Unless the Baptist Church is subverting our government, giving aid and comfort to an enemy country, making human or animal sacrifices or beating and otherwise inflicting bodily harm on humans or animals, what the Baptist church decides in regard to its history, its doctrine or its interpretation of Scripture is no one else's business. If one is not a Baptist, it is none of his or her business. If one is a Baptist, it should be settled within the church.

Some renters physically disabled

WE LIVE in the apartment complex where a woman was murdered. That was horrible enough but the TV news said the apartments were for seniors and mentally disabled. I am not a senior but am physically disabled as are several of my neighbors. This has hurt me and many residents. For the record, those of who have been here over two years were never told this complex rented to mentally disabled people. We would have rented elsewhere. Seniors and physically disabled should not be in a complex with people who could hurt us.

Come to church and learn

I KNOW that you questioned area residents regarding their feelings about Cape Baptist Association dropping First Baptist from its rolls for ordaining women. I would like to invite Danielle Davis to our church and especially our Bible study for the next several months. She said she thinks the decision was chauvinistic. I certainly hope she's not calling God a chauvinist for his Word, which is what they're working on. The Bible is not prehistoric. The Bible is historic. And as far as the lack of progress, I assume that means a lack of progress in Christianity. I assure Danielle Davis that if she'll come to our church and our Bible study we'll help her progress on the Bible study, and we can point out the Scripture which refers to this.

Who's the enemy?

WITH THE November elections upon us, I realize that almost everyone is fighting to save Social Security. I was just wondering: If so many people are dedicated to saving Social Security, then who are we trying to save it from? I always thought we were trying to save it from those wonderful, wacky people in Congress who wanted to spend it. But they're all fighting to save it. Therefore, I don't know who we're saving it from. Maybe someone can tell me.

Just wait and see

I WOULD like to make a comment to the people who read Speak Out and who believe these polls that claim the Democrats are going to clean house because of this Monica Lewinsky deal. I advise you people, clip out these polls and save them. And then on Nov. 4 when you look up and you see where the Republicans have actually won by a landslide, then you'll know who's telling the truth: the liberal media or the conservatives.

Wrong budget priority

I'M TRYING to get this straight in my mind. The politicians in Washington said we might have to shut down government over the budget problem. I've read the headlines of $18 billion for the International Monetary Fund and $9 billion to Bosnia. And $7 billion for our farmers. There wasn't one single penny asked for that in the budget presented to Congress. Of course, there's the few million thrown in here and there. That's pocket change to those folks in Washington. But that's more for foreign countries than it is for our country. Is somebody's priority wrong?

Comparing Nixon, Clinton

LET'S COMPARE how President Nixon and President Clinton have treated their friends. President Nixon's campaign staff broke into the Democratic headquarters to look for political plans. They got caught, and Nixon tried to cover it up to help his friends. Nixon did not plan the crime, he did not participate, he did not lie under oath. He did cover it up, and that was wrong. Because of covering for his friends, he was forced to resign in disgrace. President Clinton committed a minor crime of sexual harassment with many women over a period of several years. He got caught several times and has tried to cover it up to save himself. He was the instigator of the original crimes, he lied to us, he lied under oath, and then he sent his friends out to lie to us and to lie under oath for him. He has hurt all of his friends. He should be forced to resign in disgrace. Clinton is far worse than Nixon.

You get just one vote

THIS IS in response to the caller who stated in Speak Out that he or she was going to vote against the congressmen who voted yes for the impeachment inquiries and for the congressmen who voted no. You don't have but one congresswoman in your district, so how are you going to vote for or against all these others?

Don't speak for me

THIS MORNING'S paper said the VFW backs Emerson. The commander of the VFW can back whoever he wants, but he can't speak for me, and my dues cost as much as his.

Reality of abortions

YOU WHO believe and accept abortion as legal and your choice should have to participate in the burial of these children instead of a state or government agency. You should carry these small coffins, and maybe you would remember the ones you didn't need or want. God bless all these children and forgive you.

Bible doesn't change

THERE ARE many areas in the church that women are welcome to serve in and do a wonderful job. God has a very specific plan for hierarchy of the leadership of the church and family, and when this plan is followed, it leads to much stronger families and churches. The Bible is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow and doesn't change just because society's customs and values change.

Republicans have lied too

IN OUR country, we claim that lying before a grand jury is impeachable. And since we're such a great Christian nation, or claim to be, it seems to me that lying is a violation of one of the Ten Commandments and God is a much higher court than the grand jury -- any grand jury, especially Ken Starr's pornographic grand jury. So then anyone who lies has sinned and maybe ought to be impeached. This includes former President Reagan and Bush who lied to us over and over again about the Iran-Contra thing. But Republicans and the Southeast Missourian don't like to talk about that or print it.

Firm plan is needed

LAST WEEK, I received a letter from Southeast Missouri State University from the office of Dr. Dale Nitzschke regarding the proposed River Campus. In it, he went over several frequently asked questions about the project. My concern is that the answers to most of the questions were "We're studying this" or "We're going to look at it" or "We're going to come up with a plan." I don't appreciate being asked to vote on something that's not firm. I feel we're being taken for a ride. If they want this River Campus, they need to come up with a firm plan. Then put it up for a vote. In the paper, it clearly says we might be able to ride city buses. And it says the university doesn't have time and they've rushed this. I would like to vote on a finished plan, not a proposal. I think the Missourian needs to stop being so nice to the university and do some hard-hitting journalism and reporting and find out what's going on here.

Lying and taxation

YOU KNOW, everybody goes on about Clinton lying. Reagan and Bush lied about the Iran. That was government business, not personal business. Clinton's personal affair is none of our business, but the government is, and Bush and Reagan both lied. Also, about Clinton raising taxes: Clinton only raised the tax on the wealthy, not on the poor. Reagan cut the taxes, not for the poor, because I can prove it. I still have my tax books marked.

Campus must grow

I THINK the River Campus development is a good idea. Many people are complaining that it will be located too far away from campus, but for a campus to grow, it must expand. If you've ever visited a large university, you'll see that it can be spread out for several miles. I graduated from the University of Tennessee, and it offered a shuttle service to classes that weren't within walking distance. Not once was I late for class. For a university to grow, it must spread out. The River Campus development is a good idea.

Something has changed

I NEVER belonged to any party. I'm old enough to remember when both Republicans and Democrats, when it came to morality and decency, had almost the same views. There was differences in foreign policy, tax issues, differences in how to implement laws. To have supported abortion, perverted groups, accept and support any kind of sex perversion would have been denounced and unaccepted by anyone. You figure out who's changed.