SPEAKOUT

Parents, teach your children

I'M A Christian lady from Scott City. I would like to tell all the parents, not only in Scott City, but everywhere, that if we'd raise our kids in church, they wouldn't have time or they wouldn't even have it in their hearts to vandalize homes. I don't cut faces on my pumpkins anymore because I don't believe in masks. I praise God on Halloween. I don't serve the devil. My point is, if the parents would teach these kids they wouldn't be out there doing these things. Pumpkins lead to violence. Pumpkins will lead on to, maybe one day, worse crimes, drugs, alcohol, shootings. If we don't get control of our children, parents, you know, they're going to be our next generation. This world is bad enough without raising children who don't respect other people's property. And know where your kids are and ask, Have I hugged my child today? And, Where are my children? And love them. Take them to church. Teach them the good things in life. It's just two pumpkins, but the point I'm trying to make is if we would teach our children good and keep them where good things are, they will give out good all the days of their life.

Big surprise coming

TO ALL the voting Christians out there who think homosexuality, abortion and perversion are OK because religion shouldn't be in politics and some way you're going to explain this to God at the last moment, you really have a surprise coming if you check the Bible. I'm not judging you. I'm just giving you another point of view.

Hunting quail and squirrels

THERE'S A rumor going around that since the law was voted in Tuesday to outlaw cockfighting and pit bulls in Missouri that we can no longer hunt quail or squirrels or training our hunting dogs. Is this fact or rumor? If fact, would somebody please explain the bill in Speak Out for us so we'll know what is law and what isn't?

REPLY: Hunting quail or squirrels is still legal, as long as you abide by the Department of Conservation's rules and have a license. You can still train hunting dogs.

Apology for spitting incident

TO THE person who's daughter was in the Jackson Marching Band and was spit on here in Cape, I myself was not there due to my child's illness, but I can assure you if I had been standing next to these people I would have done or said something. I know there are a lot of people who are extremely proud and enjoy our area bands, and I am appalled that no one standing next to or near them didn't stop them. I know this is an apology from someone you don't know and wasn't even there, but I am truly sorry. Come on, Cape Girardeau, let's not let a few people ruin it for the rest of us. We're better than this, aren't we?

Comments on abortions

THIS IS in response to the letter to the editor from Reyna Spencer. I don't think she was fair to be so critical of Christians and calling them holier than thou. Just because one man, the Rev. Donald Spitz, gave his opinion on the shooting of that abortion doctor doesn't mean all Christians feel that way. Taking of any human life is wrong. And she was right about an unplanned pregnancy causing frustration, although I think it would be better to call it an unwanted pregnancy. Half of all pregnancies are unplanned, and most of these pregnancies end in joy. Should an unwanted pregnancy end in abortion? There are 1 1/2 million couples desperately wanting to adopt and usually wait for years. And isn't abortion the ultimate in child abuse? Spencer is not thinking this subject through. She said an unplanned pregnancy is nobody's business but that woman's. What about the human being growing inside of her, little and alive, possibly having a different blood type than her and of a different sex, definitely having it's own DNA? Why should she have a right to decide whether than human get to live or die? There are so many alternatives that will help a woman. Abortion is not necessary or humane.

Do something positive

I WOULD like to call the readers' attention to the Southeast Missourian editorial regarding the victims of Hurricane Mitch in Honduras and Nicaragua. These people are destitute, without food and without shelter. We can help, and the Missourian has listed places where we can send monetary help. Let's concentrate on helping out unfortunate neighbors instead of dwelling on the Bill Clinton saga. We're tired of that. Let's use our brain to think and do positive things.

The scum is growing

TO THE parent from Jackson who's child was treated so rudely at the parade. I understand their anger. I live in Cape and this is shameless behavior and should not be tolerated. I was at a fast-food restaurant one night last week, and I never heard such filthy talking by boys and girls alike the few minutes I was there. I know there are a lot of great kids in our cities, but it seems the scum in our society is growing, and the parents with Christian values are declining.

Good average on mail delivery

I READ the article about mail service being bad in a certain area. We've been receiving mail for over 50 years, and we've had two bad mail carriers in that time. So I really felt like the average was pretty good. With the first one, going to the postmaster didn't do much good. After finding out whom to talk to, I did get results. I had to go much higher. We have about three people who deliver our mail right now, but when one of them delivers the mail, you see the neighbors getting together. I don't know that this is awful bad, but that person just puts about two letters in each mail box, and it doesn't matter whose it is, what the address is or anything like that. We have laugh about that because we see the neighbors out here shuffling the mail back and forth to each other. Going to the postmaster about this does no good whatsoever either. I do have to say and I feel like I'm taking the postal side of it here, and it doesn't excuse the bad service as far as that goes. But in about 50 years, we've only had about two bad ones.

Poetic justice

WELL, IT'S payday. It's poetic justice. They did the president wrong after he said he was sorry. They tried to oust him. They tried to make it hard on him and his wife. They tried their best to force the man out of office. They were cruel and mean. Now Newt Gingrich is going to leave Congress, and he's no longer speaker of the House. Hallelujah. And also, I hear that Dick Armey's in the hot seat. Those fellows did wrong, and it's all coming home. The chickens are coming home to roost. Like the verse said, if you will not forgive, you will not be forgiven. The president's asked for forgiveness and said he was sorry. He's doing a good job. Thank God.

The ultimate outcome

TALK ABOUT the law of unanticipated consequences. The ultimate outcome of the Clinton scandal is the resignation of Newt Gingrich. Who would have ever thunk it?

A reason to cheer

SO, NEWT has been neutered. Hip, hip, hooray.

What would have happened?

AS AN independent, I have a question for you right-wing Republicans in the area. What would have happened in the recent election if horny Bill had kept his pants zipped up? You got your knickers ripped in reaction there and practically set a record for seats lost in a Congress. What would have happened if you hadn't tried to capitalize on Monica and Bill? The truth is your programs came across as cruel and uncaring, such as not saving Social Security, not controlling tobacco and stupid things like cutting taxes and not reducing the national debt. You came across as a bunch of cruel, vicious, uncaring phonies. A good example is having Henry Hyde, a known adulterer, in charge of the Judiciary Committee and another phony, adulterer Dan Burton, serving as an attack dog. You know him: scumbag Dan. If you want to get back in the mainstream, just quit being so screwed up.

The fox in the hen house

I THINK it's hilarious when these Republican conservatives gets along with the Christian Coalition and say they want to save Social Security. Yeah, I'll tell you how they want to save Social Security. They want to up the age to 72 years old, and they would like to cut out the disability Social Security. And they would like to cut in half the Medicare, and eventually they'd like to privatize. They've hated Social Security since Franklin Delano Roosevelt brought it out in 1936, so when a Republican says he wants to save Social Security, it reminds me of the fox in the hen house that wants to save the hens. It's hilarious that the people are not going to buy it, and I think we're going to return the Democrats back to Congress, the way it should be.

Helping hurricane victims

SEMO'S INTERNATIONAL students are spearheading a drive for hurricane victims in Central America. Where do we find an article about this effort? A very small article on page 11. How about some front page coverage? I challenge the churches and the businesses of Cape Girardeau to lend their support. Come on, Cape Girardeau, let's show some spirit and support our international students in this effort.