SPEAKOUT

Analyzing those jobs

I'D LIKE to make a comment about the economy of this country. This year alone there are over 200,000 jobs being lost, and these are good jobs with full benefits, savings plans and hospitalization. And all the new jobs are minimum wage with no benefits, and most of them are part-time. The Clinton administration is trying to make us think that this is all right and that these equal out each other. This is another lie.

Country will be lost

IF CONGRESS does not impeach this criminal, Clinton, then our country is lost. There's already talk of turning Social Security over to the gambling stock market. What more proof do the American people need? We'll be in the same economic situation Russia is in if the Congress doesn't take care of this Clinton.

Others would have resigned

THERE ARE very few people who, if they had committed these acts of this president, wouldn't have resigned to protect his family and put his country through this mess. What a no-character bum.

Waiting for an apology

I'M STILL waiting, like other Democrats are, for the Southeast Missourian to apologize to the president and his family for allowing these inhumane, wicked-tongue people to call the president a pervert. Your paper allowed that garbage to go in Speak Out. That is above freedom of the press. I don't think you would allow me to call Jo Ann Emerson a pervert or Peter Kinder a pervert, and you would not allow me to call Christopher Bond or John Ashcroft perverts. You wouldn't print it. I think the Southeast Missourian owes an apology to the president of the United States, and I think you should print it on the first page.

Two damsels in distress

THIS CALL is to compliment some Good Samaritans who helped two ladies in distress. My friend and I stopped at the Purple Crackle in East Cape Girardeau to buy some lottery tickets. We accidentally left the keys in the locked car. Thus, we were there stranded with no way to get the keys out of the locked car. At least five or six very well-mannered gentlemen stopped and tried to help us. One fellow finally managed to unlock the door with the aid of a wire coat hangar. They were really great men. They refused to take any compensation. Don't try to tell me that chivalry is dead. Thanks a lot, you fellows. God bless you all. You are the greatest. Happy holidays from two damsels in distress.

Setting the record straight

I WOULD like to respond to the comment criticizing me on the city's leaf pickup program. I think you had better go back and read my Speak Out comment. I never one time degraded the city workers. My leaves were raked in a neat pile off of the street. They were not in the street. I did not criticize the workers. I was criticizing the machinery that was used pick up the leaves: a front end loader. Apparently you had a suction truck come by your place. So don't criticize anyone until you know the facts.

The real perverts

I THINK the real perverts are these radical Republicans who want to hear the tapes. That seems to turn them on, not the president.

Adopt a needy person

I THINK it would be so nice if each church in Cape Girardeau would adopt one child or one elderly person and help them enjoy a merry Christmas. Let's all try to show the true meaning of Christmas.

Flocking together

I'M ANXIOUSLY waiting and watching with enthusiasm the conservative Republican idea of justice. In supporting impeachment, the Republicans argue that the alleged lying under oath by the president has stained his credibility and he can no longer remain in office. These same Republicans voted early in 1997 to retain Newt Gingrich as speaker of the House, even though he lied 13 separate times during House ethics inquiries. Let's just see how much justice they deal out when it comes to a Democrat or Republican. Birds of a feather flock together.

Help the Humane Society

I'M CALLING about the Humane Society. Our Humane Society is having to put more animals to sleep than it ever has, and it's because it does not have the funding to build a bigger a building to be a no-kill shelter. At this time of the holidays, please open your hearts and your accounts and your checkbooks to help creatures that can't help themselves. Please help the Humane Society boost its membership and become involved. I know a lot of you out of there are animal lovers and treat your pets wonderfully and maybe have some extra time on your hands or maybe this is an issue that you're very passionate about. Please call the Humane Society, see if you can be on one of its committees to help improve the quality of life for animals in our area and to eventually surpass our goal of being a no-kill shelter. Please, we can do it. We just need the funding, and we need the support of our community. Thank you very much. And I just read in Speak Out about the lady who threw the cat from the van. Well, I'm so glad that somebody saw that and is turning it in, and I hope the lady who saw that and called Speak Out picked up the cat. I hope she just didn't drive by. I hope the cat was taken to the Humane Society or somewhere where it will not be abused and treated so horribly like trash thrown out of a window. And the woman who did that, you know what you've done, and you're the one that has to live with it.

Impeach and suffer

THE REPUBLICANS have tried for years to bring our president down, especially Rush Limbaugh, in the form of persecution. So go ahead and impeach and watch this economy go to hell. We'll all suffer.

Tired of the noise

IN THE next 20 years we will see a problem in Cape Girardeau. Most of the teen-agers who drive cars with big sound systems will probably be deaf. Either that or be pretty good mechanics for tightening up the screws whenever they turn their volume up and it just goes boom, boom, boom, boom. And maybe the cars will explode, but they don't realize they're hurting themselves. They are really disturbing our peace. We need something to stop this. It's ridiculous. It's a noise problem. It vibrates my windows. And you know what? I'm tired of it.

That's not a crime?

MY HUSBAND got a ticket for not wearing a seat belt. He's almost 78 years old. We've got to pay a fine. I guess that's a misdemeanor. And you mean lying under oath is not? If that's the case, I don't think we're going to pay a dadgum thing. According to the Democrats, the only flimsy excuse for not impeaching Bill Clinton is that it will be inconvenient.

Presidency represents us

IN RESPONSE to those individuals who repeatedly call defending the president: You are correct in the matter that a human being does sin and can be forgiven for those sins. However, Mr. Clinton chose his actions. They were not forced on him. The presidency is a symbol of the United States. An individual who wishes to occupy this office must understand this. The presidency stands for what is best about us and represents to the rest of the world who we are as a people. Let me ask: Do you want the world to judge us as a people based on Mr. Clinton? They will. Do not fool yourself. I do not want a moral degenerate representing me. The president should be one of the best of us and not one of the worst.

Great holiday program

I ATTENDED the fourth-grade Christmas program at West Lane Elementary in Jackson, and it was absolutely wonderful. Thank you to Mrs. Allcock and to the teachers. It was a fabulous program bringing Christ into Christmas. This was wonderful. Mrs. Allcock and the teachers have been teachers of my children, and I just really appreciate what they're doing.

We are the government

EVERY YEAR we have to hear about the Nativity scene. Does it go on government property or doesn't it go on government property? We are the government. Can't people realize we are the government? They speak of government as if government is a person, place or thing. We are the government. It's simple, folks.

Don't want that jury

I WOULD like to make a comment on this impeachment procedure that we are seeing on TV. I would hate to have a jury like the Republican Party sitting in trial for me. What a disgrace that would be to the American public.

He should show respect

THE CALLER in Speak Out criticizing the Southeast Missourian for printing "pervert" in regard to Bill Clinton said the newspaper doesn't have the right to do that. They also say the Southeast Missourian should respect the office. Well, I would think that you would have sense enough to realize that he should be the one to respect the office of the president of the United States of America. Southeast Missourian, keep up the good work.

Looking at history

WHEN IN the history of our country have we had a president as bad as the one we have now?

Probably the truth

I'D LIKE to say something about the person who suggested a new slogan for Cape Girardeau, "Welcome to Cape Girardeau where global warming doesn't exist, PCBs aren't dangerous, and the emperor still wears clothes." Well, I'd like to say go ahead and put it up. It would probably be the truth.

Pagan practices

AS OFTEN happens at this time of year, someone asks, what is the meaning of Christmas? The answer is interesting. It's actually a pagan holiday celebrating the winter solstice. Dec. 25 was first celebrated by pagans and was taken over by Christians. If we do any of the following things, we are involved in pagan celebration: If we have parties, festivals and feasts. If we decorate with red, green and white. If we use holly, ivy, evergreen, pines, pine cones and mistletoe. If we convey love to family and friends and associates. If we exchange presents. If we believe in Santa Claus. If we donate food and clothing to the poor. And if we make pledges for the new year, we're going things that the pagans did long before the Christians picked up on Dec. 25 as being a Christian holiday. Are these the true meanings of Christmas? Certainly historically they predate Christianity.

THE DEMOCRATS in their impeachment hearings, and I'm using -- their words -- said the president's behavior was shameful, disgusting, inappropriate, indecent, disgraceful, degrading, unforgivable. Yet they still love their pervert.