SPEAKOUT

Children have a right to be out

THIS IS in response to the individual who's complaint was about strollers in public. This takes the old saying "Children should be seen and not heard" one step further. Perhaps children should not be seen at all. Children have as much right to go anywhere as anyone else. If you're having a problem with running into strollers, perhaps you need your eyes examined, or maybe you should stay at home.

Jury experiences leave bad taste

THIS IS in response to the individual who said we need to trust our juries in Speak Out a few days ago. I lost my confidence in jury judgments. My husband and I have served individually on six Cape County and federal juries. Believe me, a jury will make grave errors and misjudgments. Most jurors don't want to be there. They were in a hurry to get it over with and make rash and hasty conclusions, or they don't like one or the other of the attorneys. Often times they have to abide by rules they don't understand. Sometimes a few aggressive jurors influence timid jurors who go along with whatever the others want, even if they think it's wrong.

Sincere feelings regarding new mascot

A BIG thank you to Grace Williams for her letter regarding the Indian mascot. She expressed beautifully the feelings of most students, alumni and fans. How sad that a few misguided people can choose to ignore the sincere feelings of the majority. Don't let them cram a new logo down our throat.

People should think about future of trash

EVERY FRIDAY I set out a trash can full of items to be recycled. I recycle tin cans, plastic, newspaper and glass. My three-year-old son takes our aluminum cans and adds the money to his savings account. Now I'm ready to get mad. The city of Cape gives us a easy way to improve our environment, and some of our citizens are too lazy to recycle. All you have to do is get a paper sack or garbage bag and rinse out your plastic or cans and put them in an individual container. It may take a person a full 10 seconds more to recycle an item than to put it in the trash. It is like when the electricity goes out. You don't miss it until it's gone. Well, people better wake up and wonder where we are going to put all this trash. Please don't wait until we have no place. Please think about our future as well as our children's future. Besides, you might burn an extra few calories when you recycle.

Exposing garbage on global warming

GLORY BE and hallelujah. We at last have a scientist that is exposing all this garbage on global warming. This gentleman is a professor at the University of Virginia, and he presents in a column in your own newspaper. It says, "Sky isn't falling and ocean isn't rising." People, it would be a good one for you to read. The only thing I have against the column is that he failed to put in there about the damage done by these rockets and missiles being shot through the stratosphere and burning up, as you please, the carbon dioxide and all this other we can't have, ammonia, something we've used for years. It is a real good article to read. Housewives, don't put your ammonia out here where it can evaporate. Keep it used.

Need to enforce noise ordinances

THIS IS advice and opinion for the Speak Out caller who is almost as fed up as I am about boom-box morons who constantly attack and disrupt our communities. What can you do about it, short of tossing dog poop or bricks through their open windows? Jackson has a noise abatement ordinance very similar to that of Springfield, Mo. I know, because I pressed my alderman, now mayor, for it and have copies of both. I don't know if Cape has. But here's caveat. Jackson doesn't enforce the ordinance, whereas Springfield does very effectively, and I understand they have a nice, quiet city. It's simple. Like radar for speed tickets, all cops need is a relatively cheap decibel meter or their own ears. Jackson could fine a maximum of $500 per occurrence. A few such fines would easily pay for all the meters the cops will need. So let's get busy and find enough folks with similar concern to bug our elected officials to establish and enforce anti-boom box laws. Besides, it's a health issue, not only for us, but these idiot kids who are blowing their hearing before they reach the age of 30. You'd think leftwing socialists would love this idea, because, after all, it's to save our children.

Guilty dogs bark first

I ENJOYED Ron Farrow's letter regarding Peter Kinder's talk of impeaching our president. I have another adage for you, Peter Kinder. Guilty dogs bark first. Your own political party is involved in scare tactics, stirring people in the Ozarks up into a frenzy about an imaginary takeover of land by the United Nations. I would call that pretty unethical.

Children adopt parental attitudes

THIS COMMENT is directed to the stepparent who stated that if the police tried to arrest one of his stepchildren for possession of tobacco or alcoholic products, the city of Cape Girardeau would be sued. I can tell the readers firsthand that it's this attitude that makes society difficult. As an elementary school teacher, I find that even the youngest children learn quickly which side the parents are on. This attitude goes to school with those children. I would imagine that those parents have difficulty with their children's teachers. Support for your children is important but not to the extent that the child's values are compromised.

Another suggestion for SEMO mascot

WITH REGARD to the SEMO name and mascot discussion, let them be known as the PC Victims. That's PC for politically correct. Let the mascot be a limp-wristed, leftwing do-gooder with a bleeding heart and knee that jerks at every situation. That should give SEMO some respect.

Don't waste time on teen smokers

I HEARD on the news a story in Wisconsin where the police were running around looking to catch teen-agers smoking or with possession of tobacco. They said if they caught them, they would fine them $56. If that ever happened around here, I as a public citizen and taxpayer would say those policemen ought to be fired. In my opinion, if that's their job, they don't have a job. That's ridiculous.

Letter made a lot of sense

I JUST called to say that I read Grace Williams' letter to the editor regarding the Indians as a mascot for SEMO, and I just wanted to say that I think he letter made more sense than anything I've read to date, and I do agree with the lady wholeheartedly.