SPEAKOUT

Don't lie to Congress

AS THE voice of the Republican party in Southeast Missouri, I wish you'd at least get your facts straight. The thing that Newt Gingrich is really in trouble for is not the fact that he cheated on the tax thing. The thing that he really is trouble for is the fact that he lied to Congress. You don't do those things. There are a lot of people in jail for doing what Newton thinks he can get by with.

Liberal options

I FIND it very interesting that some liberal Democrats are calling Speak Out wanting a conservative newspaper with a conservative management and a conservative state senator to change its beliefs and writings in the paper. If these liberal Democrats want a liberal newspaper, then subscribe to the St. Louis paper. If you don't like our conservative senator, then find a liberal Democrat who can gather enough votes and elect him. Also, who uses all the name-calling in their call-in comments? Yes, it's the concerned liberals who are concerned with other than their own dirty laundry office holders. Get a life.

More cable channels

FOR THE holidays I was visiting other families in the area, and I noticed that they got a lot more cable channels and paid less each month for their cable service. I was just wondering if there was any hope of Cape Girardeau changing cable companies in the near future.

In a panic over Heidi

WHEN I read in the paper that Heidi Nieland has taken a job in Florida I panicked. My God, double her salary or whatever she's getting down there. She's the best thing this newspaper's ever had. I'm sick over it.

REPLY: We wish Heidi the best in her new job, which is quite a move up the career ladder for her. Fortunately for readers of the Southeast Missourian, she will continue to write a column every other week.

Look at yourself

THIS IS to the person who thinks people are cruel. I, too, am in my early 50s and partly disabled. I don't know if you live by yourself, whether you're male or female. But take a look at yourself. Have you been bitter? Did you say ugly things to your friends and relatives? My guess is, you expected all the sympathy and was upset. Just remember that other people have feelings and hurts too. Friends and relatives don't really forget you if you show love and mercy to them. May God bless you and help you is my prayer for you.

Most are willing to help

I FEEL so sorry for the person who said people are so cruel. Most people are loving and kind and willing to help someone in need. We really, usually, reap what we sow.

Tell us about changes

THIS COMMENT is addressed to an unnamed local cable TV franchise, and the name of my city is also not necessary, but they call it the City of Roses. My complaint is you're going to change the schedule. Fine. Let the public know what's going on. Let your preview channel know what's going on ahead of time so we know what's going on ahead of time. This switching a couple of days or whatever before we expect it is unconscionable to the sense of business ethics. We want to know where our favorite channel it is located on the so-called dial.

Give us what we want

I WOULD like to challenge Tom Cantrell, director of franchising for TCI when he says we want to give our customers what they want. That's a direct quote in the Southeast Missourian. Many TCI cable subscribers want WGN. Let TCI give us WGN and get these other stations off. Or else bring Falcon Cable from Sikeston into Cape.

Congrats to the Tigers

I AM calling in regards to the few comments in the write-up about the University High Christmas Tournament. I do not think that free throws would have helped the Jackson Indians in the game against the Cape Central Tigers. They are just lucky that Central didn't play to their full potential. Congratulations, Tigers, on a great tournament. I'd like to add I'm happy to see our paper write about our hometown school, Cape Central. The community is interested and proud of what our students are doing. Our television station needs to take lessons from our newspaper.

It's a little too late

BILL SCHNEIDER said tonight on CNN that the general public may be getting wise to Bill Clinton -- his shrewdness, his dishonesty, his ability to speak out of both sides of his mouth. But I say it's a little late, Josephine, and I have a headache.

Where's Jackson's band?

WELL, THIS is interesting. Tuesday's headline says that Bekki Cook is going to be sworn in among friends and it indicates that she has invited the Cape Girardeau Central High School Marching Tigers to participate in the inaugural parade. Obviously, Bekki has forgotten that she graduated not from Cape Central but from Jackson High School in 1968. Why was Jackson's High School band not invited instead of Cape Central? That would have more sense since Bekki graduated from Jackson. I ought to know, I graduated with her.

Cartoons and animals

WHY DO the powers that be let this cable company treat us like this? I always enjoyed a few programs on the Comedy Channel, and now I see I have a choice, I could watch a kiddie cartoon show or something featuring Lassie and Flipper. Goodie, goodie.

New job for Gingrich?

AFTER NEWT Gingrich has made the right choice and stepped aside, he shouldn't have to look long for a new job. He would fit right in as assistant coach of the Dallas Cowboys.

Too many world premieres

TCI, I thought I'd seen it all. You have raised your rates regularly. You have maintained a crap level of service and selection, and now WGN is gone. But who really cares? All of your movies are rented from the same distributor at the same time anyway. How else could there be five simultaneous world premiere broadcasts of the same movie?

Thanks for more cartoons

CONGRATULATIONS TO TCI cable for a long overdue program change. Replacement of one of America's premiere superstations and sports channels (WGN) with the Cartoon Network, I'm sure, will be very well received. After all, who wouldn't want to see reruns of Scooby Doo and Speed Racer three times a day instead of watching live Bulls basketball or Cubs baseball? You can always read about the action in the box scores the next day. I'd suggest next replacing CNN with another home shopping channel. After all, you can never have too much mind-numbing TV. I'm sure the fact that TCI owns the Cartoon Network and Animal Planet and does not have to pay for their programming means that we'll be enjoying lower cable bills soon. Dream on. TCI doesn't care about consumers, only their profit margin. They have a monopoly and they know it. A satellite dish is looking better all the time. Oops, that's right, they own Primestar too. Well, I guess there's always the newspaper. At least it listens to the community.

Crimes stats look high

WE HAVE a new police chief now. I think it's about time we should find out exactly where the Cape Girardeau Police Department stands as far as their crime statistics compared to cities of their size in this part of the country. It just seems awfully bad to me that we have 400 burglaries. That seems tremendous. The paper should put the crime statistics on the front page and find out exactly what we're getting for our police dollars and what needs to be done. This just don't look right to me.

Leaves the Cowboys alone

I AM visiting Cape from the great city of Dallas, Texas. I thought I could have some fun here, but all you people talk about are how the Dallas Cowboys are a bunch of hoodlums. I am going back to Dallas, and you people need to stop worrying about the Cowboys and get some worthwhile events in Cape Girardeau for visitors.

Sad part of the holidays

WHEN YOU think of Christmas, do you think of tinsel, colored lights, loud music, what will I get, what will I get? Or do you think of a holy child born in a manger with only his mother and father nearby? The real meaning of Christmas is gone. It's so sad.