SPEAKOUT

Judicial legislation

I JUST read in the Missourian where somebody was trying to say that abortion became legal during a Republican president. I just want to address the fact that abortion became legal and in no other way than judicial legislation. That's where a majority of the Democrat-appointed Supreme Court justices decided that they knew better than the people who they are supposed to work for. They decided that abortion should become, all of a sudden, legal and something should become constitutional when in fact that has no basis, no precedent in law or any of their procedures. They decided that's what they wanted, and they made it legal. It had nothing to do with any Republican president or any Congress, Republican or Democrat. Strictly judicial legislation, something the Congress and Constitution never allowed the Supreme Court to do, but they have taken it on themselves to do.

Oak Ridge interchange first

THIS CAPE Girardeau resident thinks that Oak Ridge should get its interchange on I-55 before any thought is given to building another road between Cape Girardeau and Scott City.

Respect on death row

IF THE country wants to reduce crime in the United States, do away with at least of 50 percent of those on death row. Those killers have no business being there. They should be like their victims: gone. They get more respect than the people they've killed.

Kinder's views are his own

SINCE PETER Kinder works at the Southeast Missourian, are we to assume that his views on various matters are the official stance of the newspaper?

REPLY: When Peter Kinder writes his columns twice a week, the are published with his name on them. These columns represent his personal viewpoint. The opinions of this newspaper are expressed in the daily editorials. These views are the consensus of a six-member editorial board that includes Gary Rust, president of Rust Communications; Wally Lage, publisher of the Southeast Missourian; R. Joe Sullivan, editor; Joni Adams, managing editor; John Ramey, news editor; and Kinder, assistant to the president and a state senator from Cape Girardeau.

Highway money available?

LAST YEAR when a group of citizens again asked the Missouri highway department to raise a few hundred yards of Highway 177 out of the flood waters, they were very understanding and they did all the preliminary engineering work. However, they said all available money has been allocated for already planned projects for several years in the future, but when funds become available they would raise the highway. Now they are proposing a new bridge and highway from Scott City to Cape, which must mean new money has shown up. I guess they will build this route right after they raise Highway 177. I'm so happy.

REPLY: The hearings that have been held in Scott City and Cape Girardeau by the Missouri Department of Transportation (the new name for the highway department) are part of a new planning process. Instead of waiting until a project is ready to be built before getting public input, the department now seeks community information at the beginning of the process. There are no funds allocated for a route between Scott City and Cape Girardeau. The purpose of the hearings at this stage is to determine what is needed and what both communities might suggest as solutions to those needs.

Thanks for starting van

I WANT to express my sincere thanks to the person who got my van started Sunday at Wal Mart. Thank you very, very much.

Cutting trees in the city

WE DO not live in the country. We live very near the college. Can you believe that during Christmas someone came into our yard, cut and carried off a 6-to-8-foot hemlock tree?

A pocketbook issue

THE ARTICLE on the front page Feb. 3 regarding the lawyers' position on seeking the end of death penalties, using the excuse of greater fairness and the need for due process: I think the real key to their opposition is found in one of the later paragraphs where federal funding for lawyers helping death row inmates has been ended, so they're really considering their pocketbook.

Rotting in Cape Girardeau?

DO NOT worry thinking you have to rot in Cape because there is nothing to do. I use to rot here on weekends but then I remembered New Orleans and Mardi Gras are coming up and not that far away. Now I'm not jerking your chain when I tell you, go to New Orleans and find out how much fun you can have away from Cape. Remember, you don't have to rot here.

Too many languages

THIS IS America. We speak English in this country even if some of it is butchered. I am so sick of businesses making English-speaking Americans wait to get through to anybody for having to hear the message in Spanish even though I did learn a little Spanish in order to be polite to Spanish-speaking people. Why are we not offered the same courtesy?

Housing for criminals

I WAS reading in the paper something about prisoners in apartments. If it is working, I don't see why they shouldn't allow this to happen. There are people who get trapped in the system who don't even belong there. Furthermore, I am not a prisoner, but I have been through their housing processing. I think it's a wonderful program. It works for me even though other tragedies do happen when you get put on the street, and it is no fun and you have to do more crime which I'm not really a crime person.

Just don't teach it

I'M CALLING in reference to "Death of a Salesman." The parents and students were never trying to get the book banned. They were just trying to keep it from being taught in the school. It's not allowed in their library. My personal view of the book is there is no great literary value. There are others that should be taught at a high school level where the children have a choice. The kids were never given a choice at the beginning of the book to read it or not. The board has the authority to pull the book. They stood behind the teacher. The teacher has never stood up and said this is why I chose it. She's never faced any of the concerned parents or citizens. The board states that the policy is that concerned citizens and parents have no right to review the material are taught, yet the Hatch Amendment that was adopted in September 1984 states that parents do have the right, and several letters have been sent already and several more will be sent to the school that limits what the school can and can't teach our children without permission by our parents. These kids who don't have a problem with reading this language and confess to be Christians, I don't see how they can say they are a Christian and speak in that manner. You know, one good thing is we're looking at next year is the possibility of a Christian school in this area.

Now's the time for exercise

EVEN THOUGH spring is several weeks away, I would like to remind the people who are planning on wearing shorts, now is the time to jog and go on that diet. Less use of your car can break that lazy habit and make you feel and look much better.

Comments on officiating

CONGRATULATIONS TO the SEMO Indians for their victory over Austin Peay in spite of some poor officiating. In checking statistics, I noticed Cape made 6 of 12 free throws while Austin Peay made 22 of 28. They speak of hometown advantage, but Cape never gets it as they always call more fouls on Cape than the other team, at home or away. Even in the first part of the half, they called seven fouls on Cape and one on Austin Peay. That can't be. It's very depressing for a team to work hard to get two points, then the referee calls a foul and the other team makes two free throws. It isn't surprising that the police had to escort the referees to the dressing room.

Cars on private lots

UP FRONT, I want to say I'm a citizen of Jackson. I love the little town. It's a good place to live, not perfect. No place on this earth is perfect that has people in it but it's still a good little place to live. However, I don't quite understand how the city council can prohibit the parking of cars for sale on private lots. I understand the public property, but private lots, I have a problem with that when the person advertises a sale. How many times have I heard about accidents on private parking lots at shopping centers and stuff like this? The police are called. They'll write up a report of the accident, but they can't give a ticket to the person who was wrong because it's on a private parking lot. Now, how are they going to give somebody on a private parking lot a ticket for advertising their car?

Support for death penalty

I'D LIKE to applaud Morley Swingle for resigning from the ABA on the death penalty that they're trying to do away with. I think it would be a very bad thing to do. I think he's made a very wise decision.

Commendation for Morley Swingle

I WOULD like to commend Morley Swingle for his strong protest by resigning from the American Bar Association. He's a strong contrast from the usual image of lawyers and politicians.

A sense of urgency

THE MERCHANTS downtown ought to put a couple of port-a-pots out for the people who shop down there and browse around, because if Mother Nature calls, there's no public facilities that I know of.

No respect for nature

I AGREE with the caller in Speak Out about the father and son who slaughtered hundreds of animals. The son did not receive a felony conviction so he may continue his education at SEMO where he was studying to be a shop teacher. A teacher. Do you want your child to be taught by this person who obviously does not have any respect for nature, the environment or laws?

More than a slap on the wrist

IT MADE me angry to hear that somebody said that these people that killed all the deer got a slap on the wrist. I think they got a lot of punishment, first of all. Second of all, we need to get rid of all the deer because I'm tired of hitting them, and I'm tired of my friends hitting them. There's too many deer out there. I don't care how many times you've seen "Bambi."

Learning about the police

THAT WAS a really great story in the Sunday paper about the 24-hour ride with the police. I thought it was very interesting, very insightful and it just helps us see that the police are out there to help us, especially the hour-by-hour scenario was really, really neat.

Let churches pay taxes

YOU KNOW it's tax time again and I know a way that our taxes could be lowered. If all the churches all the way across this great nation would all just pay their fair share of taxes, we could balance the budget and our taxes would be lower.

She keeps going and going ...

THIS IS for the caller that was bad-mouthing Mary Kasten. I for one think it's great that a woman her age can still work and drive.