SPEAKOUT

A better idea for money

I HEARD that a St. Louis representative was suggesting that Missouri take the $2.9 million it receives from the phone company every year and use this money to give college educations to convicted felons. That's right, convicts. I would just like to suggest to this particular representative that Missouri would do better to protect and help its law-abiding citizens. I would like to suggest that the $2.9 million be given to the telephone users of Missouri as a rebate for their extended 911 service. I think that would be a more effective and better use of $2.9 million, money for the phone users that the money came from, not the convicts who victimized these people.

Prayer covered the basics

MY COMPLIMENTS to Ron Farrow for his prayer in his letter to the editor. The prayer did not tell God the evening news. It did not trek on political soil. It did not dip into social subjects. It stayed with the basics. I was taught that prayer is a heart-to-heart talk with God. Mr. Farrow obviously had the same kind of tutor.

I HAVE a question. Recently on the front page was a picture of a FISH volunteer. Now I have lived in Cape about 10 years, and I've not yet been able to find out what FISH stands for. I know it's a volunteer-charitable organization, but just what does F-I-S-H stand for? Could you tell me, please?

REPLY: Although FISH looks like an acronym, it isn't. The letters don't stand for another name whose words start with those letters. FISH gets its name from the early Christian symbol of a fish based on the first two letters of the Greek work for Christ, chi and rho. The name also is a reference to the miracle of loaves and fishes when Jesus fed the multitudes.

A definite improvement

CONGRATULATIONS TO the city water department for moving the water meters in the Sunset area from the curb to the yard terraces. This may not be cost effective, but by placing the meters high on the terrace, the meter reader won't have to bend over to read these meters. This we can definitely state is an upgrade and improvement in our water system.

Responsible parents

THIS IS in regard to the "Parents host teen parties" letter to the editor. I disagree with it. I think we're responsible, and we will choose wise decisions and the letter writer shouldn't judge three high schools in this area based on what he thinks goes on.

Letter was right on

I'M CALLING in reference to the letter that Jack Knowlan wrote about parents allowing underage students age to drink in their homes with their supervision. I think he is right on. I have thought this for the last couple of years and known such parents that are friends of mine that approve of such parties and sponsor such parties saying they would rather have their children drinking at home than drinking out at a party somewhere and driving and either killing themselves or killing someone else. I know of several families who are well thought of in Jackson that allow this to go on. I think it's immoral. I think they are showing no responsibility. If they allow that, then do they allow their children to have sex in their home, do they allow children to do drugs, as Mr. Knowlan said, or do other illegal activities in the privacy of their home? I would like to see what other parents think about this and maybe put an end to some of this that's going on.

Snail mail

I, TOO, would like to comment on the postal service in Cape Girardeau. On Jan. 13 I mailed a car payment to Carol Stream, Ill., and on Feb. 16 they had still not received my payment. Finally, on Feb. 21, they received my payment after over a month. I really think that the postal service needs to do something, because car payments and mortgage payments don't wait.

Taking the land away

LAKE COMMITTEE: I can't believe you want to take the land away from those people, land that they love and work so hard for. You probably have a lot of money, so can I come and take it away from you because you worked hard for it? And are all the cemeteries in the lake's path going to be moved or under water?

REPLY: Cemeteries affected by the lake project would be moved.

Where, exactly, is the plan?

BILL CLINTON took up at least 20 minutes of my television viewing time with his so-called drug strategy for 1997. I heard everything that he wanted, but I didn't hear a world about any strategy or plan. He may want everything that everybody else wants, but he doesn't know how to get it. He wants us to watch our children and teach them right from wrong. That's one part of his plan. He wants to reduce crime and violence, but he didn't say how. He wants to eliminate social consequences from taking drugs. He didn't say how. He wants to reduce drug crops. He didn't say how. He wants to protect our borders. He didn't say how. I thought a strategy was a plan. I never heard one plan except, like Democrats always say, "We've got to spend more money," but he didn't say how to spend the money.

Jail overcrowding

AS A former inmate of the Cape Girardeau County Jail, I have witnessed many times the guards' failure to respect the prisoners and even degrade them verbally. I feel the attempted escape was due to overcrowding. I don't know if the sheriff is trying to get additional funds by purposely keeping his jail overcrowded or what, but when you cram this many people in that tight of an area and then degrade them on top of all that, what do you expect them to act like? If you treat someone like an animal, they will respond like an animal. If you treat them with respect, they will more likely respond with respect. As far as the religious services or anything like that, that can be restricted anyway the sheriff sees fit. This is strictly my opinion: It was the sheriff's department by the way they treat their prisoners and the way they run their jail.

So what?

I WOULD like to make a comment about the bombing that happened down in Atlanta. If people can look at Waco, Texas, when Bill Clinton and Janet Reno put that poisonous gas on the kids and years later sit back and say, "Well, so what?" then I think that's what the American people ought to say about these bombings of the homosexual bar and the abortion clinic: So what?

Destruction of hope

DRUGS ARE a hindrance that will trigger the destruction of hope in this country.

Breast feeding in public

I TOOK my 16-year-old son to Doctors' Park and while waiting for our doctor I was appalled and transfixed to see a woman begin breast feeding her kid. My son was embarrassed and so uncomfortable, he couldn't keep from watching, and we both had to leave in discomfort.

Disappointing public

WHEN I read the criticisms of Peter Kinder, I'm disappointed in our public. Don't they know Peter is trying to settle the lake issue by the vote of the people? I also have land with a family background in that lake area which our family doesn't want to be taken by the lake, and I would like to see it settled. I am also bothered about Freon and many other ecology laws. But whose rules are they following? Not one of the best informed scientists in the United States, Dixie Lee Ray, but someone who knows the least. Isn't it Al Gore's book? Find out and get yourself informed.

I WOULD like to commend Jack Knowlan Jr. on his letter in your paper. It was very well written and needed. I hope all parents of teen-agers take it to heart.