SPEAKOUT

A rose by any other name...

YOU CAN'T fool us. You can call it county ordinances or whatever you want, it's still planning and zoning, and we don't want it.

Parents need to intervene

THE CURFEW in Scott City is too late for our children to be out. It isn't only up to the police but also the parents. If you care for your child, the law and parents should be stricter. It is sad our children do not have activities in this town. The time the school is in session it gives many students a choice of things to do. But since summer will be here soon, they will become more restless. If anyone believes there are not drugs involved here in Scott City, they definitely are mistaken.

Television is addictive

TELEVISION IS no different than tobacco. I think someone should study the addictive potential that television has on the viewer. The government should make television stations pay restitution to people who have been negatively affected by this goggle-eyed demon.

Impatient motorist

HELLO, DRIVER -- and I use that term loosely. Remember me? We met May 1 around 4:30 p.m. I was on Bloomfield going toward Silver Springs. You were behind the car coming towards me. Imagine my horror when I saw you ship your little bluish car into my lane and gas it. There wasn't 200 yards between us. I saw you fishtail a bit when you saw me. You almost lost it. By some miracle, you didn't hit anyone. Is being first at the stoplight really worth killing someone?

Getting the message

I SUPPOSE the caller who said the government lied when they called nicotine a drug would also say they lied calling marijuana and cocaine drugs. Maybe they can't get you to quit smoking, because they wouldn't want to have hell to pay. But I'm sure the good Lord can get you to stop when you become of the 400,000 a year who died because of cigarette-caused death.

Dealing with flooding

I WAS reading the paper about the survey that Rep. Schwab did concerning the proposed lake in Cape Girardeau and Bollinger Counties. I see 50 percent were in favor and 43 percent were opposed. I'd like to offer a solution to this problem. The 43 percent who were opposed should drive down some of the areas that are affected by the flooding, and then they can see the other people's point of view. We're losing our land due to flooding. This hurts the economy. It prevents us from planting crops or anything else. The ground cannot be developed for any reason. And the only other alternative is to pass a tax increase that would allow for the Corps of Engineers to come in and clean out the Whitewater River and the other rivers that are contributing to this problem because of the trash and the trees and things that have been pushed into what normally is a free-flowing river. A prime example of this is the Schneider Mill bridge. You can almost wade across the Whitewater River. I can remember 15 years ago it was between 10 to 15 feet deep and was flowing freely. This is a problem that was not caused by one person's actions, but the community has to come together and stop this.

Control the cats

ARE THERE no leash laws for cats in the city of Cape? We have an indoor spayed and declawed cat who never goes outside. However other cats in the neighborhood tear up our flowers which we have just planted.

Thanks for rabies shots

I JUST wanted to comment on the good job that the veterinarians and their assistants and everyone involved through Cape police department did out at Arena Park giving the rabies vaccinations for the animals at a lower cost. They were out there May 2 in a heavy downpour and wind. I believe they did a great job, and all the people involved should be commended on their efforts in order to give people the lower rate on the rabies vaccinations. With the circumstances and conditions, I believe they did a tremendous job and they should be commended.

Not their own business

I WOULD like to make a comment on homosexual rights. Why should a person be given special privilege because of what they do in their bedroom? I thought the homosexual community said what they did in their own bedroom is their own business. But it's not their own business, because they're wanting to make it ours with our tax dollars.