SPEAKOUT

Defacing is wrong, and so is Rush

ABOUT SOMEONE defacing Rush Limbaugh on the river wall. They should not have done it because its against the law. But Rush Limbaugh should not have been up there in the first place.

Thanks to president for not interfering

I WISH it was some way I could speak to President Clinton personally. I would like to congratulate him on his stand not to interfere with the UPS strike. I thank you.

Give speeders what they deserve

I'M FINALLY glad they are going to do something to stop these speeders. It is a little known fact but it is true, according to the Missouri Department of Transportation: More people die from speeding than drunken driving then. They have the gall to eliminate speeding as a misdemeanor. Now it is just an infraction. Does that make any sense to anybody? Not me. I say lets put these speeders in jail for years. They are killing people. I say if you want to get there earlier, leave earlier. As far as these drunk drivers go, a lot of them are in jail, but they have never hurt a soul. The person who speeds and causes an accident never loses his driver's license. Please, let's make our laws logical. They aren't now.

Ozone and global warming are different

OZONE IS three molecules of oxygen and blocks ultraviolet rays from the sun. It has nothing to do with global warming. These are totally different issues. That's like comparing Congress and the Supreme Court. They are totally different, although they are both part of the government. Ozone and global warming affect the earth in different ways, but each affects the earth nonetheless.

Try cameras to catch drug dealers

RECENTLY I went to London, England. I noticed that they had video recorders or closed-circuit television cameras in high boxes made of durable steel. And nobody was going to mess around with that. With today's technology being cheaper and cheaper, I don't see why they can't put these video machines around Cape Girardeau, especially these drug-infested areas, and pick up leads that way. I am sick and tired of hearing about these drug rascals. In England, they know better. Why can't we learn from the English once in a while?

Mixed memories of Woolworth's

A SPEAK Out caller reminisced about the Woolworth's store in Bowling Green, Ky. I remember Cape Girardeau's Woolworth with mixed emotions. I loved it on days when Mom took me there when I was a youngster and bought me a toy. I was less happy when she said "no toy today" and I had to be dragged from the store kicking and screaming.

Bare feet have gone to highest court

A SPEAK out caller recently suggested that the Constitution was vague on whether or not one has the constitutional right to be barefoot in the workplace. I beg to differ. In a famous case, the Supreme Court decided that such a right does exist. In order to limit one's constitutional right to bare feet in the workplace, the employer has to meet what in legal jargon is known as a strict scrutiny standard. In laymen's terms, that means the feet have to be exceptionally smelly.

More comments on Americorp

I WANTED to comment on someone calling in about the Americorp program. I'm glad someone else decided to speak out when some of us other people who have experienced problems have not had the guts to speak out. I too experienced sexual harassment. It's really upsetting and horrible that people have to go through stuff like that.

Guidelines for letters to the editor

I WOULD like to inquire about the proper procedure for writing a letter to the editor. Do you have to always do it through Speak Out? I really enjoy Speak Out, even though people don't seem to know what they are talking about. But maybe I don't either. You have a good paper. I was thinking about a letter, but I didn't really feel like signing my name. Could you address this in Speak Out, please?

REPLY: This is an excellent question, and thanks for asking. The Southeast Missourian publishes several kinds of public comment. Speak Out calls are published every day. Readers call in their opinions to Speak Out anonymously, and as many comments as possible are published. Letters to the editor are sent to the Southeast Missourian by mail, fax and e-mail. Some are hand-delivered. Only letters that are signed are published, using the writer's name. Occasionally, readers also write guest columns and pieces that contribute to the overall understanding of current issues. Through this variety of expressing opinion, the public has ample opportunity to have its voice heard in the Southeast Missourian. We appreciate all of these contributions.

Views from all side on the opinion page

I AM confused. Maybe I am a idealistic 18-year-old, but hear me out just the same. When I read the Southeast Missourian's Opinion page, I notice an extreme leaning toward the right. I understand that the editorials are reserved for the sole purpose of expressing the newspaper's views. But shouldn't your Opinion page include views from both sides, not just the right? Conservatives are always complaining about the liberal media. Do the editors of the Southeast Missourian realizing that they are jumping on the same journalism bandwagon? Isn't this hypocrisy?

REPLY: The region served by the Southeast Missourian is generally a conservative one, whether its readers are Republican, Democrat or independent. This newspaper tries to reflect that. However, some of the regular columnists are considered liberal in most quarters. And readers have the right to express their views from the right or the left, liberal or conservative, Republican or Democrat.

What's so bizarre about the gay agenda?

THIS IS in response to Gary Rust column where he spoke of the "bizarre agenda of the homosexual rights movement." Gay and lesbian people don't have an agenda that threatens the spiritual or moral standards of this nation. They just want the right to love and to be loved without fear, ridicule or discrimination. What is bizarre about that?