SPEAKOUT

Warning system is needed

I'M IN favor of a sales tax or a bond issue to finance a tornado warning system in Cape Girardeau. Other towns have warning systems and I think we should have one.

County zoning isn't needed...

REFERRING TO a letter from Ron Woolridge, I agree with him 100 percent on county zoning. We don't need it.

...County zoning is needed

YES, WE do need county zoning. You may get a dump, chicken factory or commercial hog farm and so forth next to your house or property. I have seen counties without zoning, and believe me it's not a beautiful sight. Thanks to the county commissioners for being concerned.

It's only a nickel, but...

I DID not know that I had dropped a nickel in the post office. A well-dressed, courteous young man picked it up and returned it to me. I consider that a random act of kindness. Thank you, sir.

Be kind to animals too

I'M CALLING about the Random Act of Kindness week. I believe that it's very necessary that we start with the simple things first and the simple thing that I believe we need to start with is kindness to animals. I have a philosophy, and it's this. If people cannot be kind and compassionate to animals who are defenseless and cannot help themselves, how are they going to be toward human beings? If you can be kind and compassionate and just give some extra attention to your animals or to somebody else's animals, it will carry on to other areas of your life.

I NOTICE in the classifieds that a lot of people give their animals away. You'll see free kittens or free puppies. The intention behind that is good, because they're wanting to give the animal a home. But statistics have shown that 90 to 95 percent of all the animals that are given away free end up dead within the first year because the "free" attracts irresponsibility. It's better to charge just a little bit for the animal than to give it away for free.

Youngster is a reflection

I WANT to comment about the little 6-year-old boy who supposedly beat up a baby and almost killed it and maybe damaged it for life. I wonder why people are shocked. After all, this partial-birth abortion thing is where they stick a pair of shears in a baby's head and suck it's brain out. We have a society where we kill children in abortion and we look the other way. Look what's in the White House right now. How can you expect to have a sound, law-abiding society when you have leaders like we've got. Well, people are getting exactly what they've got coming to them. This little boy is just a reflection of society, and I don't think he should be punished because he's merely reflecting what society has taught him.

But do the sirens work?

THIS IS in reference to sirens for tornadoes. I wonder if you happened to think about asking how many of the sirens were working in the different cities. I know of one town that does not have all the sirens working.

Just pay for what you use

I'D LIKE to respond to the people who are complaining about the unfair prices on garbage pickup. I say to them: save your breath. I live alone, I recycle and reuse everything that I can. As a result I put out just one bushel bag of garbage a week. How can you equate that with three big bags of garbage? No way. I'd like the system whereby the city sells us the bags and let's us fill them as we need to. I'd also like to say this in response to one of your callers: Any family of four that generates five large bags of garbage each week surely cannot be recycling.

Compliments on facelift

I WOULD like to congratulate whoever is responsible for the face lift in Town Plaza. It is just simply beautiful. It stands out. It looks like a shopping center now. You can see it from way, way off and it is just absolutely beautiful. I like it.

Definitely pro-choice

I AM a 37-year-old female who is definitely pro-choice as I always have been. When still dating, I chose to not have sex, even when it was difficult choice. Once married, my husband and I chose to use birth control until we were ready and able to have children. We later chose to take medical steps to ensure we only have the two children we have. Furthermore we choose to live within our means and not expect other hard working taxpayers to support us. Pro choice? You bet.

Opinionated hypocrisy

HAVING YOUR prayer on the Opinion page and then turn right around and run a cartoon like you ran on Saturday morning with insinuation of unproven facts is the height of hypocrisy as far as I'm concerned.

Let the water users pay

I THINK it is ridiculous to even think about the city of Cape wanting to add another sales tax to pay for their water system. The citizens who use the water should be the ones to pay. I live in the country, and my well and piping cost me $6,100, and I didn't expect anyone else to pay for it. The taxation-without-representation type of government is the very thing we're trying to get rid of now.

Aging agency is needed

I TOTALLY disagree with the editorial "No aging agency." The elderly are constantly being put on the back burner. There is definitely a need for more services and for state agencies for the aging. Isn't it a wonder why the Southeast Missourian, which is a Republican-backed newspaper and which constantly writes in Republican view, does not want this to help the elderly people? We know what you're doing, Southeast Missourian.

Here's a drapery tip

I WANT to share my idea with anyone who bought new drapes and found them touching the floor. Mine did, and instead of altering them I put masking tape along the edge so the drape wouldn't touch the floor and get soiled. Hope this idea helped someone.

It's not Clinton's fault

TO YOU who are blaming Clinton for the recent gasoline price increase, your memory is very short. Have you forgotten when President Reagan sent Vice President Bush to the OPEC countries on a mission to get oil prices raised? And remember when Nixon caused the scare of rural shortage of oil and found plenty after gas prices raised 40 percent? Get real, don't put the blame on our great president. If Dole gets his gas tax repealed, just where do think he will pick this up? From the poor, as always.

CONGRATULATIONS TO Vicky Abernathy on her delegate-at-large selection to the National Democratic Convention. I'm proud of you, girl. Way to go.

I JUST want to say that it's great to live in Cape Girardeau, a city that has a National Day of Prayer on the City Hall steps. It was wonderful. Thank you for all those who participated and especially those who planned. Only thing that I can could possibly think of that could make it better would have been an American flag and a Christian flag flying at the top of the stairs. But it was wonderful. Thank you, thank you, thank you.