SPEAKOUT

Abortion is individual choice

THE HEADLINE in the June 21 Missourian referred to abortion rights advocates as "pro-abortion." This is a gross mischaracterization. Those of us who support abortion rights understand that the decision regarding abortion is often a very difficult and personal one that must be left to a woman and her physician. It is not a matter for the church, the state or any governmental body. We respect the choice that is made in each individual instance, regardless of whether we personally agree with it or not. Therefore, we are pro-choice, not pro-abortion. I also might add that a clear majority of Americans have this view. In all fairness, I assume that from now on, you wil refer to anti-abortion advocates as "anti-choice". Then again, no one could ever accuse the Southeast Missourian of being fair.

Overexposed and overdone

IN A rush for another daily photo opportunity, Bill Clinton was present when a bald eagle was released from captivity on Independence Day. What wasn't mentioned until the next day was that the injured eagle could not care for itself and was attacked by other eagles. It was rescued from a lake by the Coast Guard and returned to captivity for further rehabilitation. Has a day gone by in the past 3 1/2 years when our president hasn't gotten himself into the daily news? This man is overexposed and overdone. We need someone who delegates authority, not a showboat I-do-it-all-myself dictator or a king.

More drug screening

WHEN ARE these government people going to get up from sitting on their hands and start giving drug screenings to everybody who is running up and down the road and having wrecks? It doesn't take a rocket scientist to create some kind of drug screen that is similar to an alcohol screen. We've got to get these drug addicts off the road. We've got to get them in the places where they belong. They're stealing us blind. I think insurance companies ought to play a big role in this too. I think if you want to buy insurance from a certain company, and you have a wreck, I think the insurance company ought to make it mandatory you should have to have a drug screen within two hours after you had that wreck -- whether you were at fault or not. I think there are a hundred thousand things that so-called governor of ours can enlist here in the Missouri or the so-called lawmakers up in Washington. They could figure out something to do about these drug heads. I think the common person ought to do everything he can. If your teen-ager or the person who lives next door dresses like a dope head and looks like a dope head, then they are a dope head. You need to remove them out of the mainstream of society.

Not this Democrat

IN RESPONSE to the caller who said he was 88 years old and praised Bill Emerson for how he was wonderful for both Republicans and Democrats, he certainly can't be speaking for this Democrat. Bill Emerson was a good American, and he did his job sincerely. But I don't feel he was any friend of the good Democrats who were union members, hard-working labor men who were working for minimum wage. And he won the praise for being the best congressman. What about the congressman who came in 1932 and helped Roosevelt bring his New Deal out? People were starving to death and losing their farms. And what about Congressman Jones who helped bring prosperity to Southeast Missouri? Maybe this area liked Bill Emerson, but in other areas he would not have stood a chance to win.