SPEAKOUT

Debate debacle may backfire on GOP

LAST EVENING a friend of mine called me, very upset about the decision to keep Ross Perot out of the debates. Knowing that I'm a Perot supporter, he wanted to jump on the bandwagon, helping out however he could. He had been on the fence about whether to vote for Dole or not, being a conservative himself. But now he felt Dole had no backbone and was just a yes man. I have to agree that the debate commission's decision could result in a backlash on the Republicans, both in the President race and in the Congressional race. Any candidate that satisfies the criteria set forth by the commission and received one out of five votes four years ago deserves his rightful place at the podium. Remember when the Republicans, a new political party, put up their first President candidate in 1856. A short four years later, that same candidate won the presidency. That man was Abraham Lincoln.

Consider LPNs for school system

I'M CALLING in regards to the article about the school nurses needing to be RNs. I'm an LPN and am very upset with this article. In my experience, I have worked and trained RNs for one of the hospitals here in Cape. I also have worked in an office as the nurse without an RN's supervision and had to make many medical decisions on my own because the doctor was out. As LPNs we do counsel many patients, children, adults alike and I feel like we are one of the first ones that people will usually want to confide in. Therefore I feel that it would be unfortunate not to consider LPNs for this type of work in the school system.

Whiny Republicans

WELL, NOW I have heard everything. A Republican is accusing Vice President Gore of killing a couple hundred turtles because balloons were released at the Clinton rally in Cape. I have met many Republicans but very few smart ones. They should have their own comedy channel on TV. You know, the closer the election gets, the more you hear them whine and cry because they know the pineapple man is going to lose the election to one of the best presidents we have ever had. Looks like four more for Clinton and Gore.

No more little-bitty salesmen

WELL, IT'S that time of year again. Yes, the time of year when some fund raising company suckers the school into turning all of their students into little- bitty salesmen. They know we have a hard time turning down the tots but what I would like to know is, how much money does the school make off each of these things? Do they make 50 percent? Do they make 40? Do they make 30? Do they make less? Why don't they just ask us for the money? Why don't they try to run a bond issue? What is wrong with the direct approach? The school would make more money, have to hit up fewer people and we wouldn't be in the position of having to tell poor little children that we can't buy their items, they're overpriced, and we don't want them anyway. Let's find a different solution and let's get fund raising out of the school.

Three cheers for the cheerleaders

I'D LIKE to say congratulations to the Central High cheerleaders for a job well done last Friday evening at Hillsboro. They did a very good job cheering and supporting the team. It's good to know that they're once again going to be able to support the players at the away games.

Balloons aren't the hazard

TO THE person concerned about Vice President Gore's balloon release in Cape Girardeau killing sea turtles. With all the hot air the Republicans are putting out, surely the balloons will burst long before they reach the Atlantic Ocean.

More hazards than cigarettes

I HAVE a question or a couple of them. Everyone is so concerned with these children smoking cigarettes which is all well and done. They should not do that, it is bad for them. But I want to ask these questions and see if I can get any answers. What about all the illegal drugs that are being passed around through this country, that are killing our children, not down the line but today? What about all abortions that are done every day that kills children? Don't you think that I worry about that? The smoking will cause problems, yes, down the line. But that is happening now. Not down the line.

Minimum wage hike will mean maximum losses

MY HUSBAND and I own a small business in Cape County and if the minimum wage goes up the way the vote would like for it to, we hire mostly teenagers with a couple of adults working for us and they make between $4.25 and $6.50 an hour. The teen-agers mostly make $4.25 to $5 an hour. If the minimum wage is raised, we will have to cut our work force in half and we're going to have to raise our prices. Our customers will have to pay more and they will have to wait longer for service. People that are wanting this minimum wage to be passed are only thinking of themselves. They're thinking about a bigger paycheck. What they don't realize is the prices are going to go up everywhere, service is going to go down, unemployment is going to go up and we're going to have our taxes raised, the surplus, what is not being spent because of the unemployment. Everything is going to suffer for this. The only people that are going benefit are the politicians who pat themselves on the back and say, "Look what we did for the poor working class." This is ridiculous. If it goes up, everyone is going to suffer. You may have a bigger paycheck but you're going have to pay more for everything you buy.

I JUST thought you might be interested to know that area I came from they were sterilizing catheters as far back as 1988 in microwaves.

Wake up, Scott City

HEY, SCOTT City, you better wake up to what your city council's doing. Now they just raised your taxes without you having a say. They arrested a guy for disorderly conduct at a public forum. Seems to me it would have been a whole lot simpler to escort the man out of the building and tell him not to come back. But no. You do not have any rights in Scott City. Better take notice.

More youth sports

I WOULD like to congratulate the Southeast Missourian for the Youth Sports Review that's in the paper. That area has been neglected for some time and I'm very pleased to see that the youth are being featured again.

Don't throw stones

NOTE TO readers: It's about time someone said this. Leave our President alone. He may lie, cheat and steal but he is doing a job that we couldn't. How would you feel if 150 million people were scrutinizing your work? The only people who should be able to judge him or anybody else are the people who are "perfect." And though I have seen no perfect people in Cape Girardeau, some of us see it fit to ridicule other's shortcomings. And if we are so perfect, why aren't we in the White House, not him? We're definitely no better than him, no worse. I hope that someone will reconsider before ostracizing our leaders. So next time we get a wild hair to nitpick someone, make sure it's ourselves. Apparently many of us could use a reality check and realize that we need to improve ourselves first.

City council needs new priorities

HOORAY FOR Mayor Spradling's opposition to the proposed no smoking ordinance and the political sign ordinance. He was exactly right stating that society has to begin to take care of itself. My grown children don't smoke because my wife and I made sure they never started, not because of an anti-smoking law. As to the political sign ordinance, what's the city going to do, hire people with tape measures to make sure campaign signs are ten feet from the curb? Both of these proposals are petty and silly and the proposers need to get their priorities in order.

Where's George?

WELL, THE Republicans are trying to cause trouble for Clinton. It's not going to work because people are getting on to you, thank God for that. This is not Bill Clinton's war. This is George Bush and where is George Bush? They'd better find out where he's at. That's the thing that's been worrying me, I haven't heard a word from him.

Clean up the park

SINCE WE have another people in animal control, how about checking Capaha Park out really early in the morning? There are five to six big dogs plus the little ones that leave their big business. At least they could carry a doggy bag and pick it up. Another thing about the park, an undercover policeman should arrest and then make the clan of people gather in the circle pick up all that litter. There are about ten trash barrels there for them to use. We had clean up the park and it was clean for one day and it was clean for the President when he was there but the rest of the time it was a mess.

Let's hear Perot

THE ENTIRE world should see today how this country is controlled, controlled mind you, by two political parties, by they're not allowing Ross Perot to debate. Now their excuse, their reason for his not being able to debate in the presidential campaign is that he has no chance of winning. Well, has it ever occurred to either one of the parties that either Bill Clinton or Bob Dole does not have a chance of winning. Either one or the other is going to lose. If Ross Perot does not participate in the presidential debates, I, for one, and many, many others in this country won't even waste our time to go to the polls.

It's not a disease

I WAS just reading an article about YELL and it's aim to cure illiteracy in the region. I notice the first sentence, "Unlike other diseases and illnesses, there aren't too many warning signs for illiteracy." Illiteracy is not a disease. It is a condition or lack of learning in learning how to read. Maybe illiteracy is caused by a disease like dyslexia, but dyslexia would be the disease, not illiteracy. Let's not make everything a disease. We have alcoholism which is a disease, we have drug dependency which is a disease, and now we have illiteracy which is a disease. What is going to be next, the not using your turn signal disease?

Saddam backs Bill

SADDAM HUSSEIN, I think, is playing around in American politics. He has given Clinton an opening to show how decisive he can be in a military situation. Nothing has changed in this civil war concerning the two Kurdish factions, nor will it. Clinton cannot define the mission nor the desired conclusion he expects from his actions. Many now are saying we must support the troops. I say what troops? We aren't fighting a war. No one is shooting at our troops. I do not support Clinton, neither do most of our allies. I'm proud to having served through two wars and I have many friends on active duty. They, like myself, will obey the orders of our commander in chief, even unto death, but he sure does not have our respect. I'll give you one guess who Saddam Hussein would like occupy the White House for the next four years.

Use land for kids, not signs

AS YOU drive down I-55, one can hardly miss the hundreds of crosses that so poignantly expresses the views of the pro-lifers. The more I think about it, someone obviously purchased that plot of land and probably at great expense as well as paying for upkeep. As we all know land is a valuable resource and is quickly becoming more scarce. Why not take the money spent for this and build a community center for children? We all know the problems children face these days, drugs, violence and the like. A community center would be a welcome site for the youth of Cape and would help alleviate some of these problems. It's great to have an opinion about an issue and the freedom of expression promotes this but people, let's strive to make an difference, not just a point.