SPEAKOUT

Definition of a liberal

I LOOKED up liberalism in the dictionary as a recent caller suggested. I liked what I saw. I wonder if a conservative can be defined as the opposite of a liberal. Is a conservative someone who does not believe in social progress, can't accept the basic goodness of man and rejects the autonomy of the individual? Does conservatism go along with convenient suspension of political and civil liberties? Or is a conservative simply someone doesn't like Bill Clinton?

Disgusting column

SCOTT Moyers' recent column entitled "Making little piles and a few new friends" was the most disgusting thing I've ever read. You have two excellent reporters who write nice, light, entertaining columns, Heidi Nieland and Sam Blackwell.

Disgrace to baseball

I THINK that Alberto Alomar of the Baltimore Orioles should be barred from baseball for at least a year starting right now. The umpires were entirely correct. This is shameful. I think the fact that this man is getting away with this type of boorish, totally ungentlemanly activity on the baseball field compared to what happened to Pete Rose, who always played the game with the utmost professionalism, is an absolute shame.

Sad year for baseball

THIS IS another sad year for professional baseball. There's no sense in letting a man get by with spitting on another man in the face and not punish him in any way, no matter who you are.

No blessing for murder

CAN WE really expect God to bless America when we have a liberal president that made legal brutal, partial-birth murders? As a Christian and a Republican, I never thought the day would come that murder of full-term babies would be legal in man's eyes. Why should God bless America?

Raise fees, improve course

I PLAYED golf at your Jaycee golf course yesterday. Your golf course is in unbelievably good shape except for the Bermuda greens. I could not believe that the fee for playing golf was $7.70. You can't play anywhere on earth or heaven for $7.70. I'd like to see them up their fees and improve the golf course.

Children's rights

I THINK our children have fewer rights than our animals. I've said that I think the children should have a right to speak out on whether they want to see one or the other parent if they're up to a certain age. Even if they're not up a certain age, these children have feelings and hearts, and there's no one there to speak for them as they do for animals. And now I read in the paper that a 13-year-old was jailed because she refused to see her father, and a 9-year-old was grounded from television because she refused to see her father. And this was done by a judge. How does he know what this father has been doing to these children, because children doesn't always speak out and tell the things that's happened to them? And when they do try, the judge says no. I think this is wrong, and I think there should be more people out there for our kids. It's really getting bad, and we're all going to pay for it one time or the other, some way or the other, if we don't do more for our kids. They have rights. Our children have rights. They're just little people who cannot support themselves yet. We've got to do something for these children, all of them.

Good debate format

PETER KINDER and Rick Althaus have set a fine example for future candidates by debating issues in each of the counties of the 27th District. I like their format, 12 minutes each to introduce themselves and give their perspectives on issues and time for rebuttal on questions. This brought the candidates into sharper focus for the audience. If there had been more than two candidates, however, the format would have been too lengthy.

Setting bad example

I DON'T agree with Jim Litke statement's in Friday's paper about Alomar's run-in with the umpire. My grandson is 6 years old, and he believes that it's OK to spit on a umpire, and you'll still get to play ball. I don't like that idea. I think it sets a bad example. I would have liked to see Alomar suspended from at least another two games immediately.

Giving, taxes are different

TO THE caller who quoted Deuteronomy 15:11 about the Biblical connection about liberalism and how we treat the poor, I have this comment. The Bible says that we shall give to the poor. It doesn't say that we shall pay taxes and bureaucracy take 50 to 70 percent off the top before that money goes to the poor. That's what liberalism is all about.

Emerson's affiliation

IN THE paper there was an article about the National Rifle Association endorsing Jo Ann Emerson. The article refers to her as an independent/Republican. Now what is she? Is she an independent or is she a Republican? I think the Missourian is playing dirty politics.

REPLY: Because Missouri's election laws prohibited Emerson from filing as a Republican for this year's primary election, she is running as an independent in the November general election for the two-year term that starts next January. She has the support Republican Party officials in that race. In addition, she is running in the special election to fill the remainder of her husband's unexpired term, which ends this year. She is running as a Republican in that contest.

Letter is appreciated

THANK YOU, Peter Hilty, for your thoughtful letter to the editor about computers. It was an enlightening, well-written pleasure. Some of us truly do appreciate good writing that requires talent and education. Please share your thoughts more often.

Selling federal land

THE PERSON who phoned in a response to a letter in the Missourian regarding the proposed sale of federal land is very short on information. In 1995, one of the proposals of the Republican Congress was, in fact, to sell portions of the national forests and land in certain national parks and wildlife refuges. However, the Republicans backed off in this matter because they could see they could get nowhere with Clinton in the White House. The new proposal this year of having corporations sponsor certain parks for advertising rights is a completely different issue. The person critical of the letter regarding the sale of federal lands should have had a better understanding of what is going before making his phone call. Too many people tell half the truth or distort the truth.

Time to move on

BROADWAY ONE way: Been there, done that. Let's move on.

Running on her record

EMILY FIREBAUGH, a true Missourian, gets my vote. She knows what hard work is, and she is running on her own power and accomplishments, not her husband's.

Thanks for the photograph

I WANT to thank the person who put my granddaughter's picture on the front page of Friday morning's paper. It sure made my day. She is such a hard worker. She belongs to the Girl Scouts, takes dancing lessons, plays in the band at school, writes for the school paper, goes to Sunday school and church every Sunday and plays the handbells in church. She also belongs to the youth club. She is so busy I only see her in church. I want to thank you again.

The Bible and welfare

WELL, AS long as we're quoting the Bible in regard to the welfare reform, I think we shouldn't forget II Thessalonians 3:10: "That if any would not work, neither should he eat."

Good manners help out

I'D LIKE to say that lately I've been practicing good manners. I'm a 31-year-old male in the construction business, which doesn't lend to good manners all the time. But I must say that good manners really help out. I've had a really positive attitude from the people of Cape Girardeau. I wanted to say thank you to everybody who has given me that positive attitude.

Cartoon was offensive

SATURDAY'S CARTOON on the so-called editorial page is the most offensive I remember seeing in print in the Missourian. Why would a decent paper stoop so low with character assassination? Why do you contribute to making politics so gross?

Sponsorships are wrong

THE REPUBLICAN proposal of having some corporations be sponsors of our national park system is cheap, without taste and completely inappropriate. If some of the greatest polluters of our environment were to be sponsors of our scenic wonders, it would make as much sense to have the American Rifle Association be a sponsor of the Peace Corps or as much sense as to have a tobacco company be a sponsor of the American Lung Association.

Better to give ...

IT SADDENS me deeply to hear someone recite Bible scripture, God's word, and manipulate it and turn around the true meaning to promote their cause. I think people should take responsibility for themselves and their actions or inactions and not blame others for their lack of well-being. I think when we as individuals see poverty or see someone in need of any kind, we as individuals, not collectively such as the government, should offer help and charity, no matter how little or how much, just as long as we, as individuals, contribute something positive. I think the more one gives, the more one will have.