SPEAKOUT

A second chance

WELL, THE election's over. I'm glad President Clinton won. I think the people are kind of contradictory. They try to say they don't trust him, but apparently they do have trust in him. He won by a landslide. I think the people who elected a Republican Congress wanted to give him a chance. They weren't happy with Congress this past two years, but they wanted to go by checks and balances. No, I don't think the Republicans can take that as a win. They can call that a second chance.

A gallon of apples

THIS IS really a question regarding the column by Joe Sullivan about the seven days of autumn and sweet apple butter. I don't know how much is one gallon of apples. Perhaps he could explain.

REPLY: In a gallon container -- many Crock Pots hold one gallon -- cut apples into quarters, leaving on the peel but taking out the core, until the container is full. That's a gallon of apples. Or, if you use a quart measuring cup, fill it four times.

Poem for a friend

IF IT'S OK, I would like to dedicate the following poem to a very beautiful friend of mine who was cut down in her prime. The name of the poem is "Trees" by Joyce Kilmer: "I think that I shall never see/a poem as lovely as a tree,/a tree who's hungry mouth is pressed/against the earth's sweet flowing breast,/a tree that looks like God all day/and lifts her leafy arms to pray,/a tree that may in summer wear/a nest of robins in her hair,/upon whose bosom snow has lain,/who immediately lives with rain./Poems are made by fools like me/but only God can make a tree." Goodbye, dear friend.

Thanks for Meals on Wheels

I WOULD like to thank Southeast Missouri Hospital's Meals on Wheels and also the members of different churches in Cape for delivering the meals Monday through Friday. The meals are very delicious, and the members are very nice when they come to the door.

Thanks for great job

I WOULD just like to say that we had a very competent person retire with the Scott City Street Department. His name is Harold Uelsmann. Harold, the city of Scott City misses you. No one can ever replace you. Thanks for the great job that you did.

Solution to payola

THERE IS a way to stop all the campaign donations, special-interest payola and money buying off our politicians. It's quite simple. Elect our president to one eight-year term and our congressmen to one 10-year term. Then they don't have to spend all of their time collecting re-election money.

Suggestion for craft shows

WHY doesn't someone figure out that you can only go to so many craft shows in one day? Of course, the original ones are the most popular. Why don't the others join forces and pick the weekend after Thanksgiving or the first of December? It's wide open. People would have time to look instead of trying to hit five show places in one day and getting so confused they just give up. The two new ones are trying to get in on something that's already started and going, but they need to start a traditional time of their own and go big that way. There's certainly plenty of open time left after that show. Also, crafters themselves would buy if they could go, but all of them are tied up having shows. There are people from out of state who only come for one day. They can only see so much in one day. So why don't they join forces and start another day?

Not a Christian nation

THE SOUTHEAST Missourian is wrong once again. We do not live in a Christian nation. We do live in a diverse nation that allows for freedom of religion. The majority should not rule even if the majority says that there should be school prayer. We have a Constitution that protects minority opinions. If you want your kids to pray in school, send them to a parochial school, but don't expect the taxpayers to pay for it.

Thanks for coverage

THANKS TO Dave Angier for writing the Scott City news as it should be. We like you piece in the paper today. Keep up the good work. Keep the people of Scott City informed on what's going on. Let's get people to those meetings so they can find out what's going on in our fair city and take our city back.

Cash makes a good gift

MAY I speak to all the young people in the area who are looking for a gift to give their parents for Christmas? Some parents would really like to have pure old cold cash. In some instances, there's something we'd like to buy, and we don't have the money for it. If we got a few dollars in a card, it would really make difference towards the purchase we want to make. Thank about that, kids.

Reason for lack of support

I WANT to respond to the person who said the football program at SEMO does not get any fan support. I wonder why. Look at their record and their talent and the coaching they have. It stinks.

Keep quiet at the movies

JUST CAME back from another fun-filled time at the movies during which another IQ-challenged moron thought it was necessary to loudly narrate the entire film. I'd like to tell him that this just isn't necessary. He is not any brighter than the average moving-going person, contrary to his belief. And when you pay a lot of money to go see a movie, you have to pick and choose which one you desperately want to go to. Then when you get there, it's totally wrecked by somebody who doesn't understand the value of being quiet. It's not your living room. If it was, would you decorate in those awful colors? Of course, you wouldn't. Please, try to keep quiet. If you must speak during the movie, a comment or two is fine, even enjoyable. If any thing more than that issues from your lips, will you please move to another section? Otherwise, I propose a bounty on their heads.

Handicapped parking at game

I WOULD like to thank the Jackson High School for having a handicapped parking place at the football game Friday night.

Great photo of waterfowl

THE PICTURE of the waterfowl flying from the water and showing the spray as they left is just great. I feel they ought to send this picture into some national contest. I'm sure it would receive some kind of high award.

Is a cut an increase now?

BEFORE THE election, Democrats said the Republicans in Congress were going to cut spending for Medicare. Now that Bill Clinton has been re-elected, is his plan to cut spending for Medicare going to be called a cut or an increase? There are those who think the negative things about the president shouldn't have been said. Apparently the truth hurts their egos. You'll have to live with him too. Four more years.

Jack Buck livens event

I ATTENDED the nice ceremony dedicating the Missouri Wall of Fame. The weather, no doubt, kept the size of the crowd down, but Cape owes a debt of gratitude to a real trooper, Jack Buck, for his contribution to the event.