SPEAKOUT

A matter of stepping down

THE POSITION of speaker of the House is, in my opinion, just as important, if not more important than the president of the United States. So if Newt Gingrich has to step down while he's being investigated, then Bill Clinton should step down while he's being investigated.

Immoral people in government

I'M CALLING about all the people who have talked about how God backed Clinton or God backed Dole in this election and stuff. And they call themselves Christians. Obviously, they don't bother to read the Bible because if they would it says right there in Matthew 4:1-11 how the devil took Jesus to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the worlds and all their greatest and said, "All this I will give you if you worship me." And Jesus told him "to get away because he was the ruler of the kingdoms or governments of this world." So how could they say that God or Jesus would back any government on this earth? It's getting pretty ridiculous. It shows that they do not back them or we wouldn't have such horrible, immoral people in government.

Stop the preaching

I LIKE the Missourian newspaper, and I especially like Speak Out. But I would like to ask you to do me a favor. I would like for you to stop the preaching that's going on in Speak Out. We get enough of that at church.

Time to fix Medicare

MEDICARE AND Medicaid have to be fixed or they will go broke in the very near future. This is not a theory, it's a fact known by both political parties. During the election, the Democrats and unions demagogued the issue, which is a nice word for lying. They accused the Republicans of everything from throwing Granny out on the street to starving children when in fact the Democrat plan was practically identical to the Republicans'. Now that Clinton has been re-elected, he wants a bipartisan commission to solve the problem. In short, Clinton and the Democrats want to avoid making a very unpopular decision. Democrats have known all along that saving these programs would involve some sacrifice by the participants but chose to lie during the election. Now it's time for them to be exposed. As the saying goes, "Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive."

What about the president?

WHY ALL the hullabaloo about the harassment of women in the Army? Our own president harasses women, and what has he done for the U.S.A.? These men are at least protecting us from the enemy. If I were these servicemen, I would remind the U.S. of the Paula Jones affair. See what would happen to Clinton. I guess another great story though. Thanks for Speak Out.

Time to move to the center

WITH YOUR editorial on Newt Gingrich, you have solidified your place as the voice of the ultra-right wing of the Republican Party. I don't think you people realize that that reign is dying. Bob Dornan, who was the representative from California for nine terms, is gone. He was the mouthpiece for Newt Gingrich and for Rush Limbaugh, and they are both just barely hanging on. I think it's time that you move back to the center with the rest of us and get off the kick of being such an ultra-right-wing group. America is moving to the center. Get there, or you'll be lost.

Mega-dittos

TO THE person who called in under the heading "Voters should be ashamed," I just want to say mega-dittos.

Speak Out is embarrassing

I WOULD like to agree with one of the people who had something in Speak Out today. I think you should turn off Speak Out. Get it out of your paper. It's am embarrassment to everyone in Cape Girardeau County. Most of the people who call do not have the slightest idea of what they're saying.

Help those in need

WE DO read a lot in this part of the country how about how warm-hearted, helpful and hospitable the Heartlanders are. But I refer now to the article in the Southeast Missourian about a poor 72-year-old man running out of gas, pushing his car to a gas station and getting hit by the open door after he lost control of the car. Then he has to go to the hospital for treatment. How many people with or without cell phones, with or without muscle power but certainly with good hearts, passed him by and didn't help him? You people are cold-hearted. If I had seen the man, I'd have stopped and helped him. I would have called for a tow or I would have helped push the car, I would have done something. How many of you people passed him by and didn't offer to lift a finger and just decided, "Eh, he'll make it" or "He deserves what he got because he was stupid to let his car run out of gas"? Maybe he didn't have enough money. We don't know the answer. The point is, when you see someone who needs help, you need to help them, because that could be you. Now I'm not talking about stopping and giving a ride to some suspicious-looking character on the side of the road who may rob, rape and kill you and leave you off in a ditch and steal your car. This was completely different. Get some heart and quit talking about buying this and buying that and money and Thanksgiving and Christmas and buying presents. Get into the true spirit of the season. Help someone who needs help. Because next time it could be you.

AROUND THE Show Me Center there are some beautiful, small, red trees. I would like to know what they are.

REPLY:

Harold for mayor

I WOULD like to agree with the caller who said that Harold Uelsmann has contributed so much to Scott City. In fact, I think Harold should run for mayor. Harold for mayor.

Different standards?

AS DISTASTEFUL as the actions are in the current and past military sex scandals, why do we hold the military officers and non-commissioned officers to a higher standard of conduct than we do the commander-in-chief?

What teachers are wearing

THIS IS to the Scott City school administrators and school board. Have you people not noticed what some of the teachers are wearing to school? The term is "skorts," but it should be shorts in their case. Then they wonder why the kids don't respect them or the public doesn't consider them professionals anymore.