SPEAKOUT

Cable problems everywhere

MY BROTHER was down early for Christmas and he was telling us they get 50 TV channels, pay less money than we do and get the local channels plus WGN. He was laughing and kidding us. "What's the matter with you rednecks? Don't you know enough not to get screwed by some big company?" He said the cable company there tried to pull something a few years ago and nearly lost its franchise.

Welcome, planning and zoning

REGARDING PLANNING and zoning: I'm happy to see planning and zoning back. We need it. We don't need barns, homes and apartments mixed. That's exactly what some landowners have done. Let's keep it separated. Also, when a subdivision is developed, have rules and regulations with streets and roads. They will have to be maintained by all who use them, not just a few. This is another problem in the county -- streets and roads being used and only a few help maintain them.

Small-town and opinionated

THE REASON many people did not vote the last election was that our president was definitely going to win. The person who wrote about the sad voter turnout is a narrow-minded, self-centered person. President Bush is to be admired. Although I'm a Democrat, I respected him and accepted him as the leader of our country. I'm sure this person can't wait to read Gary Rust's commentary. I wish we could fire Peter Kinder and him, but we might as well continue receiving this small-town, opinionated paper. It's our only choice.

Need broader tax cut

BILL CLINTON wants to give the people a tax cut by offering a $500 tax credit per student for college tuition. Although I see nothing wrong with this idea, the fact is it only benefits a small percentage of the total population. What about people like me who have already put their children through college or parents with children who choose not to enter college? Democrats, being Democrats, hate tax reductions, but if they're forced to give a tax break, they'll give it only to the people who spend their money the way the Democrats want them to spend it. Why not give an across-the-board tax cut that will benefit everyone?

Definition of a liberal

I FIND myself constantly annoyed by people who condemn liberals, Democrats in particular, without giving any thought to the great liberal and Democratic leaders of this country's history or without having any concept of what liberal truly is or stands for. A liberal is one who advocates and desires political and social reform and is open-minded and not rigorous in "his way being the only way open to us." To be socially minded and/or involved is not communism, nor is it Marxism. To be concerned about the socio-economic conditions of all Americans is not communism or Marxism or socialism. It is Christianity, deeply rooted in the true Judeo-Christian ethics of our heritage of the nation. The Lord Jesus Christ told us to care for those who are truly in need and to treat others as we would be treated. He, on many occasions, fed thousands before he preached to them. He treated the sick and the infirm. As for Bill Clinton, he may be a Democrat, but Mr. Clinton is not a liberal. He is in my opinion a populist, which means he's a politician who purports to represent the ordinary people, the middle class. As for me, I am a Christian, an American, a Democrat, a liberal and a veteran of the United States military who was drafted and served in Vietnam and was honorably discharged in 1971. I fought and killed Communists for my country. Don't ever call me a Communist to my face. I didn't vote for Mr. Clinton, but then I didn't vote for the choice of the other parties in the last election either. I did vote for the other offices -- liberal candidates, of course.

Good movies overlooked

I OFTEN wonder why the paper carries Roger Ebert's movie reviews, because he doesn't come from a Christian perspective on movies. There are wonderful movies that were made in 1996, and he always picks out the flaky ones or something's abnormal about them, it seems. The most excellent one was "Courage Under Fire." It was excellent. Another excellent movie this year was "Spitfire Grill," a movie for the whole family. The movies the reviewers choose to exalt are really sad things, and they don't even mention good children's movies.

Cruel friends and family

I can't understand why people are so cruel -- not strangers but my own family. I'm 45 and because of two work related surgeries, a diseased heart and a back injury, I draw Social Security disability. I worked for 24 years. Why are my friends and family so ashamed of me and why are they so cruel? Thank heaven our Savior isn't like that. After all, I'm still the same person inside, have feelings like anyone else. Nobody's come around for two years now, and I'm lonely.