SPEAKOUT

Degrees of sainthood

IN THE past I've read Speak Out comments stating anyone who voted for Clinton had to be ignorant. At the time, I thought those comments were a little harsh. That is until I recently read the Speak Out comment that said Bill Clinton was a saint when compared to Newt Gingrich. I can only think of one person who is corrupt enough to make Clinton look like a saint, and that person is non other than his wife.

Better than a sitcom

THIS MORNING as I listened to the local talk show on radio, I couldn't swallow my coffee and cheesecake from laughing so hard at their pitiful, pathetic efforts to defend their hero, old Mr. Longnose, Newt Gingrich. This live comedy of stumbling clowns is better than any TV sitcom.

Attorneys for probate

I HAVE just discovered that Missouri is the only state -- that's right, the only state -- in which attorneys must be hired to probate estates when someone dies. I was just wondering why our state is so backwards in this manner. Perhaps Peter Kinder or Gary Rust could do a little research on this and find out why we have to pay attorneys when one of our loved ones has died.

Bias and storm drainage

I WOULD like to make a couple of complaints. One of them is the Republican-biased Southeast Missourian paper. I don't know if Gary Rust knows it or not, but in this area right here there are more Democrats than there are Republicans, and a lot of us buy his paper, which I'm ashamed to say. The other thing I'm trying to say is that it's probably the world's worst storm drain system in the world here. Every time it rains, this whole town is flooded out from Independence to Hechts Avenue and back. But anyway, the reason this is brought to mind is that fact I just had to put new rotors on my car because of having to drive through storm water here that's from six inches to 1 1/2 feet deep just from a modest little rainstorm that hits here in Cape, and I cracked my rotors on my vehicle and I had to replace this. I really appreciate this from the city of Cape.

A kicking boy

TO MY Republican friends and Republican politicians, I'd like to relate a little story from when I was a little kid that they told about Franklin Roosevelt. When Roosevelt was asked why he was defending another Democratic politician, that man said, "This man is a dirty SOB, Franklin. Why are you defending him that way?" Franklin Roosevelt said "Well, at least, he's our dirty SOB." To you Republicans, Newt Gingrich is your dirty SOB, and I hope you enjoy him because I sure do. He gives us the perfect kicking boy to kick around because he is without a doubt one of the sleaziest, slimiest, low-down politicians in the United States, and we enjoy him.

Cable channels pay premiums

THERE WAS an article in the U.S. Today recently which discussed TCI Cablevision nationwide in reference to the dropping of WGN. I find it rather interesting that this article mentioned Animal Planet and Fox News Network, recent additions to our TCI lineup, as channels which pay large cash premiums to TCI for channel space. When I asked at the TCI office about which channels are going to be added, I'm always told it depends on what the customers' requests are. It seems rather interesting to me that customers would always request the channels which pay large cash premiums to TCI.

Work with both parties

PETER KINDER, you need to focus on working with both parties instead of criticizing the Democrats. Quit trying to make yourself look good, because that is impossible now. I voted for you but never, never again. You are quite an embarrassment.

Justice for animal abuse

I JUST read the article on the front page of Saturday's Missourian, and I am outraged over the neglected animals. What on earth can we do to get this to stop? The newspaper says that the prosecutor may or may not file charges. I think this person needs to be brought to the fullest limit of justice.

Decency to step down

IF NEWT Gingrich does what is right and has the guts and decency to step down, I will applaud him. I am a Republican and do not wish to have to listen my fellow party making pathetic excuses for him. Let's boot the Newt and be proud once again.

Big print, big book

ABOUT THE phone books, if there wasn't small print, the book would be huge because large print would take up more room. Would you rather have small print and a headache or a big thing you would have to lug around?

Nothing to do?

I CAN'T believe it about these poor-me teen-agers not having anything to do over their Christmas break. I've just got one thing to say, are you kidding me? What's going on that they don't have any more imagination and cannot entertain themselves? What is also the problem when their only concern is self-entertainment and gratification? There is an entire world around you, teen-agers. The ones who read the paper already know what I'm talking about. Wake up and look around you because all you're interested in is how can I have fun, how I can have fun, what can I do for me. Then we're all in big serious problem including yourselves. When I was growing up in the 70s, we didn't live near anything fun. We didn't have any money to go do anything fun, but we did have imagination and made our own fun. And if we have to tell you how, forget about it, it's a lost cause, you're already far gone enough. And way to go, parents, for having carved out a niche for your kids, not having anything to do and not teaching them to explore your world, as they say on the Discovery Channel.

Churches have facilities

AFTER READING the article in Sunday's paper regarding teen-agers with no place to go during the holidays, I felt I must offer an apology to the community of Cape Girardeau on behalf of the churches in the city. Many of the churches in Cape Girardeau have wonderful facilities that are perfect for entertaining and occupying teen-agers, but they are apparently so indifferent to the needs of those around them that they seem uninterested in offering these facilities and ministering to the community at times like this. May God forgive us who are so selfish with the bounty that God has provided us.

No water, no bill

THIS IS to Speak Out. I think that everybody who lives at Hillcrest Subdivision that has been without water for 24 hours ought to deduct $10 from this bill.

Written by students

IN REGARDS to the person who went to the St. Vincent's Middle School Christmas program. I believe that person should just remember that two freshmen and an eighth grader wrote that play and they didn't mean anyone to take offense. That person should also be happy with the way it was written, because I believe it was well written, and I was just amazed at the music that the eighth grader composed.

Collecting canned goods

GOOD JOB, Central High students. You took the challenge from Jackson High School to see who could collect the most canned goods and you won big time. Central, you're great.

Small-town is just fine

THE CALLER who objected to our small-town opinionated paper does have a choice. Subscribe to a big-town opinionated paper, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The majority of us in this small town like Gary Rust and Peter Kinder just fine, and if that caller continues to read their commentaries, he might begin to recognize common sense too.

No parental control

I WOULD like to make a comment about the parents who don't teach their kids to leave other people's property alone and quit damaging and riding their bicycles up and down their terraces when the ground is wet. They sit in the house and they don't even look out the door to see what their kids are doing. We have this problem and have had for several years.