SPEAKOUT

Prefers lawnmower

TO "CHILLY attitude": The way the Cardinals have been playing the last two or three years, I'd much prefer to listen to a lawn mower blasting.

Future worries

I'M A 50-year-old male. The only money I ever received from the government were my paychecks while serving in the military. I went through college without getting student loans, and my child is presently doing the same. I've made my living without the aid of unions or government programs. I am not unique. There are millions of Americans just like me. What do we get for being responsible and successful? We are called greed mongers by the Democrats who think its OK to take half of everything I earn and give it to others to buy even more Democratic votes. I'm no Einstein, but it's apparent to me that the Democrats are more worried about their future than my kid's future.

Yard noise

I TOTALLY agree with the complaint against people running lawn mowers after 7 p.m. making the neighborhood sound like a war zone. With all the trades the Cardinals have made they will be exciting every night to listen or to watch on TV. Make you yard noise by taking off work a half a day or do it on Cardinal off days.

Bridge repairs

COULD SOMEONE please fix the Hubble Creek bridge? There's potholes every time it rains, and someone's going to have an accident trying to miss the potholes.

Learning term

YOU MENTION in an editorial that our new Speaker of the House of Missouri is just in his second term. Well, he ought to do real fine, because Peter Kinder's in his first term and he knows everything already.

The worst animal

IN RESPONSE to Peggy O'Farrell's column about the double homicide at a downtown restaurant, it makes sick. What could possibly be funny or entertaining or newsworthy about a little goldfish entrapped in a tank as a meal for an alligator? At least in the wild there is a chance of escape and survival for both species. In a tank, neither one has a decent chance to be what they are. That goes for cruel trappers who set traps in the wild that do not kill quickly but maim the animal caught and causing severe pain, unnecessary pain. Humanity is fast becoming the worst animal alive.

Dogs and babies

MOST OF the public is appalled that 200 dogs were rescued in a puppy mill near here recently. Why can't we be equally appalled at the abuse in American families where parents are beating and mistreating their precious children? Why can't we be equally appalled of the rate of abortion, where precious, innocent, unborn babies are murdered every day? I just wonder what's important in this life. I think these criminals, all of them should be hung out to dry.

Casino opposition

IF YOU want to keep riverboat gambling out of the Diversion Channel, write to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 167 N. Main Street, Room B202, Memphis, Tenn. 38103-1894, Attention: Mr. Dick Mochow. We have until Feb. 9 to voice our comments against gambling on the Diversion Channel. Please up us keep this gambling out of our county and our cities.

Clinton chronicles

I JUST read the article in your paper about the latest on the travel office firings in the White House and about how this would give the American public something to grasp, because they really have not been paying attention to this news item. I also just read the book called "The Clinton Chronicles," and I also watched the video. If you really want to give your readers something to grasp concerning the evil of the Clinton administration, why don't you tell them they get a copy of this book and this video by calling Jeremiah Films at 1-800-828-2290. Then they will really have something to grasp. But be sure to tell them before November. Some of them, at least, may want to think about how they vote.

Good socialism

I'VE JUST read about the 80-year-old man commenting that he remembered Roosevelt and all those old Democrats. Apparently he was pretty well satisfied with their programs. I believe if he would look back he would find that Roosevelt's programs, the biggest part of them that helped the poor, were socialist programs. People have been brainwashed in thinking communism and socialism are the same thing. They're not. The people who enjoyed Roosevelt's time and what he put in for the poor had better rethink the fact about socialism, because that is a short form of socialism. If it's worked properly with capitalism, it would make one of the best government's we've had.

Keep asking

I SAW on television where the Republican governor of Pennsylvania was asking Mr. Clinton for more federal help than what he's getting. This shows you it's not only the poor that go to Washington for help. We all do. We will never balance the budget as long as we want to go to Washington for the money.

Deferment fact

I'M A disabled veteran, and I just want to know why Rush gives Clinton such a hard time about going to college during the Vietnam War. But he always forgets to say that he got a medical deferment. Everybody else went and did their part, but he always forgets to tell what he did.

Welfare chain gang

I WAS reading the comment about the penitentiary chain gang. I think they had a pretty good point, but it's my opinion that they stopped too soon. I think our country should also have a chain gang for our welfare recipients who cannot pass a physical.

Cost of death

THE COMMENT on Illinois Gov. Jim Edgar's decision to spare the life of a person on death row was totally wrong. It is a common belief that the death penalty is cheaper than keeping a inmate for life but you isn't. When you have all the appeals, the keeping up of inmates on death row, the equipment and the manpower, that sentence ends up being more costly to the taxpayers.

Clinton bulletin

THIS IS a news tip. Bill Clinton is going to bury the Republican Party in a grave that Newt Gingrich dug for himself and all these people who are trying to completely disrupt everything. They've tried to dig up dirt. They've tried to do everything they possibly can. I'm surprised Bob Dole isn't going after the president more than he has, because I think he realized that the election that Bush lost because they went after Clinton too hard. Clinton is in for four more years, like it or not.

Looks are everything

I'VE HEARD several people say that they wouldn't vote for Steve Forbes because he's not a good-looking man. Yes, that's certainly the quality of a world leader. I don't care if they're dumb as sticks, but I want them to be good to look at. Perhaps since everyone wants to vote for a good-looking man, we should run the Baldwin brothers for president. I like Alec. He's good looking. He's going to get my vote.

Education dollars

A CALLER suggested a voucher system to allow students a choice between public and private schools. Does he believe that the public schools would improve by encouraging people to attend private schools and reducing the public schools' funds and resources? The truth is that the poor people in this country who could not afford to supplement the voucher in order to attend a private school would still have to go to public schools, which would be less able to provide them the education they need and are entitled to which would allow them to rise from poverty. Also, if these vouchers were spent at a church-sponsored school, this would violate the separation of church and state with my tax dollars supporting your churches. How about supporting our public schools? If all the people who send their kids to private schools would donate the cost of the private schools to the public institutions and send their kids there, our public schools could provide all children with a superior education and help our whole country.

Troop scoop

SOME OF you callers are delusional. I'd like to set them straight about Democrats starting wars. I believe that George Bush sent the troops to Desert Storm. Reagan sent them to Grenada. Eisenhower sent the first military advisers to Vietnam, and that war escalated from there. As far as the president having the power to send troops, has nobody ever heard of the War Powers Act, wherein, the president can send troops any place he pleases for a term of six months. Also, Bush had the troops in place before he ever went to Congress to get permission for Desert Storm. Let's keep the story straight.

Fitness questions

IT WAS very informative to read the article by Marc Powers in today's Learning section of your paper. The article was regarding lifetime health and fitness education at the high school level. It is not surprising to me and a large percentage of parents that the interview was conducted at Jackson High School, as it seems the top priority of Cape Central High School seems to be fund raising. Fund raising for either a new gym floor or now for a new outdoor track to benefit, of course, only a select percentage of students. It would be interesting if you could interview the Central Athletic Department and ask a few basic questions. The No. 1 question would be, inquire on how the students score on the President's Physical Fitness test. Secondly ask the students to elaborate on how they participate in the school's intramural program and what sports are available through the Central intramural program. I'll assure you the answer will be quite embarrassing to report. We hope that the new superintendent who has state curriculum background will look into this issue next year. There are many, many shortcomings to overcome, and a large percentage of our young people in the Cape district are being deprived of lifetime sports, activities and fitness.

Humane society

HAS ANYONE been out to the Humane Society lately? The facility is clean, the animals are well cared for and the people are very helpful and friendly. And now they are doing even more by helping these poor animals rescued from the puppy mill. Today, I read that the adoption rate is 1,000 out of 4,500. That's 22 percent. It's an amazing number when many humane societies have an adoption rate of 10 to 15 percent. We should all congratulate those involved with the Cape Girardeau Humane Society. They are doing an outstanding job.

No-wake rule

IN REGARDS to fishing on the Diversion Channel: When the boat ramp was installed, the no-wake rule should have been enforced at that time. Some boats travel 50 to 60 mph on the channel. You can see what this has done when you go west of I-55. It has cost taxpayers a great deal of money. Should taxpayers have to bear this constant burden of repair so a few fishermen can save a little time?

Pray for us

THERE IS is a church in Cape that needs all other churches' prayers. We are losing our members so fast. There needs to be more love and concern for our people and to get along with our church members. There are a lot of people have left. There are a lot of people concerned about what's going on in our church. A lot of us are hurt. A lot of us are concerned. I just want the people in Cape Girardeau of different churches just to pray for our church.

Pension facts

I'M ALWAYS amazed at how wrong people can really be. To the caller under the heading of "Pension threat" in the Southeast Missourian on Tuesday that states that the Republican Congress is trying to get to the private pension funds and use our benefits is crazy. This is what Bill Clinton has proposed in administrative decree, and his own secretary of the treasury is trying to use those funds now to get around the debt ceiling. The Democrats have used the Social Security trust funds until they're $400 billion in debt and there's no trust fund there. And now they want to do the private pension fund the same way. This is not a Republican aim. The Republicans are the ones trying to prevent this from happening.

Only 60 hours

HILLARY CLINTON has claimed that her work for Madison Guarantee Savings and Loan was minimum. Newly discovered records indicate that she worked 60 hours for Madison. 60 hours is a solid week and a half. Does that sound minimum? Do 36 phone conversations sound minimum? There are no gray areas here. The facts are crystal clear, black and white, plain and simple. She lied. Period.

Helpful clerk

I WOULD just like to thank the clerk at the Scott City Post Office that helped me the other day. He was very, very helpful with my problem and I couldn't have asked for a nicer person. Thank you, Scott City Post Office. You're doing a great job.