SPEAKOUT

IN REGARDS to the Republican who said we do not need term limits, I fully agree with him. As a lifelong Democrat myself, I think it would be a disaster. We'd get a few men out of Congress that are for the working man and the poor. Also, in regards to "We must send Emerson back to Congress": Anybody that votes for Emerson must be wealthy or just misguided. I've talked to Mr. Emerson, and he's no way for the working man. I think we must work together to get him out of Congress so we can get a national health-care bill and so we can get a friend of laborers, for the union man, for the working man and for the people that earn minimum wage. Bill Emerson doesn't fall under that. He is a puppet for the wealthy.

IN REGARDS to the person praising Newt, the enemy of the poor and friend of the rich, Newt Gingrich. Incidentally, he'd better get the facts straight. That welfare package may have passed through Congress, but I doubt very seriously if it's going to make it through the Senate, because we've got some good Democrats left in the Senate. The Kennedys and a few others, like the Bergs, who won't let the poor be abused. And we have a good president that will veto the way Congress has. The best welfare reform is giving good jobs, not fast foods, not convenience stores. Give them good jobs and stop hogging, giving it to their favorites. That's the best way to get people off welfare. Make it pay and give them good medical care.

AFTER THE articles and the comments about the raise in the SEMO tuition recently, I thought the public would like to know about something that the state has done that's going to further impact the students in the Southeast Missouri region. They've changed the teaching requirements to get certified for science teachers in Missouri. This will take place after Sept. 1, 1997, which means current freshman and some sophomores at SEMO are going to have to change their curriculum. Talking to several of the different science departments, they've said they're going to add several courses to a science major's existing curriculum. This is going to mean that most people are going to have to pay even more money and probably stay even longer in order to become certified in Missouri. The state did not inform the schools or ask any of the universities about this. They just did it. We need to tell our legislators that this is ridiculous. This is going to severely impact many of our science teachers and for the ones who do stay here in Missouri, it's going to be a long hard road to certification.

I HOPE the person who owns Riverside Regional Library building in Scott City feels real good. It's not doing too well in its new location.

I'M CALLING in regards to the person who put "no religious TV in Speak Out." I am a Christian, and I do like having the Christian television channel. First off, it's not sick and crazy. These people come on TV to try to help you to become Christians, so you'll know that you'll go to heaven when you die. I think the ones who are really sick are they who don't listen to this. They are people who don't understand what's going on in the world. I have lived in Chicago, Ill., a bigger inner city, and we would not have a lot of crime if there were more Christians in this world. And no, we don't live in our pretty little world. We have our ups and downs. We are still Christians, and we praise the Lord. I think you all should be banned from being on earth.