SPEAKOUT

Dole a hero now?

NO DOUBT about it, Sen. Bob Dole was a war hero. What about being a hero right now, being a defender of the poor, being a defender of the people who have no way of paying their medical bills? Why can't he be a real hero and fight for us instead of the insurance companies? I'm afraid he falls short of being a hero in most of the eyes of the needy and the poor.

Carrying weapons

THANK YOU for checking into and printing an answer to my question regarding my Constitutional right to keep and bear arms, concealed or otherwise. I own several firearms but prefer to keep them loaded in my own home let alone carry them on my person. I am contemplating carrying a perfectly legal sports item wherever I go, and I encourage all law abiding citizens to do the same. The item is called a baseball bat. It also works well as a walking stick. But if some creep or crazy invades your personal space, it comes in handy.

Proper compassion

I WOULD like to make a comment about how there's so much compassion for the young kids who were blown up this latest bomb deal, but yet when you go back and look at the David Koresh deal, those pregnant women who were killed got no compassion, and there wasn't even news media coverage on the court trial like there is for O.J. Simpson. I think there's something going on here.

Pay for deputies

I WAS going to comment in reference to the Cape Girardeau police officers seeking a pay raise of 10 percent. The county sheriff's officer doesn't make anywhere near what the starting pay of the Cape Girardeau police officer even though that county officer has twice as much responsibility, twice the amount of citizens in the county to protect. The starting pay of a sheriff's deputy is approximately $14,000. He still has to have the same amount of training that the Cape police officer has to have I'd like to see what the county commission is going to do about increasing the salaries of the sheriff's department. I've got some friends who work over there, and I can't see how they're surviving on what they're making.

Easter surprise

SATURDAY NIGHT two young people knocked on my door about 9 o'clock, and by the time I opened the door they were going down the street. I didn't know who they were. The next morning, Sunday morning, Easter morning, I went out to go to church and found a sweet little Easter basket on my door with a little cross and a little verse from Romans. I can't find out who left it, but I'd like to say that they are two nice young people in the neighborhood somewhere.

In time of need

THE REASON I'm calling in is because the tragedy in Oklahoma City. This is a very big tragedy, very sad but I noticed something that took place that caused me to call in. In our nation today, we're taking God out our churches, we're taking him out of anything that has to do with state and government, our government is prohibiting religion here. My point is that this country was founded by people who believed strongly in God and the freedom of worship for people and now we have the separation of church and state. People are taking prayer out of our school. There's even mention of taking "In God We Trust" off our coins. But what I noticed this morning, any time there's tragedy involving government or anything else in this country, the first thing you see is a clergyman and the country, these people like right now in government they're talking about, they use God help us do this, God help us do that. They want to take God out of everything until there's a tragedy, and then they want to call upon the Lord.

Cape Rock donations

I HAVE been driving out to Cape Rock since about 1952 and I have never seen it look better. Upon inquiring, I find out that Post 63 of the American Legion has been responsible for cleaning up the park, and they've put up the flag and flag poles there. I was also told that the American Legion members have put in a number of hours of time and a considerable amount of their own post money, so I asked where I could send a donation for the support of this worthy endeavor, and was told to send my contribution to the American Legion, 711A Broadway, in care of the Cape Rock Park Flag Fund.

Alley needs pavement

IF OUR National Guard can go to Panama and other foreign countries, it appears to me it would be no problem for the government to have them pave the alleyway behind the post office. This is very inconvenient, and it's rough. How much would it take to pave this on out to North Street? I think it's something to think about.