SPEAKOUT

Changing the law

CAN LAWS be changed? I guess not, according to our mayor. Just watch O.J.'s TV show, and the answer's there.

Minimum wage to $7

RAISE the minimum wage to a living wage of $7 or more so the people on welfare can take a minimum-wage job and get off taxpayers' support.

Disciplinary action

CONGRATULATIONS, Coach Shumate. You did a good job on your players for disciplinary actions. Better keep a strict hand on the players who do things not allowed. There are plenty of other players to carry on a game that deserves playing time. Keep an upper hand on your players, Coach.

What about football?

WHY PICK on basketball fans and students? What about football? Some students act the same way at football games. I've seen and heard unsportsmanlike conduct often at Central's football games more than a dozen times.

Some school options

THE FORMER Central Hardware building or another large empty building to be taken over by the school officials with approval of taxpayers would be logical help. Of course, there needs to be some land around the building.

Stripper bar comments

I think all these women who are protesting are so insecure in their relationship, they're so scared that their man is going to be there. That's the only reason why these people don't want this place in there. This is America. We should be able to have freedom of choice. I say go for it, open it up. I don't see any problem with it. There's crime everywhere. A bar is not going to raise crime rate. There was crime way before this bar was going to be open.

I DON'T see what the big deal is. It's all right for men to look at Playboy, and nobody bans Playboy in Cape Girardeau. We still have bookstores with XXX videos. I think this county is one-sided, and I'm very ashamed of Cape Girardeau. I've talked to a lot of people, and they don't see what's the big deal. Let's put more into stopping drug abuse or other things in this county and get off the bar scene.

Billboards on highways

I JUST want to say that comment in Friday's paper about the number of billboards is right on the money. I believe there are too many billboards in Cape Girardeau, and I'm afraid that the new Highway 74 will become saturated with billboards and promotional development. I think it should be preserved as a parkway. I think they need to regulate the number of billboards, especially along Interstate 55 where it intersects with Route K, as there are too many.

Wanted: Ghost writer

I WONDER if there are any ghost writers in the Cape Girardeau area. I so, I would like to know how I may get in touch with a good one.

Movies not here

THERE ARE four new, quality movies being shown around the country but not in Cape. All four will figure prominently in the Oscar nominations. The films are "Nell," "Quiz Show," "Death and the Maiden" and "Murder in the First." I wish theater managers would explain why we are apparently second-class movie goers.

Choice goes too far

I THINK Sen. Kinder has gone too far in his proposal to allow the private schools to raid the tax money of the taxpayers of Missouri. These students already have a choice of which school they go to. It's not a matter of that at all. They could go to the public schools free. I don't believe that Gov. Carnahan will ever let this bill go through. I think he would veto it if the legislature passes this, which I doubt. And if that did not happen, this will go the Supreme Court, and it will be stopped there, because they've already ruled that the private schools do not have access to public tax money.

Smoking at the mall

NOT EVERYONE that the mall should ban all smoking.

Rush alternative

I CONSIDER myself a Democrat. However, I don't consider myself a liberal. My husband and I both are employed and not on welfare. I drive from city to city on my job, and I happened to pick up this radio program. It was wonderful. His name is Aaron Herber, I think, and he has a show called "After the Rush." Not being a normal talk show person, I called this person out of Chicago and I find that he is being sued by Mr. Limbaugh because of using "Rush." Anyway, it's just the flip side. I don't know about all of you, but I would like to see our radio stations carry something else besides five hours of repetitive motion. This becomes very boring. My husband and I still respect the office of the president. Herber is not a basher. Please call your radio station so we can get something on besides five hours of Clinton bashing.

Potential of choice

IF MISSOURI passes a school-choice amendment, schools will be coming out of the woodwork. There will be schools for devil worshipers and anything that someone can think of.

Snyder after Letterman

I WISH that KFVS-TV would air the Tom Snyder Show live right after David Letterman. I think it would pull better ratings, because Tom Snyder is a very well known commentator and talk-show host. KFVS always puts old windbag Limbaugh after Snyder, and he would probably give Limbaugh a better audience, because people would probably stay up and watch him after watching Tom Snyder.

Contract with Clinton

IN JON Rust's article Jan. 28 he said President Clinton's speech sounded like a Republican. He has it wrong. The Contract With America which the Republicans are touting is just a copy of President Clinton's plan when he ran for president, except that President Clinton isn't in favor of taking children off welfare and putting them in orphan's homes and not in favor of cutting Social Security in order to balance the budget. Also, the president is in favor of raising the minimum wage. As far as Bill Emerson is concerned, he will never come out and declare himself for anything until he finds out which way it is going. I don't think he ever had an original thought.

Family affairs

IT SEEMS to me the governor of Missouri has many more important duties to attend to than to get into family affairs. Let the parents rule the children. That's what is partially wrong with them now. The government is too much of our private affairs. So please, Governor, leave family affairs to the parent. That's none of your business.

Liked pardoning story

I JUST finished the article on the front page about the little boy that was pardoned by the governor. Thank you so much for putting that on the front page. It really made my day.

A mule's parents

THERE HAS been a lot of talk in the paper about the mule as our state animal. A mule is a hybrid. Its father is a donkey, and its mother is a mare. You can take every mule in the world and kill it and you could still get another mule, because they're born of a donkey and a mare.

May Greene School

I'D LIKE to make a comment about May Greene School. A year ago, they told us the school was falling down, was unsafe, needed to be rewired and had lots of problems. And now they're saying all they need there is to have a few more white kids, and the school would be all right.

Disturbing message

I AM calling response to your story about the 10-year-old boy writing the governor of Missouri. I'm sure the family is enjoying the notoriety of the moment, but it disturbs me as to the message that the governor is sending out for young people. Parents set limits on children for their own good. Taking privileges away from children is not a harsh punishment. No one, not even the governor, should undermine the parents' authority.

Season isn't over

CENTRAL'S boys basketball team is No. 1. But players, do not let this go to your head. There's a hard way to go. This season is not over by any means.