SPEAKOUT

Supporting the schools

I WOULD like to comment on the criticism the Central High School administration is getting over removing students saying "air ball." First, I think there needs to be some perspective about this incident. I wonder how many of these parents who criticized the actions of the principal support the academics or attend PTA meetings, music concerts and other school functions. How many monitor their children to see if they are doing their homework and take time to know their teachers. Second, as a parent I feel comforted that we have rules that are being enforced. In an age when school is no longer a safe haven as earlier years, I'm glad that everything is being done to safeguard my child's safety and ensure he gets an education. Thanks, Central administrators. I applaud and appreciate your diligence.

I WOULD like to say that removing a student from a ball game for saying air ball will not destroy the student's life.

Betting on the verdict

THERE ARE only three things I consider myself a expert on, which are sports, music and women, but I know enough to say I will eat the Sunday Southeast Missourian if O.J. Simpson is found guilty.

Bailout outrage

I'M OUTRAGED that Bill Clinton was able to find, as he put it, almost $40 million to bail out Mexico and the Wall Street bankers. Then he and Congress dared to say that they will cut welfare for the 26 percent of our children who are below the poverty line. Why do little kids always have to suffer at the expense of big fat bankers? If I looked at my budget and felt I couldn't buy milk and then bought a fur coat, what kind of a person would I be? Evidently the same kind that live in Washington. I, for one, do not intend to see children live as they did in the 1930s so that the bankers and Clinton can find money in secret accounts when they want to bail out rich cry-babies. Let them fall on their swords.

Gambling shoppers?

COMMON SENSE tells you that people going on the gambling boats can get what they want to eat there, and very few having shopping in mind. I have heard many people of Cape Girardeau say they will not shop downtown anymore once the casino comes in. So the merchants may be worse off than they are now. You downtown people who worked so hard to get this vice into Cape with the help of the Boyd Group, of course, probably will be the losers. The people who knew it was wrong can tell you "I told you so." The Boyd Group will laughing all the way to the bank.

Bingo and smoking

IF SMOKING were banned at bingo halls, they wouldn't have any crowd, because more people smoke there than there are non-smokers.

Network alternative

I'D LIKE to address the alternative to Brokaw, Jennings and Rather. I find myself in a position of being a conservative, and I listen to Rush Limbaugh and Tim Hamblin every day, and I find them a rather intelligent alternative. We get enough of that type of political propaganda, and we need something that gives us an intelligent alternative to the issues that are facing our government today. I find that Rush bashes Clinton. He does address the issues with a great deal of insight and a great deal of analytical perspective, and so I'm going to suggest that we all call our radio station and let them know how much we appreciate their giving us the other side of the story and an analysis by an intelligent person who looks at the real issues and gives us the real depth of what's happening.

Waiting in line

A SMALL group in Cape can preach all they want, but for sure I will be waiting in line to go in at Regina's House of Dolls when it opens.

Singing the anthem

HEY, BILL Heitland. What's wrong with Kathy Lee Gifford's version of the national anthem? It seems much more respectful to the country and the anthem than some of the screeching off key and out of rhythm versions I have heard of late.

IS TCI going to air KPLR-TV in Cape Girardeau and Jackson? Otherwise the so-called new cable agreement will be only a failure to hard-core Blues and Cardinals fans who have been waiting patiently for these people to strike a deal or whatever it would take to get KPLR on our cable system.

Anthem was beautiful

I READ Bill Heitland's column all the time and enjoy it a lot, but he has a comment that I sure do not agree on, and that is Kathy Lee Gifford's version of the national anthem. I thought it was absolutely beautiful. So many people sing that song in such a way that you hardly recognize it. She sang it just the way it should have been done and I certainly did enjoy it. I think he's wrong by saying it was bland.

Work for welfare

I WOULD like to make a comment about the so-called welfare crisis that we have in the United States. I don't know how bad it is other places, but I've lived in Cape for a long time, and I've noticed there are businesses and factories and companies right here in town that need to hire about 200 people each. That's 600 jobs, and I'm sure these people on welfare, the ones who so claim they're out looking for work, they're not out looking for work because these companies can't even find enough people to work.

Downtown gambling

TO THE downtown merchants: You wanted riverboat gambling, and so it will be yours. However your arrogance in the elections to achieve your goals has alienated many shoppers in the community. You have permanently lost many of us. You placed what you thought good economic reasons over what is really good for our community. There was a debate over this in the last presidential election, and now family values and Judeo-Christian morality seems to be the center of everyone's thoughts. Morality is important. Gambling, alcohol and topless dancing are not good for any community, especially one where a university is located.