SPEAKOUT

Fourth of July

THE FOURTH of July fireworks display at Arena Park was fine except it took far too long between shots. I appreciate the work that went into it but next year it could certainly be improved if they didn't have such a long interval between fireworks.

Defective breathalyzers?

I CAN'T believe that the breathalyzers in Arkansas were defective. I thought they were meant to measure alcohol and I didn't know that sinus medicine would affect your breathalyzer. Surely, there's no alcohol in sinus medicine.

Expensive volunteers

AMERICORPS HAS about 400 members in Missouri and receives $4 million, $10,000 per person to help clean up flooded areas. Sounds like expensive volunteers to me.

Richardson rebuttal

IT WAS sad enough that Mark Richardson was picked up on a driving drunk charge but how dare our local legislators defend him as they did. Everybody knows this is a fluke. It's like the judge said, most people couldn't afford his defense.

AS A private citizen, I am also outraged about the verdict regarding Mark Richardson and being declared innocent on the charges of drunken driving down in Arkansas. If Mr. Richardson had read his cold medicine warning label, it states the medicine may cause drowsiness. Alcohol, sedatives, tranquilizers may increase the drowsiness effect. Avoid driving a motor vehicle, or operating machinery or drinking alcoholic beverages. In my viewpoint, this verdict has set a precedent for declaring that drinking and driving are any lesser of an evil as in the past. I am concerned for my children and for all of us in general about the fact that he was declared innocent of these charges and what kind of precedent this sets for our future.

Gang attention

I FEEL like the media give the gangs an aura of importance. They call them gangs. They call them gang sets. They're amazed by them. They're fascinated by them. They give them a separate little cache. I feel like if the media would call the gangs and the gang members what they are, then maybe they wouldn't want to aspire to be those things. Some words the media, including the Southeast Missourian, might choose to use are criminals, juvenile delinquents, rotten children and just all around bad fellows. Try those words instead of gangs or gang sets and see if you don't find that people don't want to be criminals or juvenile delinquents.

Tipping response

THIS IS in response to the letter to the editor about the importance of tipping. I would for one would be happy to tip 20 percent when I receive good service if I knew for a fact that the waiter was going to report all the tips as income. Yes, waiters do work hard but they should pay their fair share of taxes as the rest of us hard working employees do. Not reporting tip income is the number one tax dodge in the United States.

Praise for youth

CAPE GIRARDEAU young people are wonderful. They set examples for their behavior for the rest of the country. Hooray for Cape youth.

More about MADD

WOULD YOU please print the address or the way to contact MADD, Mothers Against Drunk Driving?

Reply: You can contact Sharee Galnore or Bettie Knoll at the Cape Girardeau Police Department at 335-6621.

Queen tour

I FOUND the American Queen's tour "A Special Library Fundraiser" at $10 per 30 persons unbelievable. Many of us would have paid $100 for the benefit if we'd known about the tour.

Reply: The American Queen limited the tour to 30 people, not the library. The library is keeping a waiting list, and still hopes to expand the tour.

Richardson complaint

WHETHER HE be Democrat or Republican, the patrolman knew Richardson was over the limit. Richardson found a gimmick for some smart lawyer to use and the system did not work except for Richardson. The courts, as usual, did not back their law enforcement people.