SPEAKOUT

Slap at festival

THIS IS in response to the headline about the "Jour de Sweat." We people in Ste. Genevieve are not appreciative of the reference to our wonderful festival as the Jour de Sweat.

REPLY: We apologize if folks who worked so hard to put on a fine Jour de Fete in Ste. Genevieve were offended by the headline and the reference in the story. But it was a very hot day, and some people involved in the day's activities noticed that the crowd got smaller as the sun got hotter.

Pay the legal bills

MAY I give a opinion on the Shannon Faulkner fiasco? I think The Citadel should sue her and all others who assisted her, including those who paid for her legal bills during the 2 1/2 years she fought to get into The Citadel. She and her followers should be responsible and also have to pay The Citadel's legal bills. I would certainly hope that this would be a lesson to our judicial system, which allowed this fiasco to happen.

More Indian tribes

I READ in your Aug. 19 editorial about the Cherokees and the Trail of Tears. Somebody's misled. There was five tribes, not just Cherokee. There were the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek and Seminole. They were called the five civilized tribes. It wasn't only Cherokees who made that march.

Solvable problem

AS A PARENT, I would prefer to put my money toward the purchase of air conditioning rather than a babysitter, as this is what would occur in the event of shortened school hours as both my wife and I work. Bottom line, this is a solvable problem if all concerned worked together. In case no one noticed, it is hot.

Thanks for wallet

I ACCIDENTALLY left my wallet at the Capaha Pool, and I did not notice this until later in the afternoon. When I went to look for my wallet, it was gone. I went over to the pool and someone had turned it in. Everything was in the wallet. I just want to thank that person so much who turned that in for me. I really truly do appreciate it.

Air-conditioning plan

IF THE Cape Girardeau school system charged all students $100, that would allow them to have air conditioning.

Speaking for SEMO?

I WOULD like to know why Alan R.P. Journet, professor of biology at Southeast Missouri State University, signs his letters as such and if he is speaking for Southeast Missouri State University by his signature or as an individual. If he is speaking as an individual, I don't think he should be using the Southeast Missouri State University title in his letters. Further, I disagree with his point that he makes in his letter that just because Congress is reducing the size of government, that the Republicans are immediately going to poison everybody in the whole country. I just feel that that's more of the typical scare tactics put forward by the people with the leftist vested interest.

REPLY: The policy regarding letters to the editor is to use whatever identification accompanies the letter, including titles and other identifying information supplied by the writer or on letterhead stationery.

Ridiculous excuses

I WOULD like to reply to a comment in Speak Out that defended the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. It makes no difference when or where the sneak attack was developed, or even whether Roosevelt knew about it in advance, or that there might have been unscrupulous businessmen selling scrap metal illegally to the Japanese. The fact is that Japan decided to bomb Pearl Harbor and followed through with a viciousness. There will always be traitors and black-market Benedict Arnolds, but that gives no excuse for what Japan did. The responsibility lies squarely on their shoulders and no one else's, especially not the victims, in this case the American people. Too many people these days are making too many ridiculous excuses for crimes that are committed and this is bringing our country down. A spade is a spade.

Fathers who coach

I WOULD like to get something off my chest that has been bothering me for a while: dad's coaching in little league baseball. If you're a father who wants to be involved in coaching your son's team, no one can blame you for that. In fact, it's an admirable thing to be willing to sacrifice your time and effort. But I would like to speak to an issue that my family and many others have experienced that we've seen cause a lot of damage to kids. That is fathers who coach but cannot be objective and fair to the rest of the kids on the team. When you take on the privilege to be the coach, don't forget you have a responsibility to other players. Too many times, it has been quite obvious that the dad is there promoting his own little boy and not being fair to the other boys. And I'll bet 90 percent of the time the all-star team is made up of the coaches' sons. I'm not speaking to those few dad coaches who are fair and equitable to the kids they coach. If the shoe fits, wear it. There are a lot kids who play baseball and don't even have a dad, and they don't need this extra little kick in the teeth from those who are supposed to teaching good sportsmanship, not politics.

Bigger crossword

JUST A quick thank you for publishing the Sunday crossword puzzle in a size that is legible and is possible to complete.

Need stoplight warning

I THINK the new red lights at the Jackson interchange at I-55 and Highway 61 are fantastic. But we sure do need some more warning before we get up on them, especially for those who have never traveled the area.

Let's get real

I HAVE never known any decent human being to throw any child out on the street as the Democrats are saying the Republicans are trying to do, federal government or no federal government, political party or no political party. Neither a political party nor a government of any kind can make a person decent. Some people will continue to give their kids away, desert them or kill them regardless of party of type of government. Let's get real and forget about ridiculous excuses.

Candlelight vigil

I'M JUST reading about the vigil candlelight that was held for homeless animals here in Cape Girardeau. I wonder how many of these same people would attend a candlelight vigil where names would be read of little babies that were aborted and why they were aborted. I wonder if these same people would attend a ceremony like this.

All the evidence

I WANT to comment about the person who called in and said Sen. Packwood's problems could be proved but Clinton's can't. Where has this person been? They got a former judge and a banker who are testifying that Clinton put pressure on him. They've got a state trooper testifying that he saw Clinton put pressure on the banker to make loans from underprivileged accounts. Clinton needs to be investigated and needs to go.