SPEAKOUT

Lots of pollutants

I AM calling in response to the comment Out about "Not in my air." There is no way to believe that second-hand smoke is the only thing that caused emphysema in this person. Not with all the crap we have going in the air from factories, aerosol cans and automobiles. All of this garbage has already caused the ozone to have a big hole in it. Smoking is bad for you, but it is not the only problem that causes air pollution in people's private air zones.

Veteran caller

I APPRECIATE Speak Out and call it quite often. It is almost a hobby for me. Some of my calls are printed, although I do not use profane language. It is probable that my hard-core attitude on some issues may be too sensitive to some of your staff and liberal readers. But that is not the point. Every time I have left my name and number, but my call is seldom printed, and I have never been called. Therefore, why bother?

REPLY: Many callers to Speak Out comment on the same topic or idea. We try to select a representative sampling, because we simply can't print all of the calls, even though we would like to. Some callers don't speak very clearly, and transcribing these calls is virtually impossible. As for callbacks, we ask for names and phone numbers so we can deal with problems. Some callers use Speak Out to complain about delivery service or other newspaper problems. Every attempt is made to call back in these cases. Some callers have legitimate complaints but fail to leave either a name or number. Keep calling, and thanks for your comment.

Common sense

IS IT written in blood somewhere that our schools have to start in August? Where is our common sense? It is cool enough now you wouldn't need air conditioning. Wouldn't that be the simplest, easiest matter if you would just start two weeks later? What is wrong with going two weeks later in the spring.

Parental responsibility

PARENTS WHO cannot cope with the problems they are having with their teen-agers today are pretty pathetic. Those parents who do not want to take the time to cope with their teen-ager's problems want to shove their problems off on some social worker, police, or hospital. Those parents are not worth their salt. They are just falling into the pit right along with everybody else. I would rather have a wayward teen-ager who is giving me problems than turn those problems over to the police and air those problems to the entire public. That is disgusting to me.

Leave them alone...

ONLY PARENTS and grandparents can understand what I am saying: Leave them alone and they will come home with their tails tucked behind them.

Fair tradition

I DON'T like to tear down tradition. But I think if you check the records, the fair has not run consecutive for 150 years. The fair was dropped for some time around the 1930s, and we revived around 1935-36. There is a lull in there for some reason the fair didn't happen. I don't know if it was from when they moved from Capaha Park to Arena. I remember working there as a young man whenever it was revived. I think that was 1935-36.

REPLY: As reported in the Sept. 15 edition, the SEMO District Fair dates back to the Southeast District Agricultural Society's first fair in 1855. There were some lapses during wartime and the Great Depression. The fair has 140 years of tradition.

Insurance proof

I AM calling about something that needs lots of attention. I am sure many other individuals feel the same way. As I was renewing the license for a vehicle recently, the girl said sign here. I asked why. She said saying you have insurance. I said this doesn't mean a thing. I am sure many people who sign here who don't have insurance. She said you can sign your name Donald Duck and I wouldn't know the difference. I think something needs to be changed and soon. Let's enforce this proof of insurance. Why doesn't everyone have to take proof to the license bureau proving they have vehicle insurance or they can't get a license approved? Why should my insurance have to pay when someone else hits me? I don't like paying the high insurance premiums either. Let's enforce this situation by proof of insurance.

Cost of cool

TO ALL students at Cape Central High School: Air conditioning today is a great need for now. You will have the burden of paying extra-heavy taxes for only two or three weeks of air conditioning for all the rest of your taxpaying future.

Elocution, please

BETTER ENGLISH language should be taught in all schools. The U.S.A. as a whole speaks very poor English language.

Voting and labels

TO SEN. Bond: there are two kinds of Republicans, according to the liberal news media, radical right-wing Republicans and conservative Republicans. After the vote on welfare reform this week, the liberal media are calling you a conservative. Which means you voted with the Democrats. I have voted for you every time you ran for office, but I will not make that mistake again.

Whining Republicans

STOP whining, you conservative Republicans. The president didn't come to your area in Cape, he came to Carbondale. If it was a campaign trip, good. He went to a state that was good to him in the last election. I love Missouri, but our state did not use good discretion the last time he ran for president. They have a Democrat congressman who appears to work for the poor, work for the college students. We have the contrary. We know President Reagan was not running for re-election. I was glad he came down here. It was nice to see a president regardless of his party. Let's be Americans first and Democrats and Republicans second. Let's love our federal government instead of hacking it.

Religion and politics

TO THE Christian conservatives: I don't know where they get off thinking the conservatives have priority on Christianity. I certainly think a lot of the liberal folks are more like Christ, like giving to the poor, protecting the elderly and protecting the homeless. The conservatives seem to be more for two classes of people. I detest homosexuality, But homosexuals have to make a living. I detest prejudice and racism, But as long as the segregationist doesn't practice it in his work, he has a right to make a living. I detest abortion. I think right-to-life works, but I think each abortion issue should be evaluated separately. I think this is the American way. Until we respect each others feelings we will never prosper of our goals.

Disturbing data

I READ a very disturbing article in the Air Force Times. It was about a master's thesis survey given to 300 active-duty Marines. Most questions focused on how troops felt about being assigned to U.N. missions and even placed under foreign command. But the scariest question was No. 46: Would you shoot at U.S. citizens who have disobeyed a federal order to surrender firearms? Twenty-six percent of the Marines said they would shoot on order, which is an unlawful order based on the posse comitatus act which forbids the use of military for domestic law enforcement. The rest of the respondents including several officers who had no opinion, which is even scarier. When this survey leaked to the media, two questions arose. Is this a precursor to a secret Clinton administration plan to disarm law abiding citizens, and what if Clinton makes it a lawful order to turn the U.S. military on citizens? I am deadly serious about this.