SPEAKOUT

Helping the needy

THIS IS in response to the uninformed caller who doesn't know the difference between Democrat and democracy. Too bad Dr. Marguerite Fuller left us some time ago for a better world. Bill Rader was the only Democrat Dr. Fuller ever voted for. They were cut from the same cloth, doing more for our needy without compensation than anyone but recipients will ever know. Ask the host of young high school dropouts who wrote barely legible thank-you's to Judge Rader for teaching them "how to fly right." Ask longtime members of First Christian Church. Ask those "strong Republican" farmers in Gordonville whom they voted for when Bill Rader ran for office. True, Bill Rader was never a politician, because he has always put honesty and fairness before politics. To accuse him of favoring the rich because he's a "strong Democrat" or for any other imagined reason is to know absolutely nothing about Judge Rader, the conservative humanitarian.

More politics in church

THE CALLER under the heading "Politics in church" hit it right on the head of the nail. He was referring to Jesse Jackson Sr. using the big Baptist black church in Chicago to kick off the fund-raiser, news conference and political rally for his son, Jesse Jackson Jr. who is running for Congress. They also made reference to President Clinton, who's running around the country speaking in the big black Baptist churches in New York, Atlanta and Washington, D.C., making political speeches. None of the left-wingers, the liberal media or the Democrats have criticized either one of these. But all the Republican candidates who attended the recent Christian Coalition annual conference in Washington, D.C., were criticized and were given a rough time because they all attended and made speeches to this group. There is a difference. This group is not a church. It's a movement of dedicated Christian people banding together to try to right the wrongs this country has brought about in the last generation. But the Jesse Jacksons and Clintons are speaking directly in Baptist churches which ought to be a separation of church and state issue but doesn't seem to affect the Democrats and the liberal media when the Democrats do it, only when the Republicans do it.

Dog's costume

ABOUT THE dog in the fair parade with the cans tied on him: First of all, the dog didn't have the cans tied onto him. They were tied on his costume, and there was a bunch of other dogs out there that were getting worse stuff done to them. That dog was great. That dog was the best dog in the whole show. He should have won the whole thing. Kids had dogs pulling carriages and stuff like that. Come on, what's that all about? The dog with the cans was loving it. He was getting all kinds of attention.

IN REFERENCE to the dog at the fair with the cans tied on it: The cans weren't even on to the dog, they were tied on to the dog's costume. I'm a personal friend of the owner. That dog is treated like practically a god. So whoever is sending in these malicious comments about the whole deal is just basically very biased.

Cruising casinos

I WANT to comment on the Sept. 15. I wholeheartedly agree that gambling in Cape Girardeau as well as other areas of Missouri were sold as cruising riverboat casinos, tourist attractions and excursions on the river. Many of us in Cape Girardeau and elsewhere who were borderline as far as approving the gambling did so to bring back some of the historic downtown tradition of cruising riverboats and for the benefits of the downtown businesses and money for education. But if you had taken the cruising riverboats out of the sales pitch, I feel very certain it would have been defeated in Cape Girardeau and in Missouri.

Access to no bridge

WITH THE new Mississippi River bridge slated for completion after the year 2000, why then are they in such a hurry to complete all the roads to connect to the new bridge? It must be costing millions of dollars when those funds now could be used for other badly needed road projects in Cape Girardeau County and the city. I just don't understand.

Fairness questioned

RECENTLY in Speak Out, a person called in complimenting the paper for presenting both sides of an issue. That is a big laugh. In today's Speak Out there are eight articles, and four of them are against the president and his wife and the Democrats and none on the other side. I know some have been called in for I have called myself and have been looking for them but no way will they be published, and this won't either.

REPLY: On any given day, calls to Speak Out may lean one way or another. However, the comments that are published represent all the calls received on any given day.

Heartless GOP?

YOUNG REPUBLICANS may have a mind but they don't have a heart.

Loan subsidies

FOR MR. Eastlick's information, he'll notice the banks are willing to make the loan to the students as long as the government covers the losses. Anybody would like that kind of a set up. It's another form of a subsidy. They want something for nothing.

Gifted writing

KEEP WRITING, Sam Blackwell. Your story about the carnie dissolves my stereotypical impression of carnival people. You are a gifted writer as well as humanitarian.

Smokies on boats

I WAS incensed upon reading in the Missourian that we are actually, as taxpayers, staffing the gambling boats with highway patrolmen. I had no idea, as I've never been on one of the gambling boats, that we are policing the gambling boats with our highway patrol. I hope something is done about this, and I hope the officer is successful in his lawsuit against the highway patrol for getting involved in this.

Holly Dunn was great

THIS GOES to Sam Blackwell, your so-called music whatever. Holly Dunn put on a great performance at the concert. She should be commended for that. She also stayed a good 30 to 45 minutes signing autographs to anyone who wanted one. I think she did a great job. I don't know where he comes up with this garbage that he puts in the paper.

Cops and casinos

I AGREE with the retired highway patrol officer about the highway patrol on gambling boats. To me this is a private business. Why should the taxpayers be protecting a private business? These people who are going there are going to lose their money one way or the other. I don't care if it's crooked or straight. That's a private business. They should have a private security system if they want something like that. The taxpayers should not be paying for a private business to be protected. This is wrong. The people need to stand up for this.

A good concert

I'D LIKE to comment on the Holly Dunn concert. It was very good, and I'm sure the crowd had a great time. I'd also like to say thanks for the free autograph. That's something that a lot of big stars don't do. Everyone had a good time. And to Sam Blackwell: You're a jerk. Don't you have anything better to do than criticize someone who entertained the community?

Cut space program

IF THESE politicians want to cut anything to balance the federal budget, I suggest they start with the space program. This is the biggest waste of the taxpayers' money that I have ever seen. What good is outer space to the U.S.? This is just a waste of money to give some big bureaucrat jobs and high paid salaries. Leave Medicare alone and cut the space program.

Jogging in Jackson

PRAISE IS certainly due to the city of Jackson for the beautiful resurfaced jogging trails in the city park. It is a disgrace when those who wish to walk or run for physical fitness have to detour for people who walk their dogs on the path for bathroom purposes. Let's not allow this wonderful asset go to the dogs.

Public housing

ANYTIME DEVELOPERS use federal and state money to build housing for low income people, that is public housing in my opinion. The DeHarder developers plan to build housing for families at or below 60 percent of the area's medium income. They will select a non-profit organization to act as a co-general partner in the development in the housing community. Call it what you like, it is still public housing.