SPEAKOUT

You asked for it

THE SOUTHEAST Missourian is to be congratulated on its solicitation of public reaction to the editorial opinion expressed by the newspaper. I think feedback from the readership is important. It's obvious that the Southeast Missourian shares that view and values public input. Recently, the Southeast Missourian has been running a blurb at the bottom of its daily editorial. Part of is reads, "Do you agree with the Southeast Missourian's opinion?" I'll try to be as brief as possible in responding. No.

Police pride

THE MORE I see on television and read in the papers about the police departments in some of the larger cities of this country, it just makes me more proud of our police department here in Cape Girardeau and also in Jackson. The only problem is that they are woefully underpaid, and I wish that we could address this because they are our lifeline and I appreciate them so much.

Help! He's choking!

THIS IS a comment about Jamie Hall's column on Tennessee being chokers. I don't think Jamie has taken a good look at the Tennessee football program, and I think if anyone's choking it's Jamie choking on his own pen.

Watching Kinder

IT TRULY amazes me how much Republican Peter Kinder gets away with in your newspaper. I've watched him on the floor of the Senate and read almost all of his columns against education. I even heard him get put down by a teacher, a parent and a student at a school meeting last spring. It didn't surprise me at all to see him leave shortly after. He just stayed long enough to have his say and then had the nerve to hand out pamphlets that were against education. A Democrat could decide that winter was coming, and Peter Kinder could probably write 20 more or more columns against it or about how it ain't so. Let's just remember who has to be controversial in order to stay in the limelight so as to get elected.

Make it meaningful

I'M CALLING to comment on the woman's show that was held at Cape Girardeau this past weekend. What a extreme disappointment it was to go and find that they were concerned about nothing more than how to do their hair and put their makeup on. So many of us that went were really looking for it to deal with some real women's issues, not this sort of frivolous thing. Next year, please try to make it worthy of our attendance.

Donate the money

MY QUESTION is: Why don't these million black men who marched on Washington donate the money they spent for their trip toward black education, drug reform or paying back the welfare system they have exploited instead of making more tension toward racism?

Remember socialism?

TO THE Democrat who said he used to be a Republican and is voting Democrat because Republicans are trying to cut the old people out: How much worse shape can the old people, the black and the sick people be in? None of this stuff works. After 60 years of socialism, it doesn't work. Just robbing from your children just won't do it. As far as voting to put the Democrats get back in, you probably won't live long enough to see that. Besides, it looks like all the Democrats are retiring and becoming Republicans.

Paying a fair share

THERE ARE those who call Speak Out claiming to be Republicans and are preaching the lies of the other party concerning Medicare and that they will vote for the other party come election day. We Republicans know that these callers are affiliated with the other party. I am willing to pay a few dollars more for my Medicare insurance so that it doesn't go broke. If I don't, in a few years there won't be Medicare insurance, only welfare to fall back on. I don't want my grandchildren or my younger neighbors to have to pay higher taxes for freebies for me. I was brought up to work for what I get. Help the younger generation so that there will be something left for them when their times comes. And for those not willing, shame on you.

Car-phone dangers

TO THOSE who use car phones, could you please pull to the side of the roadway to use them? Twice in one day I was almost hit head-on by drivers talking on their phones and swerving to the side of the road where I was driving. I believe law enforcement should pay more attention to this problem of safety.

Fixing the system

THIS IS to the person claiming that the Republicans want to pick on the old folks. President Clinton's own people have calculated that Medicare will be broke in seven years unless something is done. If the Republicans do nothing, you won't have any medical coverage in seven years. Then who will you blame? If Social Security isn't fixed, the fund will be broke by the time I reach retirement age. But people like you don't care about future retirees. In fact, if you have drawn Social Security for three or more years, you've more than likely drawn out much more than you ever put in. So, technically speaking, the government doesn't owe you anything. As for my generation, we won't live long enough to receive all the money we have contributed, so quit your whining and start counting your blessings.

Pickup safety

I HAVE a question. We keep hearing about the need of children in cars to be properly secured in car seats or seat belts, and we all agree that this is necessary. Then we see children in the back of pickup trucks and nobody says anything about this. If this is not against the law, then why doesn't the public do something about this dangerous situation?

Keep regional library

THIS IS concerning the regional library in Jackson. Please leave it the way it is. It has excellent service there, and I see no reason to change it.

Republican efforts

A PERSON who is a Republican, a true Republican, couldn't possibly vote Democrat. They're socialists and have taken everything the people in this country have gained over the years away from them and given it to someone who hasn't done a thing for themselves. Give them time, and the Republicans will restructure and reshape this country and bring it back to the way it was, let's say in World War II days, when this country was really something significant in the world as we knew it then.