SPEAKOUT

More peaceful

IF CLINTON is sending a peacekeeping force to Bosnia, why is he sending armed soldiers instead of our Peace Corps?

Some are essential

SINCE ALL these federal employees are getting laid off a while until the budget gets balanced, are the congressmen still going to get paid? Just wondering.

REPLY: Some portions of the spending authority for the federal government have been approved and signed by the president. Congress has been funded, and members of Congress will get paid. By the way, they aren't being furloughed. Only non-essential federal employees are off work.

No one is serious

HOW CAN anyone think either the Republicans or the Democrats are serious about a balanced budget when they are throwing billions in the Bosnian debacle? We just can't police the whole world with our taxpayers' money.

Compromise is reality

SOMEONE called to criticize Congressman Emerson for making deals with the Democrats on the tax cut. I'm not a Republican or a Democrat, but this is just some of the stupidity -- and I use that word very straight -- that some people have. They think they've got to have it one way, Republican or Democrat. There cannot be a compromise. People like this need to understand there's government here in both parties for everyone out there. Mr. Emerson, thank you for making the decision that you made.

Simple stuff

I WONDER how those guys in Washington are going to balance the budget when just a couple of years ago they couldn't even balance their own checkbooks.

Soldiers' legs

WE HAVE to listen to Clinton's sob stories from Bosnia. One that upset me was that he said there were children over there without legs. I wonder if he thinks that our boys without legs, once they encounter those land mines, is any different.

Confrontation

I STOPPED after school at the library a few days ago, and there were several young boys in front throwing what was left over the ice and snow at a young man who was slightly retarded. Several adults came and went, not saying anything to them. The boys were yelling and screaming at each other. I did not know what to do, so I didn't do anything, I didn't get involved. I feel bad about that. But I did see a woman stop and confront the boys. She went into the library and called the police and then left. The boys stopped what they doing. I'm glad we have people like that in our world. So many adults came and went and didn't say a thing to those boys. We cannot let people do that to each other. I appreciate this woman for doing what she did.

Get new legislators

THE ONLY thing I've got to comment about the Southeast Missourian is that it's a fine newspaper, and we've been getting it for about 55 years in my family and enjoyed every minute of it, including the comics, "Dear Abby" and you name it. If it's in there I enjoyed reading it. I appreciate the different comments from the different editorials. I can form my own opinions from the editorials and the comments and everything else that's going. Right now the thing that's real big is trying to decide on the budget. Adolescent, power-hungry dummies are running this government. We ought to vote everybody out who's in there and put all new people in there and see how they'd operate it. Maybe they'd appreciate their benefits and their salaries and the authority that they do have. If they can't get together, let's get someone who that can.

Farm Bureau effort

I'D LIKE to congratulate Sen. Peter Kinder for his work with the Farm Bureau in getting them to drop support for Senate Bill 380. I'd also like to say that the governor of Alabama has just refused federal money, returning $1.4 million that his state got last year from the Department of Education. He called the Goals 2000 program a new and unprecedented level of potential federal intrusion into state control. So Alabama is actually going to pull out of Goals 2000 and refuse the federal money for the program.

Waiting for pensions

I THINK it's terrible that so many of the Republican senators have said that people should have to wait until they're 70 years old before they receive Medicare because they're living longer. I think all federal employees, including the congressmen and senators, should have to wait until they're 70 years old before they receive their pensions. They haven't said anything about that.

Show some proof

OK, YOU few OBE proponents who call into Speak Out, show me one city or state that has OBE and has improved test scores. I'd just like to know, because I haven't found one yet.

Hard truth

IT IS not only violence and urban terror that signal decay in the United States. We see it in many forms. Americans have become the object of ridicule among immigrant students on campus. There's an interesting phenomenon. When immigrant students criticize each other for getting lazy or loose, they say you are becoming American. A young Polish girl, speaking about America, said when she first came here, it was like going into a crazy world, but now she is getting used to it and can tell it is not a good thing to get used to. Yes, that's the way it is: hard truths but truths none the less. And the hard truth is that something has gone wrong with us. The fact that we still live well cannot ease the pain of feeling that we no longer live nobly.

McClure's lights

IT'S THAT time of year to drive to McClure to view the many Christmas lights. We have a wide variety of displays. We have manger displays, a wall of Christmas trees, Santa with sleigh and reindeer, snowmen, lighted telephone polls, Christmas wreaths, a big star, a lighted driveway for Santa to land his airplane if he wants and, of course, Rudolph is always lit up with a red bow tie. Also in the business district the country store is all lit, plus a village scene and the American Legion Tree of Lights. There are more lights being put up, if we don't run out of extension cords. Come on over. Merry Christmas and a prosperous new year.