SPEAKOUT

I APPLAUD THE Cape Girardeau School District on their smoke-free environment. I think that's wonderful. It's going to send a great message out to the kids. I hope other school districts will follow their fine example.

I'M GLAD THAT the Libertarian Party is finally getting some recognition for its stands, and I hope it is not too late for the United States. Thank you.

IN REFERENCE TO the article in the Sept. 5 paper about Bollinger County and the lake and them growing marijuana, I would like to inform the writer of that article that there's more profit in growing marijuana than there would be to have the lake. Thank you.

EDWARD KENNEDY: JUDGE not, lest ye be judged.

I WAS READING in the paper about the pepper mace that the Cape Girardeau police are going to use on unruly people. If they try spraying me with that dang stuff they're going to find somebody a heck of a lot more unruly than what they started out with. They had better plan on having plenty of bread, mustard, and ketchup because they're fixing to eat the dang stuff. I ain't going to put up with that. If a cop sprays me with that I'm going to be a whole lot worse to get along with. He had better think about that before he sprays the dang stuff on me. Thank you.

I JUST WANTED to thank the lady in Schnucks who turned in my purse. She doesn't know how much she's appreciated. Thanks again.

I AGREE WITH the letter writer in the Public Mind who feels that courtesy titles would add respect to the death notices.

I READ IN today's paper that they want to take MTV off the air. That is stupid, outrageous, and is not right. Thank you.

I AM BEGINNING to believe that America is turning into Russia if people can't even choose the channels they want on their televisions. What I'm referring to is the cable company wanting to take off MTV. I believe as Americans we should have the right to choose. If parents do not like their children watching MTV they can always call the company and have them black out that channel. Thank you.

I CAN'T BELIEVE the people who want to get MTV banned from cable. It is so stupid. Cable TV is set up where you can blank channels out of your TV if you don't want them. So why don't they just blank it out? Why do these rednecks want to ruin everything for all the high school people and people that really enjoy music. Thank you.

I JUST HEARD where the Christian group in Cape Girardeau is trying to have MTV canceled off Cape Girardeau cable. I feel that that is really ridiculous because all they have to do is not watch it. There's plenty other channels; if they don't want to watch it, don't watch it. For them to know what it is, evidently they have already watched MTV themselves. So how can they criticize other people?

I'M VERY DISAPPOINTED in the negative message sent out by Boy Scouts of America. I don't want my children to adopt the notion that discrimination is okay under guise of faith in God or upholding traditional values. If this is truly the America I love, it is our diversity that makes and keeps us great. Am I any less of an American because I choose not to wear my values or my love of God on my sleeve?

I READ IN your Sept. 4 article that a group of people plan to have a booth at the SEMO District Fair to collect signatures of those who wish TCI Cable to drop MTV. I suspect that most of those that sign the petition rarely watch the music channel. Why are they not collecting signatures to get rid of the soap operas that spew forth with every known kind of sin on a daily basis to keep their ratings high? Something tells me the same do-gooders who are willing to sign the petition against MTV would balk at losing their favorite daytime programs. What does this tell you?

WHY IS IT if you live south of Independence and east of West End Boulevard that the streets don't get stop signs on them. We just had another wreck over here on Maple and Benton Street because we don't have stop signs and you can't do anything but fight with your insurance company. You go down Benton Street, you'll find about five streets down that way that don't have stop signs. And there are a lot of them in the south part of Cape Girardeau that the four-ways just go right on through. Please, Cape Girardeau, we need some stop signs before somebody gets killed.

THE AMERICAN FAMILY Association not even a good word for the ACLU. Last year they cost the Salvation Army thousands of dollars they would have gotten when they put a war on Playboy magazine. Meanwhile, on the news just a week ago the Salvation Army is delivering Playboy magazines in Chicago to the Institute of the Blind, where they are being transformed into braille for those people to read on their one day off from their studies. Now they want to attack MTV. Hundreds and hundreds of people keep MTV for their teenage children; that is the only reason they keep the cable. The cable is not too stupid to realize this. I wish there was some way we could ban that group at Jackson; they have caused nothing but trouble and kept Cape Girardeau in the dark ages. More and more citizens are learning this and going to the city council saying, We don't to live in the dark ages; that's over and done. Lord oh mighty, what's wrong with people?

I THINK THAT all the sports channels should be banned because they teach our children that sports like football and baseball are not just games; they're businesses and that winning is the only thing that matters, and if you're a loser you are a loser big time.

THIS IS IN response to the people that slammed the American Family Association that wants to ban MTV. The main thing that they want to do is get it off the basic service where, if you want it you have to pay for it separately. Why should people who don't want to watch it be forced to pay for it for just a few that do want to watch it? It should be one of those premium channels. It shouldn't be included in the basic because we should just not have to pay for it. Thank you.

AFA SEEMS INTENT upon taking away my right to choose what I can watch on TV. Maybe they should concentrate on keeping our freedoms of choice, whether it's prayer or watching a TV channel. Why should I not have the right to choose for myself? Thank you.

I'M NEW IN the Cape Girardeau area for a visit. I was wondering what day is going to be senior citizen activity day at this fair? Thank you.

Activities sponsored by Southeast Missouri Hospital for senior citizens begin at 10 a.m. Wednesday in the Rest and Relaxation Tent. Dance music will be played from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday at the tent.