SPEAKOUT

Editor's note A response in Speak Out Monday concerning the city's collection of trash and recyclable materials needs clarification. Doug Kaminskey, city environmental services coordinator, said collections for some customers, whose trash used to be picked up on Mondays and Thursdays, still are made on Mondays and Thursdays, but solid wastes are picked up on Thursdays and recyclable materials on Mondays. Those customers live in a part of what the city calls Route 4, which is identified on a map that was distributed prior to the start of the city recycling program. For those who live in Route 1, whose trash used to be picked up on Mondays and Thursdays, the collection days are the same, but trash is picked up on Monday and recyclable materials on Thursdays, he said.

I WOULD LIKE to know why it is that a police officer cannot pull over a person who is in obvious violation of the seat-belt or seat-restraining law when it comes to children. When a child is in a car running about the car, and a cop sees this, why is it that he cannot pull that car over and fine the driver of the car? It is against the law not to have your child in the safety seat or buckled in. People violate this law all of the time, and I have seen police cars sitting next to these people at stop lights and yet somebody has told me that the law cannot pull these people over although they are obviously and blatantly breaking a law. I would like to know why it is that they cannot pull these people over and ticket them. Thank you.

Sgt. Al Moore, who heads the traffic division at the Cape Girardeau Police Department, said an officer can stop a vehicle and charge the driver if a child under 4 years of age is not restrained. But, he said, after that age a child falls under the state's seat-belt law. Under that law an officer can charge a person with a seat-belt violation only when the vehicle is stopped for a separate violation. Moore said it is sometimes hard to judge the age of a child. If the age is questionable, an officer can stop a vehicle to check on the child's age, he said, but the officer has to rely on the information as provided by the parent.

I'M A LIBERAL and a Democrat and very proud of it. So maybe that's why I feel obligated to respond to remarks made in this paper by a 20-year-old college student. The caller felt that because the student's facts were incorrect he must, of course, be a liberal Democrat. Now, I know inflation is not high compared to the '70s. Unemployment is not over 8 percent; it's 7 percent or less and interest rates are relatively low. But, what I say here, is the caller is wrong because he's a conservative Republican. No, I would say that he is uninformed and he should brush up on his own knowledge of economics. He should quit playing politics with statistics and let George Bush play the role of a fool. He is more experienced at it.

I WAS SO happy to see the comment in the Dec. 5 edition of your paper in Speak Out about having no more messages in Speak Out on abortion. I agree with this, and I think abortion is nobody's business except the mother's. I wish everyone would feel this way.

The comment refers to remarks of a caller who suggested no more opinions on abortion be published in Speak Out. We have not declared a moratorium on such comments.

I JUST WANTED to thank and commend Southeast Missouri Council on the Arts and Stevmark Inc. for all the support and promotion they give to area artists. Thank you.

I'M CALLING IN regards to abortion. I just went through major surgery to find out I could never have children, never enjoy the feeling of life growing inside me. You know, it makes me sick to think of a woman who is blessed with life inside her womb and thinks she can just murder that precious life. All I have to say to all the women who have murdered their babies is, I just wish you'd been murdered before you were born because you don't deserve to live. From an angry woman who can't bear children.

HOW MUCH DOES it cost to put an ad in Find a Friend and can you do it by mail?

The rates are $5 for up to 15 words in three issues; $7.45 for 16 to 30 words in three issues; and $11.18 for 31 to 50 words in three issues. You may place an by mail or in person. If you would like additional information call our classified advertising department at 334-8822 or 1-800-879-1212.

I WOULD LIKE to say something good about our young people. The only thing said about our youth is when it's something bad. I think it was really nice and thoughtful of the Chaffee FHA and Student Council to provide a Thanksgiving dinner for the senior citizens. They fixed food for and served between 150 and 200 citizens. A big thanks, and God bless you and your sponsors for this gracious service.

DOES MICHAEL JACKSON'S new video "Black and White" confuse you as much as it does me? If it doesn't matter if we're black or white or what color we are. Why does he bleach his skin to try to become white? Maybe we should write him and ask him about this.

BOY, PIT BULLS sure have bad press. I bet German shepherds, boxers and dobermans are glad to be off the hook for a while.

THANKS TO THE Southeast Missourian we got our paper on Thanksgiving morning. I was up early fixing my turkey and it was nice to sit down and relax with my coffee and my paper before everyone woke up. Thanks so much. We really appreciate your free paper.

THIS IS TO the Don Juan daddy with the 15-year-old shy son. He's trying to turn him into a chip off the old block. Hey, big daddy, you're probably not as big and cool as you think you are. You're 15-year-old shy son is way ahead of the game and way smarter than you are. You ought to go take a look in the mirror.