SPEAKOUT

I HEARD SOMETHING on the news tonight that turned my stomach. It was about the restaurant in Illinois that was bombed. It's bad enough our families are fighting and dying in Saudi Arabia, without some simple-minded people bombing an establishment of an American citizen just because they came from Pakistan. Big deal. My great grandparents came from England and my other grandparents came from France. I'm half English and half French. Are you simple-minded fools going to bomb me too? You almost sound like the Ku Klux Klan. Well, for your information I hate the Ku Klux Klan and I hate simple-minded fools. Just remember that God knows who you are and you will pay. Vengeance is mine, sayeth the Lord.

I WOULD LIKE to agree with the caller from Feb. 12. The Ricky Van Shelton concert was wonderful Sunday evening. He is so warm and cordial to the fans, and his singing is great. But the sale of alcohol really makes a difference in the conduct of the crowd. The young man behind me smelled of beer when he arrived, was loud and obnoxious most of the evening. Then he spilled his beer down my back. We were under the impression alcohol was not allowed and thought maybe he sneaked it in. When we complained to an usher, she explained it was being sold for the first time at a concert. Then we noticed the signs that said two drinks per ID. I suppose this means one could purchase two drinks and give the other to minor, and I guess you could go back for two more as long as you show your ID. We tried to be tolerant of the young man behind us, but could have don without the annoyance. I understand the reasoning for selling beer, but question the wisdom. Furthermore, I'd like to mention that the country western fans do look nice in their western attire, but please, fellows, remove the hats when you're sitting in front of someone.

I JUST READ in the morning paper about the Desert Storm walking parade and rally. This is great, except in two different places it emphasizes it is a walking parade. What about those people who are unable to walk? Why can't they use vehicles that could also be decorated so all of the people who wish can participate? Is it only for the able-bodied? I have seen on TV and pictures in the newspaper where other communities had cars, pickups and vans in their support parades. I find it hard to believe that you only want those who can walk to come join you.

We doubt that anyone who is disabled, and wants to participate, would be turned down. Call Tom Giles at 335-0513 for information.

I HOPE THE Jackson City Council and state highway department reads this and will act promptly upon this urgent and reasonable request. The five-lane highway is good, but there is glaring absence of a traffic light at the intersection of Donna Drive and Town and Country grocery store. With Wal-Mart there, there is still more traffic. Yes, the five lanes helps and the traffic signal with Shawnee was needed; but cars go faster and now you have to watch all five lanes, which is harder, and, in some ways, worse than before, making it even more difficult to get out of that intersection. Please put a signal in before some bad accidents occur. Citizens, also talk to your Jackson aldermen on this.

YOU WOULD THINK that the major networks could use a little more objectivity in their reporting. They're talking about us hitting a bunker with civilians in it. I think, before they complain about the way we're hurting their civilians, they need to look at how many Scuds have been launched at Saudi Arabia and Israel. We don't have the total numbers in, and looking at some of the buildings that were damaged, I find it hard to believe that anyone could have survived something like that. I believe the causalities in Israel are much higher than they're being made out to be. I think the press should press more on finding out numbers from Israel and report this a little more fairly.

WELL, LINCOLN'S BIRTHDAY has come and gone, and not a word on the campus or in the TV media about the date. Yet on Martin Luther King Day we were constantly bombarded with the occasion. In particular, why does the faculty senate at SEMO vote unanimously to dismiss school on Martin Luther King Day without any kind of input from the faculty? There were no surveys at all. Were they afraid to vote their real convictions?

SO SOME AT THE university are now considering a mall and a variety of shops to compete with local businesses. Is this perhaps the real reason for wanting to abolish the textbook rental system? A privately-owned book store where the student would have to buy his books could make someone quite rich.

THANKS, SPEAK OUT, for giving me an opportunity to get rid of my frustrations. I hear the senior-citizens center may need $220,000 a year to do things they desire. In the liberal St. Louis Post-Dispatch paper dated Feb. 11, on the inside down in a little-noticed corner, was this tidbit of news headed Washington, $92 million aid package to be proposed for Liberia, by non other than the honorable Sen. Edward Kennedy, Democrat of Massachusetts. He stated, and get this, Liberia was the most critical and neglected humanity emergency in the world. So there, you homeless, street people; you students who so much desire a higher education than grade school; you who need special medicine or medical care or a bit more food on the table, or at least three squares a day; and you Social Security elders with money in the bank who don't want to pay more income tax to help finance such giveaways as Sen. Kennedy proposes. Shame on you. Now, back on the 5-cent tax. Sorry. but no is the vote come April. Perhaps you should enlighten Mr. Kennedy and his cohorts that the U.S.A. does not end at the Hudson River or the D.C. office. Enough is enough. Thank you, Speak Out.

THIS IS IN regard to the caller who blasted the Advance school board and personnel over the tobacco issue. This, of course, is being blown completely out of order from someone who doesn't have all the facts. Since, in their eyes, this is so outrageous, let's introduce our children to the finer things of life. Men and women are living together, unwed, with school-age children, and they don't know who to call dad or mom any more. Married people are committing adultery, adults and teens are carrying out booze by the case, sex and violence is on TV, and there's homosexuality. Of course this doesn't cause cancer; just AIDS. Some of these kids get themselves off to school. Some do not have money for milk, which, by the way, these same personnel you're coming down on take money from their pocket and pay for milk, plus they put in hours waiting for a parent who got detained and couldn't pick up a child. There are the children they wash up since the parents didn't get out of bed to do this. They do so so that child won't be ridiculed by other children. There also is the child they hold and console because dad and mom haven't. This, my friend, is the real world. By the way, if you like Cape Central as a role-model school, why not just move there? Thank you.

I WOULD LIKE to comment about the CBS reporters and Bob Simon being lost in Kuwait. I don't believe they're lost; I believe they're all show-boating. Baghdad Peter is over there broadcasting. He's a mouthpiece for Saddam Hussein. Bernie Shaw was show-boating over there in the hotel, and now you've got these guys over there. It's all a big hoax to build themselves up and make everybody pay attention to who they are. They all want to be superstars, these newspeople think they know more than anybody else. That's just a big hoax. They shouldn't even be over there in that area. They don't have any more rights over in a place like that than the average citizen. They think they've got more rights, but they're just a bunch of hot-doggers. They'll keep on and one of them will get killed. Thank you.

Their disappearance four weeks ago near the Kuwaiti border appears to be real. The first definitive report that Simon and company were alive came Friday. CBS said it had confirmed that the four were being held in Baghdad.

I AGREE WHOLEHEARTEDLY with the caller the other day protesting the sale of beer at the Show Me Center concert. The people in front of us did nothing but get up and down to get beer and to go to the bathroom. Would Mr. Ross please post in the paper when they advertise tickets whether or not beer will be sold? The next time, I don't want to attend a concert at which beer will be sold. Thank you.

I WOULD JUST like to make a comment concerning the Palestinian couple whose restaurant was burned in Olive Branch, Ill.,. To the people of the community who feel that the person who did this was not a member of the Olive Branch community, I would just like to say that I strongly disagree with you. I was raised in a very small community, and I feel the people of that community felt that a foreigner had invaded their soil, and this was their way of taking revenge. Patriotism is one thing, but these are American citizens and they can say or do whatever they like. That is in the Constitution. Burning down the restaurant is not in the Constitution and that is against the law. I would just like to send my deepest regrets to the couple. Thank you.

IT BAFFLES MY mind why Gorbechav is trying to play such a big part now in trying to settle this gulf war. It seems to me, if he'd take care of his own business, he'd be better off. In my estimation, what he did to the Lithuanians is not much worse than what Saddam did to Kuwait. I just don't understand his actions, with the United States helping feed them, giving them credit and treating him like a friend. Now he's just showing his rear end by trying to play some kind of a part in reaching a peace agreement in this war. It is none of his business, in my estimation. I can't see why the United States wants to treat him like such a good friend when, in my estimation, he is not our friend. Surely our president and Congress is smart enough to see what he is doing. The next time he wants a loan or a lot of food to keep his people alive, they should just let him know what they think of him. Thank you.

I'M IN BAD PAIN, and I get so many harassing phone calls. When I find out who's harassing me on the phone, I will turn them into the law. The law protects people. Thank God for that.

THERE HAS BEEN considerable concern about high-school dropouts in the news the past few years. It was good to see and read the "How-We-Learn" section of the Sunday, Feb. 10, Southeast Missourian. I have had considerable experience training new employees, some who could read very little, and more than one who could not read street signs, but were clever enough to hide this defect for a time. Much pressure has been put on both teachers and parents, as if it was a discipline problem. Quite often it is, but many times the basic problem is a learning disability. Sometimes a learning disability is bypassed or partially overcome by parental and school discipline. At the state and national levels of government, much pressure is brought to bear from much larger funding. We must ask what the plan of action would be. It must be well researched and planned before much more money is spent. Our own Southeast Missouri State University is close to a solution. All children should be checked by specially-trained and skilled people for more than hearing and eyesight. By the time a child is in the second grade, there should have been tests on reading ability and hearing ability to check for any learning disability. If a child can understand what he reads, then the teachers and parents can help the child develop a pleasure and desire for learning. Southeast Missouri State can take the lead in training specialists who can go from school to school to test learning ability of each child in lower grades. This will help to broaden the pool of capable employees in this area, and those who go on to higher education will be less of a load on the teaching staff in their freshman year of college.

THIS IS TO the person who says I'm very critical of people who are critical of Pete Kinder. Well, I am very critical of people who are critical who are critical of Pete Kinder. Thank you.

WHEN IT COMES to SEMO basketball it's hard to find a more supportive fan than myself. I look forward to every season and can't wait for the next game to begin. I find it amusing to hear so many so-called fans give advice to how we could improve. We want to blame the coaching if a player falls into a shooting slump. We go 16 and 5, and some fans talk like we're falling apart. I think it's time to take stock in how lucky we really are. If Whitey was the baseball coach of the '80s, then Ron Shumate is without a doubt the basketball coach of the '80s. Thank you, Ron, for your ability to get the very most out of your players year after year. There is really no substitution for hard work. Thank you for giving us seven regionals over the past nine years. Thanks for giving the citizens of Cape Girardeau the Show Me Center to enjoy truly the best show in town.

I THINK I HEAR the fat lady singing on the SEMO men's basketball team.

I DON'T BELIEVE beer should be allowed at the Show Me Center. I was there at the Ricky Van Shelton concert. The people behind us were drunk. I think the tickets are too high to have to sit around people like that.

TONIGHT'S "CURRENT AFFAIR" with that no-talent slob Roseanne Barr was in truth the most unprofessional, boring portion I've ever witnessed. She must surely know someone in high places because she has about as much personality as a wet noodle. Thank you.

THIS IS IN response to the people who feel long-haired men ought to be sent overseas simply because they have long hair. I am one of many young men with hair that is longer than the typical conservative men of this area. I consider myself a decent human being. Despite the curse of my long hair, I sustained a 3.6 grade-point average at SEMO for two years. I do not do any drugs, and I rarely drink alcohol. I would probably cut off my hair and don an American uniform to fight my country if I was called upon to do so. I feel I would make an as-equally-adequate soldier as my short-haired co-patriots. It is really a shame that there are still people around who are willing to judge the quality of a human life on outward appearances. Thank you.

HELLO THERE, Speak Out. I've heard Rush Limbaugh mention several times on his program that he has a newspaper column which is published in a Sacramento, Calif., newspaper. I was wondering if there are any plans to publish that column in the Southeast Missourian. I for one would really like to see it. Thank you very much. I really enjoy Speak Out.

Sorry, but we have no plans to publish his column.

TO THE PRO-CHOICE activists who wrote, not the church, not the state, women must decide their fate, and so on: Nice rhyme but without reason. You are not deciding your fate, but the fate of your unborn child, who has no choice. No, not the church or the state, but God himself has given the law that thou shalt not murder. You're deceiving yourself by believing that abortion is not murder. Read Psalms 1:39, 13-16, to see how important an unborn life is to God. He also gave the penalty for harming a fetus in Exodus 21: 22-23. The unborn child is a person as surely as you and I. You have choices but abortion is not one of them. Thank you.

I'D LIKE TO know why the class of 1986 from Cape Girardeau Central High School is not going to have their five-year class reunion. After all, 1985 did. There are many people who would like to have a class reunion who are still in this area.

I SEE ON the news that there are still a number of elderly who think that the people should give them free meals, places to meet, things to do, gifts, and all kinds of services. Their, reason which is so illogical, is that they're over 60 years old. I said before and I say again that these are the people who are the best off in life. Most of them have pensions and they all have family. They want to tax everybody, including people making a lot less than they are. I am well over 60 years old and I would not accept anything free from anyone. I certainly would not want to put a tax on people so that I could have something for nothing. Don't vote for any tax on yourselves to take care of these people because they can take care of themselves. Thank you.

THIS IS FOR the person who said President Hoover's Depression days were mended by a great man, FDR. Hoover's hands were tied by a Democratic Congress. That same Congress caused the Depression by not giving Hoover the power to do anything. The Congress we have today tried to do the same dirty deal with Reagan but Reagan outsmarted them. So, when Bush became president, they started in on him; and because he was so wimpish, he fell for it. Now look at the mess we are in because of the Democrats.

THE 5-CENT TAX is not needed. Most of all the older people have their houses paid for. They have Social Security and Medicare, which is cheap insurance, paid for by the younger people trying to buy a house and raise children. Forty percent of their check now goes for taxes. The older people want to add more taxes so they can have a nice place to socialize. I'm a 60-year-old person. Thank you.

I'M 25-YEARS-old and have a high deal of respect for all members in the senior-citizens community. But I'm not going to vote for this property tax which they're bringing out now. The reason is that back in May a park tax, which would have benefited the entire community, could have benefited senior citizens, if they wanted to take advantage of it, as well as the entire community. It was turned down significantly. It's my belief that this was mostly turned down due to the senior citizens. If a project that would benefit the entire community is strictly shut down by senior citizens, then how can they, just a few months later, turn around and ask for something just for themselves?

I WONDER WHY people have to be so critical of their fellow man. Speaking of long hair, it's just hair, man. You can wear it long, you can wear it short; that's your personal choice. Right? As far as the bikini thongs the men and women wear now with their cheeks hanging out, that's just fatty tissue. It's part of your body. If you want to show your butt, show it; if you choose not to, wear something to cover it up. What's wrong with a little nudity? It's our body and we should be proud of it. It's our choice to wear our hair and clothes the way we want to. If you look in the mirror, you'd probably find something wrong with yourself, too. So why don't you criticize yourself instead of everybody else? Thank you.

WHAT HAS HAPPENED to the American people? We have a president who bombs and kills thousands of people, destroys their homes, schools, and hospitals, and even their culture. It's a country that has done nothing to us; they've never attacked our homeland. Are we becoming a heathen nation? Even our clergies say nothing. Are our leaders any better than Huessin? He's probably killed no more innocent people than our leaders, and we try to convince ourselves that we are right.

IN RESPONSE TO the person putting down people with long hair, I myself have long hair and I support the country's actions 110 percent. If asked, I would gladly go serve my country in whatever capacity is needed. To this person, I think you should spend less time being judgmental of people because of their appearance and spend more of your time looking at your own faults. Also, I think you should spend time praying that this war ends as soon as possible. Something to think about: Huessin has rather short hair, doesn't he?

I JUST FINISHED reading the Southeast Missourian article on CNN's Peter Arnett. I think this was a very good article, and anyone who watches CNN and thinks that he might be hearing the truth come out of Baghdad should read this article. I don't think I'm any smarter than anyone else, but I found a long time ago that that was propaganda straight from Saddam, and that we don't need. I wouldn't put it past Saddam to bomb his own people just so he could say it was us. I think that we need to turn off CNN and ban it; don't even watch it until they bring him out of Baghdad and bring him home. Thank you.

I BELIEVE I heard today that Bush's campaign people are starting his campaign for '92. They say he's too busy with the war so someone has to do it for him. The men and the women losing their lives are campaigning for him right now in the Persian Gulf. Wake up here at home before it's too late. Don't be fooled with this war business, I certainly am not.

I WOULD LIKE TO comment about what that 15-year-old boy said in Monday's paper. I agree. Sure, everybody is scared; but I know God is with them and God will not let someone like Saddam destroy what he created. May God bless this young person, who understands we can't just sit back and not give our president and our guys support. Thank you. P.S. I would like to thank that young man or lady. Thank you.

I DON'T KNOW why Saddam is bellyaching about Iraq civilians getting killed in U.S. bombing raids. He in turn fires his Scud missiles into Israel with no concern whatsoever for human race. Jordan wasn't concerned because Saddam invaded Kuwait. That was all right. This war is terrible. Thank you.

THIS IS TO THE woman who is complaining about her neighbors: My suggestion to you is to go to a local music store and buy a tuba. Then you can join in all the fun and blow all of your hot air into a great musical instrument. Thank you. Speak Out.

TO ME IT seems incredible that with all the supposedly combined knowledge we're supposed to have in Washington D.C., they cannot find a way to put a muzzle on this news media. They are sitting up there telling Saddam Hussein anything and everything in the world that he could ever want to know about our country: where our defense plants are; where they're manufacturing this, where they're manufacturing that; what kind of airplanes are taking off; what time they're taking off. It's incredible that our Navy has to ask newspeople to get out of the air so they can fire their weapons and launch their airplanes. Who are we fighting? Are we fighting Iraq or are we fighting the news media? Thank you.

I'M ASKING THE person who feels there should be a draft a question. I would like to know if you are a female, or, if not a female, how old you are. My main problem with you, if you are a female, is that all those women fighting for us able-bodied men are volunteers who are not fighting for us, but for Kuwait. These women would not be there had women not fought for so long to be treated as equals. You are either equal or you are not; you can't have it both ways as it suits your needs. If your are a male, you are either debilitated or old; otherwise, you would, by your own convictions, be in the military. In either case, a draft should not be called on to fight for another country, especially when this country would start with the youngest eligible. The same age group that in so many ways is told that they aren't old enough to be granted the same rights as an older person (those 21 and up) is old enough to die for these self-righteous people that tell them how worthless they are. In short, I feel that you need to pull your head out and take a look around.