SPEAKOUT

I WOULD LIKE to congratulate the Otahkians. Also, I would like to congratulate the coach and his family, and thanks for letting us fans be a part of the family unity you have portrayed with your team. Thank you.

I'D JUST LIKE to say that I'm impressed with Peter Kinder's apology Tuesday to Mr. Seals. What impressed me the most was that he did not one time talk about how he loved Ronald Reagan, he didn't attack the Democrats and the environmentalists, and he didn't have one quote from the Wall Street Journal. I really am surprised. Thank you.

I SAW WHERE they were thinking about making a park out at the old shoe factory property. That would be nice if we could all get together and help those people fix up their property down there. Thank you very much.

I'M THOROUGHLY SICK of CBS canceling the daytime soap operas for their sports, sports, sports. If there isn't enough already. Well, I've changed channels to ABC. "Loving" and "All My Children," "One Life to Live" and "General Hospital" beats anything on CBS. Try it, you might like it. They never cancel their soap operas for sports. Thank you.

I WOULD LIKE to suggest that the Cape Girardeau Public Library be open on Sunday afternoons from 1 to 5 p.m. This would give working parents an opportunity to go to the library with their children as well as provide a worthwhile activity for people who love to read. Thank you very much.

THIS IS FROM a man who was in St. Francis hospital the first part of February. I would just like to thank all of the nurses and nurse aids for the help and the consideration they gave me during my stay in the hospital. Thank you.

I'M CALLING IN regard to the senior citizens tax to be voted on April 2. I'm a senior citizen, up in years myself, and I feel like it is an added tax on our younger generation, who is working so hard to pay for a home and raise their families. Social Security tax is being increased yearly to keep pace with the cost of living. The older generation is getting a raise on their Social Security periodically. They should be able to pay for their own meals and things at the senior citizens centers. Thank you for listening.

I WOULD LIKE to thank Karen Rudert on the article in the Public Mind on Dr. David Clark. It is well said and it expresses my feelings too. Thank you.

I DON'T GO along with this senior citizens tax. I don't think they need it. I am 70 years old and I worked for better than 50 years. I get along good on my income. The only thing I can figure out, maybe if they had a little better insurance they would be better off. The only thing I can figure out is their kids or somebody must be getting their money because I get along good on what I draw. I think they could do the same thing. I don't think they manage their money right. If they did they would get along better and live better. Thank you, Speak Out.

WELL, I SEE the board of education purchased the much-needed baseball scoreboard, another non-budgeted item that will do nothing to enhance learning. I sure hope this financial expenditure is an indication of an abundant supply of money so all employees can get a good financial raise in their next year's contract.

I'M 18 AND grew up too fast. I no longer live for sex, drugs and alcohol. In fact, I'm becoming more and more disgusted with this world every day. It seems people have no morals and will use sex to get anything and everything. TV is nothing but sex. No wonder our children are growing up so fast. And, yes, although I'm practically a child, I do have one myself. My only regret to having a baby is that he has to live in this filthy, disgusting world, too. I know I can't protect him either. My reason for calling: I was just wondering if there was anyone out there my age who feels the way I do or at least understands. Thank you.

I'D LIKE TO make a comment regarding the Vietnam veteran who spoke out. I'm hoping that the person who called in didn't mean shame to we, the American people, who didn't take these veterans with open arms like we should have. Instead, any shame belongs to the Jane Fondas and the Ramsey Clarks. Those people certainly are not our great veterans from Vietnam. Thank you very much.

PETER KINDER KNOWS you can't trust musicians; now I know you can't trust your headline writers either. On page 3 of Tuesday's paper your headline says "Movie chains pull New Jack City in fear of more violence." But anybody who reads the story sees that nationwide only one theater pulled the movie. How about truth in the media?

It's not a question of truthfulness; we goofed. Actually, three movie chains pulled the movie, said an updated version of the Associated Press story that came across the wire later in the night, after the page had been put together. The headline was then rewritten to change the word "chain" to "chains," but, by oversight, the later version of the story was not put onto the page. The names of the movie chains, by the way, were not included in the updated version.

I'M CALLING ABOUT the bills that are attempting to define the practice of medicine. These bills would strictly limit the practice of medicine to only registered physicians, which would exclude all nurses and hospitals, all dietitians, all physical therapists, all respiratory therapists. It would virtually close down all health clinics in the state of Missouri, and all ambulance-service EMTs would no longer be able to take care of the injured, according to this wording. You need to let your senator and representative know that this is going to strictly limit the practice of medicine. You better wake up Missouri and know what's happening in Jefferson City.

I PLACE A white bead in the ballot box for Jay Eastlick and his article exposing theological bias of the Jesus Seminar. I appreciate his ability to cut through all of their pseudo-spiritual verbiage, and I agree with his suggestion we need to learn which pulpits these liberal scholars are espousing their views from and avoid them like sin. The only one who deserves the title biblical scholar in that entire article is Jay Eastlick. Nice work.

I'D LIKE TO reply to the person who stated in Speak Out March 10 that he or she hoped her grandchildren would be able to go through the nutrition center when they're senior citizens, and that they were not going to vote for the small tax to provide it at this time. If she does not vote yes, then there may not be a center for any of them to go to. I do not believe there is one person in Cape Girardeau County who would not donate $5 for the medical and nutritional need of someone in need. I hope you sure change your mind and vote yes on April 2. Thank you.

MIKE ROYKO'S COLUMN on Monday, the 11th, must have been written by someone else. I always thought Mike was an intelligent individual, but that particular column was written by an idiot. He portrayed the American people as a bunch of idiots who don't know what's best for them. He reasoned that if we continued in this same attitude we had during the Iraqi war, we would lose our freedom of press and our right to vote. Actually, we were exactly right, as was our military. We won with a minimal loss of life, no thanks to the news media. Now they can go back to being the rude, self-inflated bunch of news managers they were before. The American people learned something in that war, and you would think the media would have, too. No, they're a special breed and far above learning anything from us, especially from conservative, mainstream America.

ARE SOME PEOPLE'S loyalty to their country measured by their political party? I recall many people who criticized Presidents Truman and Roosevelt in the process of defending our country and the world from a dictator even more vicious than Saddam. Yet, now these same people seem to have reversed their opinions and are supporting our president, as any loyal American should.

TO A SENIOR citizen who thinks other senior citizens should find a way to help the needy without a tax increase because he or she wants her nieces and nephews to have a house paid for and two cars in their garage: First, the tax levy is not just for low-income persons, its for services to all persons 60 or older, if and when they need services. These services include home-delivered meals to shut-ins, day-care services for seniors, bus services for those who can no longer drive or never learned to drive, services that give some relief to persons caring for an ill senior citizen or someone sent to do household chores or repairs for disabled seniors. You can own the finest house in the city or the biggest car, but none of these things will comes to your aid at a time when your health is such that you require these services. This is cheap insurance for your nieces and nephews who will be senior citizens sooner than they think. It is also cheap insurance for you. Thank you.

PAUL HARVEY SAID this morning Bush is riding high. They're digging up old history and books on him. I would like to see their Iran-Contra book on that and also the holding of our hostages in Iran so Reagan could defeat Jimmy Carter. Thank you.

ANOTHER SPRING IS coming on us and where would we be without Cardinals baseball? Again this year only a few games will be televised in this area. It's a shame we can't pick up Channel 11. Living in Missouri, and not having access to Cardinals baseball, Mizzou basketball and hockey, is like living in a no-man's land. Please, can we have some sort of indication what we're going to be able to pick up in Missouri sports instead of everything we see in Illinois? Thank you.

I CANNOT BELIEVE the article I just read about the city's slipping tax revenues. I am so disappointed in our city government and the presentations of Ronald Fischer and Al Stoverink. Whatever happened to the new factories, the expansion of the city limits that include populated areas, the housing projects, and other main concerns? Our city, if it really is in bad shape, is in the shape it's in because these folks do not have any sense of growth. I hope the city council will stand up to these two men.

ONE EVENING ON the national news we hear that the price of oil is going to go up because production is down some 5 to 6 percent in Kuwait. The next evening we hear where the oil cartel voted to decrease production to keep the price of oil up. Who are these people trying to kid? When Iraq invaded Kuwait oil prices skyrocketed at the gas pump. Then, when the fighting started, what happened? The price of crude fell and got down lower than it was before the invasion. Do these people take the Americans as banana eaters? We're not stupid. This is nothing but price-fixing and price-gouging. With what the United States has done for those countries over there, they should supply this country with one to two years of free oil, not raise the price of it. Thank you.

THIS IS TO the caller who said it is easy to win a war when 30 countries pounce upon a little country. First of all, the United States was the major force in this war followed by the British and, to a lesser degree, France, Saudi Arabia and others who gave moral support. Iraq was the fourth-largest military power in the world. When you give an aggressor six months to rethink his aggression and he doesn't back off, how can anyone say he has been mistreated? Saddam Hussein got exactly what he asked for. You ask also what kind of people are we. We are freedom-loving people who refuse to let a self-appointed bully take over a less-powerful nation. We are a country proud of our military forces and of our reserves who have fought and served the country so bravely.

THIS IS A message to the realtors of the area. My wife and I recently sold our house because, with the children grown and gone, the house was much too large for two people. We are now in the market for a smaller, practical home. We know how much money we want to spend and what location we prefer to live in; however, most realtors do not list the price or location in the classified advertisements. Because of this we have made many phone calls only to find out that the price and location are not what we had in mind. We don't mind paying the realty fee when our next home is bought, but we simply would like the opportunity to make the decision on our own. If the price and location interest us, then we will contact the realtor.

I'M JUST WONDERING about the status of the recycling projects that have been going on in Cape Girardeau. Are we ever going to get curbside recycling?

A pilot project of curbside pickup of recyclable materials is continuing in Woodland Hills. There are no current plans to expand it.

NOW THAT THE non-war, thankfully, is over, with Saddam Hussein still ensconced as Iraq's leader and this country wallowing in Vietnam compensatory atonement, Secretary Jim Baker is off to the Middle East in search of peace. Laudable as is his quest, it is hoped that he left the U.S. Treasury checkbook at home. Time and again we have thrown affordable billions at international two-bit warring factions, and each time we received burnt hands, insults, and subsequent disloyalty from the recipients. This Persian Gulf incident into which our bumbling foreign policy has dragged us should teach our "Foggy Bottom" diplomats the utter futility of checkbook diplomacy once and for all. However, the House Appropriations Committee has very recently approved a $650 million payment to Israel for gulf war expenses. What expenses? We fought their war for them, and now these same Israelis have their palms outstretched demanding $13 billion ostensibly to be used for the resettlement and housing of Russian Jewish immigrants on the West Bank, no less. Is it within the realm of political possibility that a profligate Congress might, instead, consider the untold thousands of U.S. citizens who cannot afford housing in this country? Having just finished my IRS 1040, this put-upon taxpayer says enough already.