SPEAKOUT

I REMEMBER WHEN we didn't have the floodwall. It was very peaceful to sit on the riverbank listening to the river and watching an occasional barge come by. You could see the river coming down Broadway without looking through a gate opening. Our river town was destroyed by this wall. Granted, it did keep part of the downtown area from flooding; however, it was man's stupidity for building in a floodplain anyway. First, the Corps of Engineers built the wall; then Cape builds an amphitheater on the river side of the wall. Now somebody or group wants to blow more money by putting a mural on the river side. What mistake will they try next? Let's think about this and spend our money wisely. Thank you.

HATS OFF TO Boatmen's Bank for being the first financial institution in Cape to make a stand on having a smoke-free workplace. I hope all the other banks in town will follow suit as will all restaurants and other businesses. Just a suggestion to Boatmen's: If you're going to have a smoke free workplace, don't just request that your customers don't smoke. Require it for their health as well as your employees.

I READ SPEAK Out. I don't live in Cape but where do people on Northbridge get off saying it's okay for their children to play in the street? I know where my children are. They're not 4, 5 and 6, they're not in the street, and they are okay citizens. I might add, when they were small, I did not allow them to play in the street. If we couldn't play on our hillside, we went to the park. The streets are made for vehicles that are motorized and used by people with driver's licenses, not 4, 5 and 6-year-olds on their pedals. Parents, you better wake up. If you are taking care of those little, lovely children God gave you, use the right point of view. Thank you.

BLESS THE hearts of the parents on Northbridge. They're teaching their children to play in the street. What kind of thinking would lead a parent to think this would be better than taking that child away from TV and putting him in the park at times when they can go with them? The public street is no place for children to play.

I EAT MY pork and beans cold. If I want them hot, I make them into barbecued baked beans. Then they're hot.

YOUR NEWSPAPER SURE spreads a lot of right-wing propaganda and lies. If it's not Kinder or Rust, it's Warren Brookes. I'm referring to the recent column lavishing praise of Reagan and savaging Jimmy Carter about federal income-tax rates. The column claims someone with an adjusted income of $10,000 will pay an average income tax of $369. I made $9,000 and my tax was $574; not withheld but taxes paid. Now, why should anyone believe any of Brookes' pro-Gipper tax propaganda?

TO THE PERSON who responded to the person with prejudicial attitudes toward gay and lesbian people, I want to say thank you so much for taking the time and effort to speak out against oppression. Our society does not need anymore hatred as that which motivates prejudice, but rather peace and harmony as you propose. Whoever you are, you are making a difference. Thanks.

I JUST READ the comment in Wednesday's Speak Out column from the person who says that day care isn't the university's problem. I'm so angry. Where students live isn't the university's problem but they assure housing. Whether the students eat isn't the university's problem but they insure meal plans. Whether the students are sick isn't the university's problem but they provide a health center. Do you see my point? It is the university's responsibility to supply students' needs if the needs aren't being met. And part of the students' needs involve their children and a child-care facility on campus that will help meet that need. Thank you.

IT WAS STATED in Tuesday's Speak Out the gays and lesbians are humans just like me. They may be humans like you but not like me. Murderers are human too, but we don't have an awareness week for them. And homosexuality is just as great a sin as murder if you're going by the law that really counts to me, God's law. God destroyed a whole city because of homosexuality, Sodom and Gomorrah. In his word he says it's an abomination to God. In other words, it makes him sick. I know that whoever wrote this article never reads the Bible or they'd know better. But it also says in 1 Corinthians 6:9 that they'll not see the kingdom of God.

YOU HAVE HEARD the song "Take this job and shove it." Well, that's how I feel about the sports channel that TCI is going to force us to take. Take the sports channel and shove it. When are we going to get stereo for the existing premium channels? When are we going to get a good educational channel like the one that we previewed on channel 13 for one day?

IN RESPONSE TO the statement in Tuesday's Speak Out about homosexuals are human too, yes, they sure are. Animals wouldn't claim them. I've never heard of a homosexual animal. They must still believe sex is to replenish the world like it was given to man. Poor, dumb animals.

I WISH SOMEONE would tell me the purpose of the school board. I thought it was to listen to the students and the parents to help the school function better if there was a problem. Well, it seems like the purpose is to self-serve the board members. If they don't like a teacher or a coach, they just get rid of him; doesn't matter that about 75 people, mostly students, came to the last board meeting and told what a great teacher they thought this teacher was. Still, the board members said no. I think it's time that we get a new school board. What about it Scott City?

TO THE PERSON on the Social Security deal and minimum wage, I don't blame the Republican Party for voting against it. I work here at a store in Cape and I believe that every time minimum wage goes up, the cost of living goes up. Thank you.

THIS IS IN regards to the Gay and Lesbian Awareness Week at SEMO. It is discrimination against the heterosexuals. When are they going to have a heterosexual awareness week at SEMO? We have just as many rights as they do. Thank you.

IN THE SEPT. 27, 1990, issue of Wall Street Journal, there appeared a study that revealed that fewer than 10 percent of U.S. high-school seniors had the skills to perform demanding jobs or do college work. A comparison of test results for the fourth, eighth and 12th grades showed that schools are doing a worse job of teaching reading, mathematics and science than they were doing 20 years ago. Money doesn't buy better education. Thank you.

IN OVER HALF of the states in the union, government encourages its citizens to gamble away their earnings. Public funds are spent on advertising that promotes the hope that luck rather than hard work and thrift can provide a financially secure future. Rarely has government been so involved in an activity that conflicts with teachings of this and many churches. Gambling elevates personal gain to the level of idolatry but the Bible condemns idolatry. Gambling encourages dependence upon chance. Christianity looks to God for the final purposes of life. If we accept what the Bible teaches, that all we possess comes as gifts from God, then gambling it away is out of the question. Furthermore, gambling promotes something for nothing, an ethic at odds with the work ethic within which our Protestant system of values rest.

THIS IS TO the Scott City kid. How is the Scott City school board spending money unjustly; because they don't want the kids to decide who is hired as teachers? If students decided who was hired and who was fired at school, the education system would be in much worse shape than it is now. Thank you.

THE ONLY THING the South will ever do again is lose.

I HOPE ALL diet-conscious people read this. My sister mailed an ad to me from her paper that researchers in Europe had made a high-tech tablet for weight loss. We took the ad to our druggist and asked him about it. He said he understands the main ingredient in it is a laxative. Just thought you'd like to know.

THE ARTICLE ABOUT the 1991 Bell Volunteer Award winners in the Life section of the Sunday paper was wonderful. My husband and I personally know one of the recipients, Bess Estes, who has given her generous help to us for many years. She truly is a giving person and a great lady and is much deserving of the award and recognition. Congratulations and best wishes to Mrs. Estes and all the other Bell Award winners.

IF THIS TAX increase that Mr. Griffin is trying to get passed in Missouri ever comes to a vote, I will vote against it for this simple reason: When this lottery was trying to get passed, they led the voters to believe that part of this money would be used for education. After the lottery was passed, they put the money in the general fund. Then they gave themselves a raise. The voters of this country and this state have been misled so many times about taxes. President Bush said: "Read my lips. No more new taxes." And that was one of the first things that happened after he took office. The people are getting sick and tired of these politicians not being on the level with them in order to get a tax increase passed. We are paying enough in taxes now. We need to watch the money that they're spending now and spend it more appropriately. That's the problem. Thank you very much.

THE SOBRAN COLUMN says George Bush will have to prove that he was not in Paris at the time the deal was made to hold hostages in Iran to help Reagan to beat Jimmy Carter in the 1980 election. Well, George can do that. His buddies will crawl out of the sleaze factory. He will be fishing with some or playing golf. Early in the campaign he told the American people he knew nothing about the deal of sending arms to Iran, but three of his own party members say he did attend those meetings. Bill Morris brought it all out in "Frontline."

I'M CALLING concerning this trip Congressman Bill Emerson made to the desert with other congressman on this fact-finding mission, whatever it accomplished. We have Mr. Baker, who does an excellent job, and others who are more qualified. Why was this at the taxpayers' expense? It seems to me like they're always making free jaunts throughout the world at our expense. Now, while they're checking on Sununu, let's just dig a little deeper and unearth some of these other things that our congressmen are doing, the freebies that they receive. Perhaps Congressman Emerson himself can come forward and say why he went, why the trip was necessary. We have so many needs in this country, and the money's so short for education, health care, and various other programs that are needed in this country. Why do we have to pay for their jaunts all over the world and to subsidize other countries? I would like to be enlightened, please, before next election. Thank you.

Emerson was one of 12 members of Congress who made the four-day Mideast trip, said Lloyd Smith, Emerson's chief of staff. He said the purpose of the trip was threefold: 1) to view the Persian Gulf War theater and learn how the U.S. performed; 2) to discuss with military leaders when military reservists and national guardsmen would return; and 3) to visit the refugee center to see how Kurdish refugees were treated and fed. Smith said after the trip Emerson's office was given a time schedule for Army troops to return home. The speaker of the House chose the Democrats and the minority leader chose the Republicans who made the trip, he said. Congressmen must "express an interest in going, and the selections are based on seniority and committee assignments, which must be germane to the trip," he said. "In Congressman Emerson's case, he is a member of the House Select Committee on Hunger," said Smith. The total cost of transportation by military airplane was $1,082 per congressman, and the Army paid that cost, he said. Food and lodging was paid for by the Saudi Arabian government, he said.