SPEAKOUT

Aileen Lorberg of "Lend Me Your Ear" feels duty-bound to correct her well-intentioned corrector regarding the verb stink. The principal parts are no longer confined to stink, stank, stunk. Recent dictionaries, including The American Heritage, Second College Edition, and Webster's Ninth New Collegiate give the past tense as either stank or stunk, with stank preferred. Hence the critic of Riverfest would have been grammatically correct in saying the Riverfest stunk. I don't like these permissive changes any better than you do, but it's my business to keep abreast.

AS A VOTER and a taxpayer in Cape Girardeau County, I am opposed to just anyone going in and filling out a simple form causing someone to have to go to one of the state mental institutions for an examination and evaluation. I am of the opinion that we have medical doctors to diagnose any and all types of illness in the state of Missouri.

I'M REALLY UPSET about something that is happening at SEMO University and I wonder how many people were aware of it. Starting this semester there's a $25 activity fee. The fee supports athletics and different activities at SEMO, including the gay and lesbian group. This is something I am absolutely against. I have nothing to say about contributing to this. I feel so frustrated because I feel so strongly about

this. I was told I didn't have a choice; if my kids wanted to attend SEMO I had to pay it. I have two kids attending SEMO, and it costs enough without having to contribute to something they're not involved with. You go to college to get an education and your efforts should be toward that goal. My kids have to work and go to school full time. There's not much time for socializing. Why don't we put the emphasis back on education instead of all the other activities?

Although the Student Government Association for a number of years has had authority to levy the fee, this is the first year it has done so, a university spokesman said. Until this year, Student Government received funding from incidental-fee revenue, but, because of a tight financial situation at Southeast, the Board of Regents decided to no longer give that money to Student Government, the spokesman said. Instead, in May the board endorsed the $25 activity fee being levied by Student Government, he said. Last year the association received $130,000 in incidental-fees revenue. The $25 fee this year is expected to raise $220,000. Of the $25, $9 will go to athletics and $16 to other activities, which could include the Student Gay and Lesbian Association should Student Government decide to again fund it.

HOW CAN OUR city council pass an ordinance forbidding smoking in a privately-owned business? Was it just to pacify the group from SEMO or to show their power? It appears our city form of government has become a dictatorship. Out of principle, if I were the grocery store owner, I would certainly protest.

IN THE ARTICLE in the paper by Walter Williams on AIDS, he says you can call the Center for Diseases Control and you can request the names of HIV-infected medical practitioners in your area. Where do you find out what number you call? He doesn't give that information. Thank you.

The center is in Atlanta, Ga.

COULD YOU PLEASE print the address of Walter Williams, the columnist on your editorial page?

You may write to Williams at 5777 W. Century Blvd., Suite 700, Los Angeles, Calif. 90045.

HAVING MOVED HERE from the city, my dogs and I really appreciate the beautiful parks in Cape Girardeau. The ordinance about the pooper-scooper in the city was getting to be a pain. Now, if we can just find a way to keep the kids out of the parks, everything would be great. Thank you.

HOW IRONIC. The clique who would have Missouri voters approve a $385 million education tax bill, financed in part by a grossly disproportionate tax levied on tobacco users, are one and the same who are making it increasingly difficult to use this lucrative tax-producing weed. Currently, the proverbial camel has his nose in the tent at SEMO University, Central High School and local grocery stores. Where will the next obtrusive foot-in-the-door intrusion of citizen regimentation be exhibited: on public streets; in city parks, in my morning sojourn to the bathroom? This entire eco-hullabaloo was initiated by a headline-hunting, publicity-prone surgeon general, C. Everett Kook (sic), suitably attired in a vice admiral uniform, who issued an unsubstantiated second-hand smoke warning after his department had previously released two scientifically researched studies, which discounted any discernible health risk from secondary tobacco smoke. It is regrettable that presumably responsible persons, whose gullibility had not previously been exposed, have fallen into line to further erode individual freedoms. Apparently, Big Brother in Washington does not exert enough regulation on Cape Girardeau citizens; Little Brother, e.g., the city council, will now guide you away from your errant ways.

YOU KNOW, IF you have an automobile accident on a grocery parking lot, there's little the police can do because it's on private property. So how is the no-smoking in the stores going to work? Do the stores have to catch you smoking or will there be police in every store to watch. In any case, if people are indeed fined for smoking, I think the money should go to the cancer society or the heart fund. Thank you.

I'M 32 YEARS old, and when I was a kid growing up watching Popeye his rival's name was Brutus. Now, I've seen some of the real early cartoons and the rival's name was Bluto.

I SURE HOPE some of the readers out there who read Speak Out can help me. I'm trying to remember who played the male part in that TV show called "BJ and the Bear." I've got a free breakfast riding on this. Thank you very much.

THEY SAY THE bridge over the Mississippi River has been in use since 1926. I've been around here for quite a while. If I'm not mistaken, it was dedicated in 1928. Thank you.

You are correct; the date was in error. A bridge construction contract was awarded Aug. 12, 1926, the span was completed Sept. 1, 1928, and it was dedicated Sept. 3, 1928, when traffic began crossing it.

WHEN THEFTS WERE reported to Speak Out, I didn't understand the emotions behind the callers' messages. Now I know. During the night thieves took four chairs and two tables from our front porch and yard. We can describe the vehicle used and hope we never see it again, as we continue to feel violated and would like to take our frustration out directly on the people who would do this to us. Our Neighborhood Watch has been reactivated.

I WAS JUST wondering what you thought about Spike Lee's new picture, "Jungle Fever." I know what I think about it. I think it stinks. I wouldn't go see it if it was free.

CONGRATULATIONS TO WHOEVER took it upon himself to clean up the old St. Francis yard around the outside. It looks very good. It makes for a lot different look in this part of town. People go through here every day to the mall, and it's improved the looks of this part of town a whole lot. So, congratulations, and my thanks to whoever finally got around to cleaning it up. Now, if they just do it again in about a month and not let it get waist high again like it was, they'd find it much easier to handle.

MY CAR WAS hit by an egg at the stop light on North West End Boulevard and Independence. If I would give the police the license plate number of the car that threw the egg, what would they do?

GENE THOMPSON: We, the people of Scott City, are with you all the way. Hang in there. Thank you.

I'D LIKE TO comment about the man who wrote in and said that he thinks that KFVS should stop showing their Heartland soldier promos. Well, you know what I think? I believe that you are a Korean war vet, but there are still men over there. There are a lot of men still over there and you should have respect for these men because some of them just got out of high school and some of them were pulled out of college. I know a few who were pulled out of college and I think we should show respect for them. I think that KFVS is just doing that. Let them do what they want to.

I USUALLY REALLY enjoy the Wednesday night concerts in the park, but last night this women sitting near me talked loudly through every number. When the band or choir got louder, she did too. Why would she even attend if she wanted to talk through the whole thing. I gave her a quiet sign with finger across lips, but she just ignored me. Some people have no sense or no manners.

I RECENTLY WENT to Wal-Mart to purchase some items and I really like the checkers and those other employees out there. They really do a lot. They bend over to help you get your things out. I'm an older man and can not always get up. Thank you.

MY CAR WAS recently hit by a hit-and-run and somebody was nice enough to leave a note on the windshield stating the car's make and their license plate number. I would really like to thank them personally, but they did not leave their name. I'm sorry this has taken me so long. If you read this, I do really appreciate it. You saved me a lot of money. Thank you.

I'D LIKE TO make a comment on the smoking ban in the grocery stores. Be real. I think it's stupid. Thank you.

IN LISTENING TO the council meeting the other night and hearing Mrs. Wulfers ask what good are we, well, I've known Mr. Mayor Gene Rhodes for a long time, and he wouldn't intentionally hurt anyone. I think he's doing a fantastic job.

IF I HEAR that Heartland homecoming jingle on KFVS-TV again, where they show the Desert Storm troops coming home and the yellow ribbons for what seems like the millionth time, I think I'm going to vomit. I'm glad the troops are back but it's old news now. KFVS is really running it into the ground. They need to get some fresh material. Thank you.

I WOULD LIKE to see smoking banned in the super markets and all public places. My small daughter had her face burned with someone else's cigarette while walking through a store where no-smoking signs were posted, but were ignored anyway. And I'm tired of breathing other people's cigarette smoke in check-out lines. I have a child who has asthma and cannot take that, and it's time they do something about this. They can take the cigarettes on the way home or the way to the store. It's pretty bad if you can't go for 10 or 15 minutes without a cigarette. Thank you.

A WORD TO the marketers and solicitors out there. Please quit tying up my phone, which I put in for my personal use. Quit tying up my lines to make your living. Get out and get a job. If I need a service, I can find my own. Thank you very much.

I'M SO GLAD that finally someone is pursuing the question regarding to why one studio in town is commissioned to take the pictures of all seniors. The town is large enough for us to go to individual studios. I doubt that this will go any further. I do hope someone has the guts to go on and pursue the issue. Thank you.

BRAVO TO THE city council for passing the ordinance concerning smoking in grocery stores. This is a step in the right direction. In grocery stores in Cape Girardeau, I've seen smokers blowing smoke over the fresh produce and bending over the bulk-food bins with cigarettes hanging out of their mouths. Where do they think the ashes go? You never see ash trays in super markets. Concerning the comment from the caller who said the store should decide, this is unrealistic. No store wants to be the first to prohibit smoking. All the stores at the same time have prohibited smoking. This is definitely a citywide problem and the action of the city council was appropriate. Congratulations to them for their courageous stand on this.

I JUST READ the Speak Out comment in today's Missourian, blaming the Republicans and especially the Reagan and Bush administration for the S&L scandal. I don't know what authority the person has to reach that conclusion, but I'm sure that Walter Williams in his column in the June 18 Missourian has thoroughly researched the background of the S&L subject, and I highly recommend that the caller read this column before making further comment.