SPEAKOUT

TO THE USS Sally Ride, the federation starship here in Cape Girardeau: You folks did wonderful with the convention. I really enjoyed it much more than the one I went to last year, to tell you the truth. You folks did quite well. It was quite well organized and the guests were just wonderful. I hope to have another here next year. Thank you.

WELL, IT'S SUMMERFEST time in Scott City, and again the beer wagons are right in the center of everything. The park board and people who are in charge think this is the in thing. Several of us have decided not to attend this year and subject our kids to what we and the schools and the churches are trying to instill in them as wrong and unhealthy. Again you have to consider that this is Scott City.

I WOULD LIKE to comment on the Cape County lake that they're wanting to build. Why don't they just let a dead horse die? I'm getting tired of hearing this and we're just spending money for surveys and stuff like this and we need to spend the money for better reasons. The majority of the people don't want the lake anyway. So why just keep beating a dead horse? Let it die.

I JUST READ in the paper today that there's going to be more wrestling at the Show Me Center. Give it a rest. Get somebody real in here like Garth Brookes or Randy Travis. Thanks.

WHOMEVER'S RESPONSIBLE for having the old grass and weeds mowed at the old shoe factory lot should be congratulated. It looks really pretty. Thank you.

WHY DON'T PEOPLE go over to Southern Illinois and see Crab Orchard Lake, Devil's Kitchen and Lake Egypt, and see what an economical impact those three lakes have had on Southern Illinois and the beautiful scenic drive. That's where all the people of Southeast Missouri are going, in Southern Illinois to spend their money. They have no place to go over here. So let's get the lake.

I THINK IT'S pathetic that some people don't have any respect for our men and women who went to Saudi Arabia. They risked their lives for all of us and you're tired of hearing about them. Next time, why don't you volunteer to go over and go to war and we won't say a word when you come home. The way I see it, they need to know that we were behind them all the way. I had someone that I loved dearly go over there and I thank God every day that he came back to me. So, KFVS, keep up the good work.

IT IS BECOMING monotonous to hear all the hoopla about the returning servicepersons. I do think all servicepeople should be honored but does it have to go on forever? I wonder if anyone gives a thought to the fact that when our servicepeople came back from Vietnam and Korea there were cheers, no welcome home, and in some cases slurs for the fellows. The AMVETS organization was formed to give some recognition to the service men and women from Korea and Vietnam wars. But the vets had to do this for themselves. In many cases they spent at least one hitch in Vietnam, not a six-month stay in Georgia. My son did two hitches in Vietnam. Oh, yes, he was sent there twice during his four, long years of service. I wonder how the vets of Korea and Vietnam wars feel when they see how much recognition of this six-month war they are receiving when they look back at the way they were either ignored or took a lot of flak for their part in the Vietnam war. Think about it, people. How would you feel in the same circumstances?

I URGE ALL males to see the movie "Thelma and Louise" because the males depicted in that movie are typical. Thank you.

I CAN'T FOR the life of me figure out why a town the size of Cape Girardeau cannot receive a St. Louis television cable station. If I had known when we were subscribing to KPLR years ago that we were going to have it taken away, I would not have subscribed to cable at all. It's ridiculous. We get Atlanta on 5, Chicago on 30 everyday, Marion, Paducah, Nashville; all these towns and no St. Louis channel. Most of the people in this town are from St. Louis. And don't give me that stuff that we can't have KPLR because of KBSI and that customers get upset when the Cards games are on and they can't get their programs. Scott City has KBSI and KPLR, both separately, and everyone there is happy. We need both here in Cape. I don't know why everybody wanted Encore. Why can't we have KPLR?

LIVES WOULD BE saved if women quit smoking cold turkey like men do.

THREE CHEERS FOR the places that have the no-smoking signs. That shows you really care.

IT SEEMS THAT the whole truth about AIDS transmittal is not being told publicly. It is always stated that it can be transmitted only by contact of body fluids, but when a dentist dies of AIDS, a great deal of time and money is spent to track down all of his patients. Why? It is not the dentist who does the bleeding, it is the patient. And they say it cannot be transmitted by kissing. Can't that be a contact of body fluids? I would worry more about an AIDS carrier sneezing over the vegetables of a grocery store than I would about a smoker exhaling over them. I think little brother, e.g. the city council, has gotten onto the wrong track on this one. Thank you.

THIS IS A word of caution to all people who park their cars and attend concerts or ball games in Capaha Park. Tonight two very suspicious people, a boy and a girl, walked through the park for two-and-a-half hours looking through people's cars. Lock your vehicles.

I JUST WANT to comment on all the controversy about smoking in stores. Back a few years ago when I was in the service, almost all the cities had no-smoking signs in all the stores. They said no smoking by order of fire marshal. It was kind of a shock to me when I came back home and smoking was allowed in stores. There's a lot of damage done by smoking. Usually cigarette butts are left on the floor. I'd like to see no smoking allowed in the stores. Thank you.

I'VE GOT A quote to make to the lady that said we need to keep the kids out of the park. I've got news for you, woman: our parents pay our taxes so we can have that park. If you don't like it, you don't need to be living in Cape County, Scott County or any other county. That park's just as much ours as it is yours. Too bad. Thank you.

I JUST WENT to Central Pool the other day and I was just swimming in the swimming lane when a lifeguard told me to get out of the swimming lane, you have to be 18 or older. I'd just like to say I would like to swim in these lanes. Thank you.

I'M CALLING ABOUT putting a child-care center at the college. I just think it's kind of unfair because, what about the students who don't need the nighttime care? Their money's going to be used for that. Also, there have been many preschools saying they will provide for that. I think they need to think about that instead of wasting so much money opening a day care up there when they have them in the area. Thank you.

IN THE SPORTS SECTION you have a column that says Capriati ninth seeded in Wimbledon. You spelled it s-e-e-d-e-d. It should be s-e-a-t-e-d. Thank you.

We used the correct word. It means to arrange draws for sports tournaments so that the best players are not drawn against each other in early rounds.

THE LADY WHOSE child is marred by a supermarket cigarette burn is right. Sadistic butt-burners must be controlled. Recall, if you will, the many times you have witnessed those wild-eyed, nicotine-crazed addicts chasing toddlers around the head lettuce with lighted cigarettes at the bayonet-charge position. God, what perversity. Ma'am, I've seen your type in stores a thousand times. You sweep into the market with your motley brood in ragged formation and immediately loose them on the peaceful public with only an occasional glance to establish their presence. Up and down the aisles they scamper, pulling merchandise from shelves, loudly yelling, laughing, crying and creating unbearable nuisance. Deeply imbued with modern child psychology, you feebly mutter: "Bobby, Tom, and Billy, don't do that. All right? Okay? Janie and Jill, put that back. Okay? All right? Okay?" Never, never do you administer that time-honored and efficacious swat in the pants. If given the opinion, I'd take the smoker in preference to your untamed progeny every time. Further, the odds are 10-to-1 that your high-speed, zig-zagging juvenile, even though under you attentive supervision, ran into that lighted cigarette.