SPEAKOUT

(Editor's note: Mark Wappel, executive director of the Southeast Missouri Council for the Boy Scouts, reports that the 3,000 scouts who participated in the council's Scouting for Food campaign Nov. 17 across 14 counties collected 76,500 cans of food totaling about 30 tons. In response to a Speak Out comment, Wappel apologized to people who did not have an opportunity to donate because a bag was not left at their house. He said people wishing to contribute may do so at one of the food banks the canned goods went to. In Cape Girardeau the food went to the Salvation Army and FISH. Wappel thanked those who gave and the National Guard and the food banks, both of which assisted in the campaign.)

I HAVE A question for the person who called in about legalizing marijuana. You make it sound as though everything is okay as far as smoking a little pot goes. It only takes one joint to retard your baby. Have you forgotten about all the poor, little infants born with birth defects due to their mothers or fathers use of marijuana? Have all the auto accidents and deaths caused by doped-up drivers escaped your mind? However, you're right on one thing: it's not much different than alcohol. It destroys brain cells, it kills people and it's very addictive. Think about it again, dopehead.

I'M JUST CALLING to tell the people in the 600 block of Terry Lane that their Christmas decorations are really pretty. Anybody else who hasn't seen them should drive by to see them. Thank you.

IN THE CONSTITUTION it says there shall not be any unfair or unusual punishment. I would like to know if this is unusual. Picture the following: A student is sitting in a classroom, his teacher gets very angry at one of the other students, who is playing with the light switch, so he makes everyone in the classroom write 50 spelling words. It was our review unit, 50 times each. I would like to know if that was fair. Thank you.

WITH ALL THE talk about the upcoming earthquake, no one has asked what the Richter scale reading was for the quake we had in '68? What was it? Thank you.

We carried a story a couple of months ago listing the most significant earthquakes in the area in recent years. The quake of Nov. 9, 1968, registered 5.4 on the Richter scale. It did not occur along the New Madrid Fault; it occurred along the Wabash Valley Fault near the southern part of the Illinois-Indiana border. It was, however, the strongest quake in the area since 1895, when a 6.4 occurred in Mississippi County.

IT'S CHRISTMAS TIME again and I just wanted to tell everyone there's a beautiful house over on Glenridge Drive. It's so well decorated with lights. I'd just like to tell the people, thank you, it looks very nice. Thank you.

THIS IS IN response to the quote in Wednesday's Missourian by Mike Coe, the student director at the Center for Earthquake Studies. In reference to him saying that there's no panic, I am, personally, one very panicked resident of the heartland. I'm afraid to go to bed at night; I'm afraid to go to sleep. If he defines panic as there being a mass exodus of traffic onto the interstate, then, no, there is no panic. But there are a lot of us who are totally scared to death.

I DON'T KNOW why everyone is getting so worried about this earthquake deal. Browning said the other night that it's going to happen in the 60- and 30-degree latitude-longitude lines, and 30 degrees is almost the whole United States of America and all the way around the world. Thank you.

I'm a 60-year-old man and I find myself in a strange situation. I am almost hoping that we have an earthquake in a smaller magnitude. The reason is I would like to see a lot of fools have to pay off on their bets, and they are in contempt of the Lord because it says in the Bible, Do not tempt thy Lord, thy God. I would love to see them have to give away all their furniture, cars, whatever they want to give away. At the same time, I would not really want to see anybody get hurt. It's just they need to learn a lesson. Thank you.

ALL I HAVE to say is you know you're from Cape Girardeau when you go to your family reunion and meet your future wife. Thank you.

JUST CAN'T FIGURE out why my son takes pills and smokes dope. Guess I'll just fix me a drink and think about it awhile.

I WISH THAT our local TV station could have just one newscast without pushing Iben Browning down my throat. When Dec. 3 and 4 comes and goes in a normal manner, they're going to have an awful lot of egg on their face.

Why blame the media for reporting on Browning's projection, which has become one of the most popular topics of conversation around here in a long time? Browning made the prediction, not the media. Don't you mean Browning might have egg on his face if no earthquake occurs then?

A CHEAP EDUCATION is a cheap imitation. Starving cows give little milk.

I HOPE EVERYBODY is reading the state of the state series that started in the Post-Dispatch last Sunday.

PEOPLE ARE PREPARING their survival kit for this earthquake, not realizing this is nothing of this Earth, material things. What about the big earthquake that will split the eastern sky when Jesus Christ comes back? Are they ready? Are they preparing? This preparation won't cost them anything. It's already been given; it's a gift of Jesus' blood. Thank you.

FOUR MORE days. I'm just waiting for the big one to happen. Actually I'm waiting for the big one not to happen. I do not believe this crap and people around this area make me ashamed to live here. Everybody thinks we're a bunch of hicks who believe in prediction and such ludicrous forecasts. I think it's absurd. Goodbye.

IF YOU WANT to help make America a better place to live, then think before you speak. Thank you.

A FRIEND WAS talking on the phone to a person in California about the earthquake. He said they had a 3.1 a short time ago. Then he said people in California get scared when they don't have little ones because they feel it relieves the pressure, and they are less likely to have a big one. Thank you.

I READ THURSDAY morning's paper and on the second page there's an article in which they talk about the National Earthquake Prediction Council. I'd like to know, if it's not possible to predict earthquakes then why do we have a National Earthquake Prediction Council? Seems to me it's either possible to predict earthquakes or it's impossible, and we shouldn't be using our taxpayer dollars to pay for a National Earthquake Prediction Council. Thank you.

SEEMS FOLKS ARE stocking up with blankets, water, flashlights, radios and food because it's been said we may have a quake. But some have neglected one important thing, which is a big mistake. They should prepare to meet the Lord and be ready to go to Heaven. God may take some out with earthquakes, some with a mighty wind, accidents, sickness and injuries. Only he knows where or when. So be prepared for anything and put your trust in him. Let us have our House in order for every day of every year. Be concerned about everlasting life, not just earthquake and survival gear.