SPEAKOUT

ONE OF MY pet peeves is when people call and let the telephone ring two or three times, and before you get to the phone they hang up. Please give people time to get to the phone. Thank you.

TO THE PERSON WHO called in on Dec. 19: Where did you get this information that Iran was going to drill from the border side of Iraq and get it sideways? Please get your information straight. Thank you.

HAVE YOU THOUGHT about an endowment fund for Toybox? I, for one, would contribute to an endowment fund. After a few years of this there would be money coming in from the interest that would help with Toybox. Thank you.

We commend you for your concern. For three years Toybox has had an interest-bearing trust account of cash donations in excess of amounts needed to meet needs of Toybox recipients. It also serves as a reserve account that could be used should donations fall short of needs. If you are interested in contributing to that account, please contact Kim McDowell at the Southeast Missourian. The number is 335-6611.

IT IS BEYOND my comprehension that Dr. Dave Stewart's colleagues could take such a stance as to cause Dr. Stewart to step down. Actually I see no loyalty displayed at all for this man. It seems that Dr. Stewart was forced to walk such a narrow line that he couldn't even speak freely. I can tell just from what I've seen and read that Dr. Iben Browning is certainly not a publicity seeker. One could tell that from his demeanor when he was on television. One thing my husband and I enjoyed were the interviews with him. I thought they were very well done. Actually, if Mr. Browning had these feelings, he had an obligation to let us know if it was 50-50. If he felt this way he had to let us know. It certainly would have been wrong if he'd kept silent about it. My husband and I personally felt it was prudent to make some preparations, but neither one of us panicked. We showed concerned, and I think that's the way most people were; they were feeling concern. I feel that the university has lost credibility, not Dr. Stewart and certainly not Iben Browning. Thank you.

IF A WAR breaks out in the Persian Gulf, the Army is predicting losses of 60 percent of our force over there. That's almost 65,000 lives, way over the number of lives lost in Vietnam, and that's not even counting the wounded. Is it even worth the cost of one life for this? We have not been attacked. We have no treaty to protect Kuwait. Kuwait is not a democracy that we must protect. We are not dependent on oil from Iraq or Kuwait. We're only saving Bush's face if we fight. The time is now to write your senators and congressmen to prevent this massacre.

You're entitled to your opinion, and it's one that is shared by many Americans. But we certainly haven't seen any such estimate by the Army or anyone else of 60 percent casualties. If you have a credible source, share it with us.

I WANT TO thank the very honest person who turned in my purse at Hardee's on Thursday. I wish they'd left their name. I would have liked to have rewarded them. At any rate I hope they have a Merry Christmas. There are honest people left.

I KNOW MOST people wouldn't agree with this, but I like the Speak Out line. It's a very educational column, and I really enjoy reading it when it comes out in the paper. I'd like to thank the Southeast Missourian for putting the Speak Out line in. I read the paper every day and that's the first thing I turn to. Thank you.

I THINK CDs are stupid. I don't know why everybody is buying them. They're so stupid. Tapes are $5 or less. You can buy them, but they're pretty expensive too. I think eight-tracks are the best. Thanks.

SOMETHING TO THINK about and to reflect upon: I was just wondering why, after almost a year now, the United States spent billions of dollars invading Panama, tearing up Panama, killing many of their people, and now we're spending billions of dollars building back the damage that they did to Panama. Yet Noriega is living fairly well here in the United States, and has never yet been brought to trial. Does this make you wonder what's going on? Just how strong is our government, our president? He threatened that he was going to tear Noriega apart; he was going to take him to court and send him to the penitentiary for life. He's still resting easy in prison here in the United States, living very comfortable. Another point: With all the S&Ls still failing, does it make you wonder why we never hear Neil Bush's name mentioned in the last two or three months? He's connected with the Colorado failure of S&Ls. He happened to be the president's son. You never hear any more about Neil Bush and you never hear any more about Noriega. That's got me wondering. Thank you.

The reason you haven't heard anything about the president's son or Noriega recently is because there has been nothing new concerning them to report. If and when there are developments concerning either, you will be hearing about them again.

I READ IN the paper that the city staff and the park advisory board want to research the issue of hiring a professional manager for the golf course. How can they possibly need to do any research? Anyone who has played at that course regularly over the last three years could have no doubts about the need for such a manager. There can also be no issue as to the cost. A good manager will more than save the cost of his salary in reducing the duplications of efforts and the wasted efforts in trying to plant trees and grow grass.

IT IS NICE to see that the principals of the grade schools volunteered to pick up the litter on Highway 55. Now, if the principal and Central High administrators would volunteer to pick up litter in the neighborhood of Central High, you don't know how much the neighborhood would appreciate it. If not, why don't you have a closed lunch hour? Maybe then the students would help stop the ones who are doing the littering. Thank you.

I DON'T LIKE FOR the media trying to make me feel sorry for the wives and families of those in Saudi Arabia. Those husbands, fathers, and sons in Saudi were paid by me and every other taxpayer in advance just in case something like Saddam is saying will happen happens. They enlisted in order to get what they thought was easy money. Nobody other than a saddest enjoys war, with the exception of those who make money, because of the manufactured goods and everything it takes to fight a war. But I don't want to hear how the wife or mother cries each night when she willingly accepted our money. The husband or son was paid to go to the war before she ever heard of Saudi Arabia or Saddam Hussein. That's dirty pool. Thank you, Speak Out.

IF YOU'RE NOT willing to see your relatives, friends and neighbors die in the Middle East in an undeclared, illegal war, then it's time to write your congressmen, your senators, and your president. Let them know that they work for us, the voters, and that you do not wish this war. Is it possible that this is the time of which President Eisenhower spoke when he said: The time when people want peace so much that their leaders had better get out of the way and let them have it.

I JUST WANT to say Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone in Cape Girardeau. Thanks.

I'D JUST LIKE to share this. The best Christmas ever is the love and the coming closer of my family from one that was full of discord and fighting and bickering. It is truly a miracle. I just wanted to share this. This is the best Christmas ever for me and I hope it's happy for all of you.

WE WATCH BUGS Bunny instead of Dan Rather in the evenings. Bugs makes a lot more sense and he doesn't lean to the left.

THE GOVERNMENT DOESN'T have a cent that doesn't belong to taxpayers, yet they commit grand theft all the time. The state can't have tough drunk-driving laws unless the government awards them millions of taxpayers' money. I might add that the biggest percentage of taxpayers drink, even the ones who make the laws and enforce them. Prisons are full of people who have done less grand theft; it just didn't pass Congress and the Senate.

Your point is difficult to grasp, but we decided to publish your comments anyway. Congressmen and senators are elected to decide, among other things, how tax money is spent. How can you view that as theft? It costs money to enforce laws. Are you saying taxpayers' money should not be used to do so? Also, are you saying that anyone who drinks should not pay taxes, make laws and enforce them? You might want to call or write Speak Out again and clarify your comments. We will be pleased to publish them.