SPEAKOUT

Keep spuds in the dark

IN ANSWER to the lady's problem with potatoes, she's buying potatoes from a new crop, and the best thing to do is to keep them from out of the light. That'll keep them from turning green.

Thanks for standing in line

THIS IS a big thank you to a lady whose name I don't know who stood in line for me Friday morning for two hours just so my grandson could have a piano that he wants really bad for Christmas. She's an angel. I appreciate her. I hope God gives her a merry Christmas and a big thank you from me.

You're right to be upset

I WONDER how many of those so-called self-righteous called in telling you folks in Scott City to stop complaining and read your Bible. I just wonder how many of those people don't have to wait at that light, or how many of those people are retired, like myself, and kind of forgot about the days when you're younger and have to have to travel and make a living. The long wait could cause your radiator to boil over or your car could stall. You have to worry about making your living and getting to and from work, and have to put up with the long lines of traffic. They say the officials are doing a good job. I say if they're doing their best, it's not good enough. Scott City is not that big of a town to have that traffic problem. I could understand it in Kansas City or Saint Louis. For those self-righteous people to tell you to count your blessings, be thankful you don't live in a big city. You have every right to be irritated at the highway officials.

The ATF perspective

THIS IS in response to Teresa Johnson's column about Waco. I read with interest your article on Waco. My son was sent there with ATF agents. Your brief paragraph about the 54-day standoff should have been pre-empted by some information about why the agency was called in. ATF was notified by UPS that they had been delivering cases of assault weapons to the Branch Davidian compound. Now tell me, if you were law enforcement officials, would you not question if Koresh was truly a man of religious persuasion? Churches don't stockpile weapons. The mailman who leaked the information about the surprise visit can take some blame for the death and wounding of four agents. My son spent five weeks away from his family, and when he called home his little 4-year-old daughter said, "Daddy, be very careful, and be very careful with the children." These were fathers who were not there to blow up or burn a church with children in it. They did not. My son was home at the time of the burning and was thankful he wasn't there. In all fairness to the men of ATF who are employed to do a job, I wanted to set the record straight.

There's plenty of time

THIS IS to the person who wants us to stop whining about the interchange in Scott City. The caller suggested that you cannot take a cardboard box and make a mansion out of it. I bet you can. You will probably have enough time to do that very thing while you're sitting at the stop light at Scott City. Yes, you could brick it. You could move an entire family in. You would never have to move it out of the way because no one gets through the light. I bet those people who tell us to stop about whining about the interchange are coming from the interstate into Scott City. That way moves fast. Try getting out of Scott City. It's a lot slower than you think.

No health obligation

THIS IS in response to the Speak Out item about people's right to health care. This person quoted percentages of money spent in the last three weeks of life and all this stuff. I have never, ever read anything that would support that, and I have an idea that the caller has an arm about three miles long to pull something like that out of the air. People need health care, but no one else is entitled or obligated to give it to them. They can do the same thing others do: spend their money carefully and provide for themselves. People who sit around and think someone else owes you a living is ridiculous. If you're so inclined, you can provide for yourself most of the time. There are a few handicapped people who can't, but intelligent, able-bodied people can and should. Don't feel guilty because someone you know didn't provide for themselves and blew their money and wasted it.

Not enough to pay taxes

IN REGARD to the articles in Speak Out about farmers: How come a farmer with a million-dollar operation oud of Jess Crawford

I THINK that one of the people who needs to be noted whenever sports heroes or figures in the area are mentioned is Jess Crawford. He played on Central's team that was undefeated, untied and unscored-on. Then he went on to be second-team All American at Cape State. Coach Brinkopf said he probably should have been first team. He then was a coach of Mayfield's high school team and led them to a state title when there was only one title. And also was general manager of a minor -league baseball team in Mayfield. I'm very proud that Jess Crawford is my uncle.

Stretch students' minds

THIS IS a comment on the person who said he didn't think his children were getting value for their money at SEMO. I have a daughter at SEMO, and in one of the hard science classes she took the students were told at the beginning of the class that if they attended every class they were automatically guaranteed a C no matter their performance on the tests or actual knowledge of the subject. On the other hand, I also know from personal experience that the students and the parents get extremely upset when they get anything less than an A or a B if they do any work at all. The grade inflation is unbelievable. I resent it as a parent of a child whose mind should really be encouraged to stretch. Instead, they have plenty of time every night to watch TV and hang out with her friends.