Thank you for pageant support

To the editor:

During the week of June 3-9, 2001, 28 very talented young women competed for scholarships and for the title of Miss Missouri with their ultimate goal of becoming Miss America. To be able to compete in the Miss Missouri pageant, contestants must first win one of the many local pageants all across the state of Missouri.

Some very dedicated local volunteers conduct these local pageants. But all of the hard work of these local volunteers would be in vain if it wasn't for the great generosity of the local businesses and their patrons. Whether it is money, food, lodging, gifts, facility use or labor, these local pageants could not happen without this outstanding local support. Nor would Missouri be represented at the Miss America pageant.

We salute those who provide support to the Miss Jackson pageant and Miss Sikeston pageant and hope that you continue to do so in the future. Miss Missouri Jennifer Hover represented the state of Missouri at the Miss America pageant. On behalf of the Missouri Local Pageant Association, we thank you for your support.KENDELL MISEMER

Association president

Stanberry, Mo.

Fight anger with help and food

To the editor:

I watched in horror with Americans everywhere as the planes slammed into New York, Washington and the fertile fields of Pennsylvania. My horror quickly turned to anger and a need for revenge.

As a nation, we now stand on the brink of war. A war that could be protracted with a great loss of life on both sides. I've been to war. I served with the Marines in Vietnam. War is ugly. In war, the innocent are hard to discern and often die alongside the guilty. My experiences of war make me question the quickness with which our leaders, both spiritual and political, have turned to war as a solution to terrorism.

What if we kill bin Laden? He will become even more a religious icon as a martyr, and thousands will rise up to take his place.

I think we need to understand the roots of terrorism and answer the question of how an evil man can garner the support of whole nations of people. Why do these people consider the United States as evil? Could it be as simple as hunger and hopelessness?

It is a fact that thousands of children die of starvation in Afghanistan and Iraq every year due partly to our government's foreign policies. For a moment, if you can, put yourself in the place of a father or mother who has just buried a child, a child you watched die in agony. Are you angry? What if a man like bin Laden came along and gave you a target to vent that anger?

I personally cannot support the killing of thousands of innocent people as retaliation for the killing of thousands of innocent people. It's wrong, and it's a policy doomed to failure, with a loss of life that could eclipse anything we've seen in this nation. Is there a chance that if we answer terrorist treachery with an act of kindness aimed at their supporters, that we might in time cut the terrorist support?

Without this support, we could isolate the evil and bring the guilty to justice with the help of the nations which now harbor them.

The people behind these terrible acts must be held accountable, but shouldn't we search out the reasons for the anger behind these acts of violence and work to solve the problems of the countries that harbor these criminals? Maybe, with our support, these nations can reassume their positions as partners in a civilized world, leaving no place for terrorism to breed and flourish.

And finally, you better ask yourself, are you ready to sacrifice your sons and daughters, grandsons and granddaughters, brothers and sisters in this crusade?DICK JACKSON

Mountain Grove, Mo.