Pro-life signs

IT REALLY made me stop and think the other day when I passed the pro-life signs that have been put up along Perryville Road at St. Mary's Cemetery. I am a Christian. I need to start speaking up and fighting for the unborn. The other side of the sign talks about dogs having more rights than our offspring. This is very thought-provoking. I would be in more trouble if somebody caught me being cruel to an animal than I would be for killing my unborn offspring.

Paying for decisions

I WAS reading a comment that said someone does not choose to be hungry, poor or sick. I disagree. I think people choose those ways of life when they drop out of school, get pregnant or smoke. There are choices people make. When you make the wrong ones, you pay for them just as you are rewarded for the right ones.

For concealed weapons

GOV. BOB Holden needs to think about who voted him in. We will remember when it's election time again. The concealed-weapon law is a good thing. It would drop crime to a new low.

Need police help

SHAME ON you, Cape Girardeau Police Department. We are encouraged to police our neighborhoods and to take back our neighborhoods. Yet when we call upon your assistance to stop the loud car music, screaming children and property damage, you only drive by without stopping to talk with the violators we reported to you. Because the noise stopped temporarily doesn't mean it didn't happen. It's the pattern over time that is the problem. Police department, we need your help. It is obvious to us we cannot do this alone. Please help us.

Read the studies

IN ANNOUNCING a major fund-raising effort, the March of Dimes claims a 27 percent rise in premature births and low birth weight babies is a mystery. The March of Dimes exploits the mysterious rise in dangerous pre-term deliveries to raise hundreds of millions of dollars. Perhaps the March of Dimes should read one of the 48 published studies showing a history of abortion places women at a significantly higher risk of premature births and low birth rate.

Policing the world

MORE THAN several serious members of the intellectual community say it's time for the United States to pull out of the United Nations. Perhaps we can police the world without the support of significant segments of the international community. I say we should give it a try.

Anti-Americanism

I HAVE no recollection of David Limbaugh writing that open opposition to President Clinton's administration's intervention in Kosovo was anti-American.

The joy is missing

IT DOESN'T surprise me that someone is complaining about hearing laughter in a high school office. I'll bet it's the same person who objects to seeing a dog riding in the back of a pickup with the wind blowing in its face. Some people have no joy in their lives.

Playing petty games

SO CONGRESS changed the name of its cafeteria french fries to freedom fries. This is childish and immature. Instead of engaging in intellectual dialogue with other nations, Congress would rather play petty games. I am afraid for our nation.

Let's keep the kissing

IN PROTEST against French foreign policy vis-a-vis Iraq, I support the removal of all things French except kissing.

Age of responsibility

TO THE people who think the drinking age should be lowered because 18-year-olds are responsible enough: I've seen some 21-year-olds who aren't responsible enough to drink.

Law was broken

I'D LIKE to comment on the underage drinking at the bonfire party. The law is the law. The law states that the drinking age in Missouri is 21. Maybe it is too high. That's not the issue now. The issue is that the law was broken. In my opinion there should be punishment for breaking the law.

Trash cans on Broadway

DURING A casual walk down Broadway, I collected two handfuls of trash off the sidewalks. To my surprise, there were no trash cans anywhere on the street to throw it all away. If the merchants will install trash cans on the sidewalks, I'll do my part to help keep downtown clean.

Gutless appropriations

THE GUTLESS Wonder of the Winter Award goes to the Republican-controlled Missouri Legislature. Republicans have made a living off of bashing bureaucrats. So what do they do? They vote to take our appropriated tax money and turn it over to unelected bureaucrats to make decisions on how it should be spent. This is not only gutless, but shameful, sickening and likely unconstitutional. Turning control of the legislature over to the GOP may have been the biggest mistake in Missouri history.

I THINK that changing the name from "french" fries to "freedom" fries is a great idea. But why stop there? Let's change "German" chocolate cake to "Unoppressed" chocolate cake. And because Turkey won't let any more U.S. troops in, we should kill all of the turkeys and find a substitute meal for Thanksgiving.

Can't get much worse

I DON'T think they should wait to raise local taxes until after the economy improves. That would just make the economy go bad again. Do it while the economy is bad, because it won't make it all that much worse.

Setting store hours

I HOPE you read the article about how the government of Germany sets store hours. If you didn't, it reported that the unions are responsible for laws that require all stores to close at 4 p.m. on Saturday and not open again until Monday. The rules also require all stores to be open until 8 p.m. during the week. It makes me glad I live where I -- not the government -- set my store's hours. It also shows what happens when unions have too much power.