SPEAKOUT

Time to do something about speeders

WELL, THANK God I'm not the only one against speeders. My question is: Why isn't something being done about it? I keep reading about it in Speak Out. Obviously, it's a problem. Where are the cops?

Leftover medical supplies need to be disposed of

ABOUT THE leftover medical supplies where the man lost his wife: I believe this is what is called biohazardous material, and more than likely a hospital or the fire department could dispose of those. You should never reuse a needle or anything like that. So I would say go to a hospital or fire department with those syringes and what not.

Many of us are proud of Rush Limbaugh

TO THE person who commented in Speak Out and wants to replace Rush Limbaugh on the wall of fame: The wall of fame is for famous people, not just people who reflect your personal viewpoints. Mr. Limbaugh shares the opinions and beliefs of millions of Americans, and many of us live in this Cape Girardeau area. We're not embarrassed but indeed very proud to have Rush Limbaugh on our wall of fame.

Contempt for judge lands man in jail

I JUST read the article about the retired policeman being sentenced to 90 days in jail because he didn't want to appear on jury duty. I think judges are overstepping their boundary when they go that far to say that you will be on jury duty or you will not be. And if a man does not want to, he should not have to be forced to by contempt of court and go to jail. What is this country coming to? We need to get rid of these judges.

REPLY: The man was sent to jail for his contemptuous behavior to the judge, not because he didn't want to serve on a jury.

Filipino veterans deserve benefits

I HAVE a comment to make on the recent article about the veterans from the Philippines. Seems as though President Clinton is down on these poor ex-servicemen something awful. It's a shame. The Filipinos, all the way through, were the most loyal and cooperative help that we had in World War II in the South Pacific. They just had no equal. And it's shame that these men can't be treated with the rights that they're entitled to. I really think these old-timers should have some benefits given to them.

What about the dads who pay support?

I AM tired of hearing all the comments on dads who do not pay child support. You never hear about the fathers who do pay child support, like my husband. His daughter, at 15, got pregnant and just had the baby. We're still required to pay child support. I think there's something strange with the laws there. If the daughter is going to act like an adult, she should lose her child support. I'm not saying he wouldn't still help her. The boyfriend, the father of the baby, is living with her. Now that the baby's born, it's got medical problems and is on Medicaid, so everyone is paying for this. And our Cape taxes are sending a teacher two hours a day for her to have home schooling. I mean, she's got it cushy as can be. You just never hear about the dads that do more than their part.

No respect for other people's property

I'M ADDRESSING this to the individual who made the comment about obsessive-compulsive disorder in relation to the many concerns being addressed by Cape's new theater complex. People in Cape are always complaining that there's nothing to do and there's no place to go. Finally, Cape has a very nice place to go for entertainment, and it is already becoming the target of vandals. No, the people who are addressing these problems do not suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder. We are merely concerned citizens who hate to see a new building already being defaced. However, the people who are vandalizing this new building apparently suffer from a great lack of respect for other people's property. They are the ones with the problem. Vandalism is the problem, not obsessive-compulsive behavior. If everyone just turns his head and let's this continue, I hate to think what this theater will look like in a year.

Contemplating Lincoln logs

STATE SEN. Peter Kinder makes me feel guilty. He recently wrote, "I've been reading a lot of Lincoln. You know, debate transcripts, the second inaugural, stuff like that." I'm an educated adult and I should be reading the things the senator reads, but I don't. I would like to say I'll do better, but I don't think I can. About all I read are the tabloids, TV Guide, the Dilbert comic strip and Speak Out. And though it shames me to say it, the closest I come to contemplating Lincoln is to play with logs of the same name.

Fathers make good custodial parents

I KIND of agree with that guy who called in about being a father who couldn't have his kids as often as he wanted. I totally agree with that because I'm a divorced father with two small children. I'm more financially capable of providing for them. I love them and wanted them. Also, I had day care and child care taken care of at any hour of the day for when I had to work, but the judge awarded my kids to their mother, who had no day care and whose only main reason for having the kids is so she can get money from me to operate her house because she can't afford to live on her own without my child support. But judges must deem that a man can't possibly be a fit parent, or something, I don't know.

Now an active opponent to the lake

THIS IS to the promoters of the proposed Bollinger-Cape county lake. I was a passive opponent to the lake project, but I have now become a very active opponent. I have no vested interest whatsoever in any of the land concerned. But I'm convinced the only reason the promoters are interested is greed, pure and simple. If this group has the means to organize and mail out the recent leaflet that was mailed, then they should have the means to buy land from whoever wants to sell, build their own lake and leave the families alone who want to keep their farm.

Thanks for returning bracelet

I WOULD just like to take this opportunity to thank Mrs. Payne and Sharon Davis at the Elks pool in Cape for returning my bracelet to me that I had lost there last weekend. It's a very beautiful bracelet, one that has much sentimental value to me. It just goes to show once again that we still have decent and honest people in this world. Again, thank you very, very much.

Ignorance is sometimes innocence

WHOEVER SAID that ignorance is no excuse was wrong, because ignorance is excusable. There are ignorant people in this world who are starving to death because of their ignorance. It's our duty to help them. Ignorance is sometimes innocence.