A CALLER said, "Extracurricular programs are just as vital to the higher education experience as the classroom." Then why don't they have majors in football and basketball. Those programs are costing SEMO millions each year. Do employers care if you played football at a Division I school? Or do they care what your GPA was and what you majored in? Quit being so ridiculous.

Need more action

IT'S A shame that our tax dollars pay the salary of law-enforcement officers who won't do their jobs. I live in Scott City and have noticed that when police are called to handle a problem with underage drinkers, nothing is done. This has happened on numerous occasions, and it's usually the same group of kids who are drunk. When will something get done? When those kids get back behind the wheel of their cars and kill someone?

Differing viewpoints

THERE HAS been little change in the politics of this country since 1776. Our economic situation today can be explained by the different views of our Founding Fathers. Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson argued over who should have control of our government. Hamilton, much like the Republicans of today, did not want a government "by the people." His exact words were, "The people are a great beast." He believed the only way for government to be successful would be to forge a strong relationship between big business and the federal government, which could only be done if all power were held by the wealthy aristocracy of the time. Jefferson retorted with, " I have never observed man's honesty to increase with riches." Words have never been spoken so true. Hamilton got his way, and "we the people" are stuck with the administration of George W. Bush.

Look at the numbers

YOUR PAPER has long argued that public education diverts money from the classroom in favor of the school bureaucracy. Yet the Southeast Missourian blames the fiscal crisis at SEMO on the faculty. Instead of acting as a shill for the SEMO administration, its time you guys at the paper put down your coffee cups and did some real investigative journalism. Look at the numbers. You would find that the fiscal problems at SEMO can be blamed on the growth in non-classroom spending.

Worst curse ever

YES, WE are blessed to have a free press. However, a caller's point that Speak Out is a blessing is a controversial one in the sense that some consider it newspaper history's worst-ever curse.

Lousy marketing

OH, PLEASE. An editorial in the Southeast Missourian scolding fans to appear at a concert isn't exactly a progressive marketing technique.

Words, not action

EVEN AS First Lady Laura Bush celebrated the importance of literacy on the Washington Mall last weekend, her husband was targeting the Education Department for its lowest funding increase in seven years. Assuring that education funding does not keep pace with inflation assures that every child is left behind. This is just another example of the gap between Bush rhetoric and Bush action. Time and again he promises compassionate conservatism and then blocks or refuses funding.

Significant progress

AS PART of efforts to strengthen Iraqi higher education, the U.S. Agency for International Development has awarded $11.7 million in grants to three consortia of American and other universities that will work with their counterparts in Iraq. If a country were truly in chaos and there were a Somalia-like quagmire, would time be spent on strengthening higher education? The anti-war, anti-Bush contingent cannot accept that significant and rapid progress in rebuilding Iraq far outweighs the minor setbacks they harp on.

Protesters vindicated

THANKS TO the Missourian for publishing the indictment by U.S. weapons inspector David Kay of the lies propounded by George W. Bush about weapons capabilities of Iraq prior to the U.S. invasion. But where were you when these lies were being told? Like most U.S. media, you were busy dumping on the war protesters, who have now been vindicated on every challenge they made to the Bush warmongering propaganda machine. How can this man still be enjoying any public support for his continued lies?