Lack of class

IN SUNDAY'S paper columnist Gene Lyon used the term "crackpot" concerning President Bush's judicial appointments. What a lack of class. Regardless of who or which party holds the office of president of the most powerful country in the world, the office deserves respect. Lyons shows a total lack of respect for the person Americans voted into this office.

Asking for handouts

NANCY JERNIGAN and her bleeding-heart liberalism are enough to ensure that my wife and I will no longer contribute to the United Way. She thinks the city is responsible for the poor children, but the city is barely getting by. She asks how the city is going to help the school district. What a ridiculous question. The schools get tons of money and should take care of themselves. Look at your tax bill and see who gets the bulk of your property tax, which is extremely high. Jernigan needs to stop preaching to the rest of us who are getting by with very little but without asking for a handout.

Everyone benefits

CAPE GIRARDEAU Chamber of Commerce president John Mehner was quoted in the Southeast Missourian as saying that private schools hurt the public school system. That's odd. One of the basic principles of capitalism Mehner apparently disavows is that competition for students is healthy and ultimately benefits all schools, private, parochial and public.

Tuition and taxes

JOHN MEHNER, who represents the Cape Girardeau Chamber of commerce, said private schools "ultimately hurt the public school system." He forgets we choose and pay to send our children to a private school for a religion-based education. And we pay real estate taxes to support public schools too.

Responsible power

I READ that Jonathan McClard was the third-youngest inmate currently within the Missouri correctional system. There is no doubt that, following his preposterous sentencing, he had no hope whatsoever for a future. At the age of 16, what young person can imagine 30 years in a maximum-security facility? His attorney failed him miserably and made it possible for the prosecuting attorney and sentencing judge to make him an example. His crime was a horrific one. However, there was no compassion shown whatsoever by the victim or his family. The victim agreed to meet him for a fight. Was there no responsibility for this on his part too? How about the young woman who fed information to both the victim and shooter? Is there no liability there either? This whole incident has soured me on our resolve to prevent disasters as well as be fair in our judicial system. Power is a great responsibility. We see its corruption in this case.

A time of pain

THE DEATH of Jonathan McClard is a tragedy that touches us all. I have a heartful of questions. Why is a child sentenced as an adult and given a sentence with little hope? Don't prison personnel watch offenders who may be suffering more so than usual? This boy was terribly apprehensive about his upcoming transfer to a maximum security facility. Let's reach out to this family whose pain is unimaginable.

Sad consequences

AGAIN, THE politically correct crowd is at work saying that an individual is not responsible for his/her actions but we all are. Each individual must be held accountable for their own actions. No excuses. Not the victim. Not the police. Not the judicial system. Poor choices lead to bad consequences. Sadly enough, those consequences sometimes include death.

Doing a great job

MATT SANDERS is doing a wonderful job as a reporter and his work with SE Live each week. He's doing a great job, and I'm proud to have known him growing up in Bloomfield. He's doing us proud. Keep up the great job, Matt.

Proud of library

LIKE THE editorial board of the Southeast Missourian, I am proud as punch that Cape Girardeau is going to have a new, state-of-the-art public library, and I again thank all of those who worked so hard to harvest the votes to make it happen.

Facts about TV

IT'S A prime example of how willing and sometimes even eager people are to accept the mantle of victim when someone complains to Speak Out about a major improvement coming to television signals being unfair without first getting the facts. If you already have a digital television or are on any kind of service such as cable or satellite, you will need to do absolutely nothing. If you are using an antenna, all you will have to do is connect a simple converter box that the government is going to buy for you. For this very minor inconvenience you are going to receive a much improved signal with endless possibilities for improvement and expansion in the future. Just think about it. Television is the greatest tool the powers that be have to distract and misinform the public. Do you really think they're going to take that away?

Inanimate objects

FUNNY, BUT my guns never put food on the table, put children through school, heated the house or obtained gas for my car. They are guns. They are inanimate objects, nothing else, and to me they are not the most important thing in the world. Carry one all you want, but don't ever threaten me with it.