SPEAKOUT

Cigarettes in the park

I'M CALLING concerning the comment about cleaning up our Cape Girardeau parks. You know, last Saturday we had Friends of the Park Day, and I think it says 400-plus people participated. I wonder if this person who commented about the dirty parks came out and participated. I'm a grandmother, and I was there with my granddaughter. I want you to know that we spent three hours, possibly more, there cleaning up. I don't own a dog. I did not see any dog messes at all, but the cigarettes were so horrible that my granddaughter and I decided there should be a device to pick up the cigarettes, or maybe just require people to carry a little metal thing and put their own cigarettes in it. If you're going to fine the dogs for pottying in the park, then you should fine the people for flipping the cigarettes all over the park. Actually, it was just really disgusting.

Thanks for the donation

AS I was reading the article in the Sports section about how the Capaha field now sparkled, I would like to thank Pepsi-Cola which donated $25,000 to the scoreboard at Capaha field. It sure looks nice. Thanks, Pepsi.

Golf isn't a real sport

TIGER WOODS is a fine young man, but the shame of it is now even 14-year-old kids are out thinking it's hip to walk around a golf course. With most 16-year-old kids plastered to a car seat, the last thing they need is to be encouraged to play a game that you don't even have to run. They should stick to real sports.

Politics in the pulpit

MY WIFE and I go to church. Preacher gets up there and preaches about politics. We come home. We get into it. I'll tell you what, the church is about to split us over politics. We've been married a long time, but when it comes to politics, it should be freedom of your own choice. I wish they'd start preaching the word of Jesus Christ and leave politics alone.

A legal question

I HAVE a question about medical records. Could you advise me if a person has a legal right to their medical records or a legal right to have their medical records given to another physician? I have been unable to obtain my records from two different physicians in Cape Girardeau and wonder if there's a local problem with this. Could you please answer this?

REPLY: Legal questions are best answered by legal professionals. You might want to consult a lawyer about this. You also might want to contact the Cape Girardeau County Area Medical Society at 334-5890.

Being sanctimonious

I REALLY enjoy the comments about making alcohol and tobacco illegal. Then we can stop taking advantage of the taxes we receive and use from sin. Let's put that tax on food, property, gas. We'll call that the goody-two-shoes tax. We'll let the bootleggers and Mafia take over the alcohol again along with tobacco. Then we'll pay more taxes on the necessary things in life. We'll have more cops, build more jails and prisons and really fill up the court dockets. Sound like self-serving, sanctimonious call-ins. What ever happened to we'll-take-the-devil's-money-to-do-the-Lord's-work attitude? I guess being sanctimonious just feels too good to face reality.

Festering situation

THESE LAWMAKERS better start looking at the situation with the poor because it might fester.

Walker Creek trail

THE BICYCLE and walking trail along Walker Creek is a great asset to this city. I would encourage those of you who haven't tried it to go to Arena Park and start from there and make the round trip.

Suggested savings

THIS IS a Jackson concerned parent. My daughter is a member of Jackson's High School Future Business Leaders of America club. She competed in a academic competition at the district meeting and earned a trip to the state competition this weekend. She, along with 30 other students, made a trip to Columbia, all expenses paid by the Jackson School District. The problem is that only half of these students earned their way. Others are chosen by the sponsors and given made up reasons for going like campaign boosters or are made voting delegates. The voting delegates could have just easily been filled by the students already going. This would have saved money. Between meals and hotel rooms, the club spent over $1,000 of taxpayer money. I mean, what are we trying to teach these future business leaders? That it is OK to sponge off the masses and not worry where the money is coming from? Unless Jackson schools become a little more thrifty with our hard-earned tax money, I think I will think twice next time they want new tax levies for new buildings or computer labs.

More math and science

IN THE Missourian, it shows the courses required for graduation at Central High School, which includes two math and two science. I send my children to Notre Dame because it requires three math and three science. You need more than that to even enter college. They should upgrade their program. Maybe the public school will get better.

Losing a good coach

I SEE where Bob Koonce has accepted a head baseball coaching position at Logan-Wattsville High School. I sure wish Cape Central Athletic Department and the rest of the Cape Girardeau community would wake up and realize what they will be losing when he leaves. I do believe his credentials as a coach speak for themselves. Come on, Cape, we need to pull together on this one before we lose a great force in youth baseball.

Fingerprinted for checks

I AM a 45-year-old black woman, and this is regarding the check cashing policy at one of Cape Girardeau's banks. If you don't have a checking or savings account with them, you are fingerprinted at the teller's discretion, and this is discrimination.

There are jobs for the poor

THIS IS an answer to "Bob Dole's money." The poor can help themselves. There are jobs for them. They just don't want them. There are people who have been on welfare seven years or longer. Bob Dole is the only one who tried to stop that. Things don't come easily in America, so don't give me that anti-poor junk.

Monument to freedom

THIS IS to the person who commented about the Freedom Corner. Please correct this and tell him that the VFW didn't do this. The American Legion erected this. And besides, it was in honor of our men that died to give this caller the privilege to say this in the Missourian.

Fewer requirements?

I THINK if the Cape Girardeau School Board wants to cut the drop-out problem, maybe it should consider lowering the high school graduation requirements down to about 16 units. That way, almost anybody can qualify.