SPEAKOUT

Flags on graves

I'M A mother who lost my son in an accident three years ago. He's buried in Memorial Park between Cape and Jackson. I try to keep his memory alive to me in the way of respecting our country and our state with flags. I think it's a tragedy that anyone would come to a grave, especially that of a young person, and steal the flags that a mother and father have put on there in memory of their child. As a result of what has happened in our country, as in Oklahoma to the children, it seems like such a tragedy that anything small like a flag to a mother and father would be a gift to someone else to steal. I just can't imagine anyone being in desperate need of something that they would have to steal from a grave. This just tears at my heart, and I will keep replacing these flags as long as I can in memory of my child. I hope whoever has it in his heart to steal will stop for a moment and just think of the tragedy that this is putting the family through.

Price of admission

I'D LIKE to make my opinion known about Motorama '95 at the Show Me Center. Five dollars a head was entirely too much for what you got to see. If the motorists wish to do this again next year, they need to consider coming down or adding more to the show.

Two-bit comments

JAY EASTLICK, we don't need your two-bit comments bashing the federal government. I think the federal government has suffered enough through people like you of hating their procedures, anti-welfare recipients, making the government smaller. You want to blame everybody about Waco but the culprits themselves, these militant groups.

I DON'T know where Jay Eastlick came from, but after reading some of his columns, I hope he goes back.

Ode to Oklahoma City

I'M SO full of sympathy and so full of hurt for the people in Oklahoma City that I have to express it in rhyme if you don't mind:

I gather up Oklahoma's pain,

pain and grief untold.

It fills my heart to bursting,

it overwhelms my soul.

Though just a stranger in another state,

I feel their hearts in mine.

I know that I can't heal their wounds,

but God will in time.

THE OKLAHOMA City bombing is an open declaration of war against our government, therefore a open declaration against our people. This group that these people are affiliated with needs to ferreted out and taken care of in the swiftest and most severe manner. They're unworthy of citizenship in the United States, and they need to be taken care of in the same way those people in Waco were.

Picking board members

I UNDERSTAND that the school board members legally have the right to fill their own vacancies in the positions that are available. However, the county commission has pushed its way in and taken over in this matter. We all need to watch closely to see who they choose so that those with personal interests will not put in these spots. Those with personal interest may want new schools built so they can make money off the real estate around the new schools being built. All the citizens need to watch closely on those that are picked in the future.

REPLY: The caller's understanding of the county commission's involvement is wrong. The commission didn't seek a role in this matter. It was handed the obligation to pick three new school board members in Cape Girardeau because of a state law that says it must do so whenever more than two vacancies occur at the same time.

Beautiful yard

I JUST want Mr. and Mrs. Joe Haupt who live on Berchman Street in Jackson to know how I enjoy driving past their beautiful yard with all the dogwoods, sweet william and azaleas in bloom. You have one of the prettiest yards in Jackson, and I enjoy it very much.

Review amendments

AFTER OKLAHOMA City, I say to heck with some of our misinterpreted civil liberties, such as the right to band together, to stockpile arms, to take the law into our own hands, to publicly demonstrate, even to preach in the streets and so many other rights that have caused riots and turmoil and death in our country. The First Amendment and Fifth Amendment should be reviewed and revised or drastically amended.

THE CONSTITUTION says an American citizen has a right to bear arms. To bear means to carry, but the Constitution says nothing about an American citizen having the right to stockpile arms. There's a huge difference there. There's a lot of difference between one gun or one knife and a whole storeroom of them.

Ridiculous talk

I DON'T understand why people keep saying there was no such thing as a Holocaust. What in the world is wrong with these idiots? They're probably trying to say that this Oklahoma City didn't happen too. I never heard such ridiculous talk. What is the problem? I don't get it. The Holocaust did happen.

Lying on CBS

IT IS obvious CBS backs the president completely, because on "60 Minutes" they let him lie and did not question it. He stated that at Waco they had killed federal law enforcement people before the raid. It was during the raid that they were killed, and tapes of the raid show that possibly other federal law enforcers killed part of them. If you would read Jay Eastlick's April 22 column, you can see the president was also lying about the fire and who really killed the children at Waco. Janet Reno is just as guilty of killing children as the ones who did the terrible thing in Oklahoma City. She got on TV and took full responsibility for Waco. I don't see her under arrest. And to Leslie Stahl, anyone who thinks the federal government is not capable of doing the bombing in Oklahoma City, they are fools. Look at Randy Weaver's wife. She was unarmed and holding a baby, and the federal sharpshooters killed her.

Up to God to punish

MY FIRST reaction when I heard about the bombing in Oklahoma City was what I would like to do to the perpetrator. Then today it crossed my mind that God says "Vengeance is mine, and I will repay." Let's leave it to God to pay the vengeance.

Picking board members

I HATE the law that allows a few county politicians to select our school board in Cape Girardeau. This is allowing them to select people who will determine the taxes that we will pay here in our school district. I would urge that Sen. Peter Kinder and Rep. Mary Kasten to introduce legislation that would abolish this law and allow the people of Cape Girardeau and our school district to select the ones that we would like to be on our school board. I am a longtime Republican, and if they don't I'll never vote for them.

Pull together

HELP, HELP, help. I am scared to death since this has happened in Oklahoma City. I think all of us need to pull together and live civilized, not always complaining about everything. I'm just afraid America is going to be losing out before long with all these terrorist groups. Please, I ask you to pray for everybody, pull together, do kind things, instead of always complaining and grumbling. Even in Cape Girardeau such all the complaints being made about your school system. And in other cities, let's all pull together and try get along.

Mess on Cape Rock

WEST CAPE Rock Drive is so pretty this time of year with all the azaleas except at the former florist shop there on Cape Rock has left all its mess there when it moved and hasn't cleaned it up. I can't understand why the city doesn't get them to clean up their lot.

Intolerance on the air

I'M CALLING to say I disagree with the person who loves the new voice of KZIM's "Talk of Cape." I've listened to Cindy Jeeter for the last couple of weeks, and I'm disappointed to think that all the inroads that Carol Keeler made toward racial and cultural understanding in Cape Girardeau may be destroyed by Jeeter. She's taken every opportunity to express her right-wing conservative views on the air, which she has the right to do. But she has also expressed attitudes of hate and intolerance toward other races and cultures, including the Japanese, American blacks and Arabs. She panders to those of the community who embrace conservatism, and those who don't no longer has a voice on KZIM.

Crosses in weeds

I'M CALLING in regards to the anti-abortion "cemetery" out on I-55 by Wal Mart. If the anti-abortion group is concerned about these abortions, why don't they get out there and cut and mow their grass and weeds by the crosses?

Youths will work

I'M CALLING with reference to a comment from a lady who was concerned about the young people today. She asked a number of young people if they'd want to earn money by mowing, raking and other stuff. They didn't want to. I have an idea for her. The young people at St. Andrew's Lutheran Church are raising money to go to a youth convention in Texas this summer. If you would call the church, they will send a young person or more, as many as you need, and I'm sure they work for a very nominal sum.

Crossword mixup

I AM a fan of your daily crossword puzzle, which I like very much because they're not too hard and their not too easy. However, on Friday's crossword puzzle, we do not have the answer to that one. It was supposed to be in Saturday's paper, but the answer shown in Saturday's paper was the answer for today, Monday's crossword puzzle. So we're left with Friday's crossword puzzle, we do not have an answer for it. I think somebody kind of goofed up on that answer they showed in Saturday's paper.

REPLY: Apologies to all the faithful crossword puzzle fans and readers of the comics in the Southeast Missourian. The comics pages for Saturday and Monday were inadvertently switched, which means the crossword answers were confusing. Saturday's answers were for the puzzle in Monday's paper, and Monday's answers were for the puzzle in Friday's paper.

Marriage shenanigans

I AM wondering if anyone has a conscience these days. How can eight to 10 people know that a marriage is jeopardized by a flirty, floozy secretary and not say anything to wife? No wonder when one of you call you either hang up or you just say you need to speak to so-and-so. You never say hi, how are you? I wouldn't have the guts to either if I let go on what you have. One of these days it may be your marriage that's on the line. Then it won't be so much fun, will it? I just want to you know that one of these days real soon I will have the opportunity to tell you face to face how I feel. May God bless you all. You need it.

More shenanigans

I AM calling in to say to a husband of a friend and an acquaintance of mine: Come straight with her and tell her the truth, or I will. The pain you are putting her through is uncalled for. She is the mother your child and deserves more. After the loyalty she has shown you and you have not shown her, she deserves to be told the truth. Please tell her.

Angered by column

I AM an extremely angered and outraged by Jay Eastlick's very untimely April 22 column. I also don't think Mr. Eastlick has all his facts straight about the accounts of the Waco incident. I believe this kind of anti-government rhetoric only serves as patterns to influence the behavior in maladjusted individuals or kooks to perform copycat acts of violence.