SPEAKOUT

Enjoyed Anita Hill

I JUST wanted to report I attended Anita Hill's speech at the Show Me Center. Despite reading several call-ins to Speak Out criticizing this event, everything went smoothly and was very nice. I enjoyed it immensely. I just bet none of the critics were there.

Liberal litmus test

IN MONDAY'S Speak Out I noticed a caller stated a liberal friend had called him or her closed-minded because he or she had no liberal views. The caller said that the forming of separate opinion from the same source of information is healthy. I agree. But I'd like to remind the caller of something else. It goes like this: If you're not liberal and thought to be compassionate before you're 30, you don't have a heart, but after 30, if you're still a liberal, you don't have a brain.

SEMO admission standards

RECENTLY my daughter took the ACT test to get into SEMO and did not score high enough. She was one point out of being accepted into Southeast Missouri State University. She re-took the test in the meantime to try to pass it and came back with the same score. I called Southeast Missouri State University and even talked to some friends of mine who are on the faculty and told them of the situation. They informed me that the president is trying to make a Yale or Princeton out of the university, and there's a lot of kids who would be good students who cannot get into the school. I have had to purchase a car for my daughter and pay for her to drive all the way to Farmington and pay room and board. It is costing me money I don't have. I have had to take out a second mortgage out on my house in order to pay for the car for my daughter and to pay her living expenses while she goes to Mineral Area College. I have lived in Cape Girardeau and Cape Girardeau County all my life. I am 45 years old and am a taxpayer and a veteran. And here I am in Cape with one of the finest universities around, and my daughter cannot attend the school. And I understand they're going to raise the qualifications next year to even match or surpass the ACT that is required to get into Mizzou at Columbia. Could there be some kind of exception for children that can be taught maybe a special type of class to pass or score a higher ACT exam? Why is the Southeast Missouri State University president trying to make a Yale or Princeton out of the school where the kids around here can't attend if they're not smart enough? I think this is terrible. I'm sending my money out of town to Farmington where it could stay here in town.

MLK reflections

I'M SITTING here today thinking about Martin Luther King's birthday, how everybody's saying he liberated the black people and that everyone should be thankful. Well, I am thankful. I'm glad he did what he did. Segregation was wrong. But now comes a new liberator named Newt Gingrich. Newt is liberating the taxpayers, taking this terrible burden of servitude off the taxpayers, the wage earners. He's liberating America, and I think we should be thankful for him. Might be good to change Martin Luther King's birthday to Martin Luther King-Newt Gingrich.

Crime and prostitutes

I WAS in several countries overseas that had legalized prostitution and legalized gambling. I wonder if they didn't have any crime, why they had such large police forces?

SEMO gone liberal?

I AGREE with the people who called in Speak Out complaining that public money was spent to pay Anita Hill to come here and speak. I wonder what happened to her claim that she wasn't going to make any money by opposing Clarence Thomas when she gets apparently $10,000 per appearance. For those who think SEMO has newly gone liberal, I attended five years ago, and I encourage who's interested to tour the campus on National Gay and Lesbian Awareness day which is Feb. 14. If it's anything like it was five years ago, you will be very surprised.

Handicapped stickers

THIS IS to all the handicapped drivers who are driving around Cape Girardeau with their blue sticker hanging down from their rear-view mirror. Please read your handicapped sticker. It says remove from mirror before you drive. I came close to being hit twice this past week by drivers who had their view obstructed by their handicapped sticker hanging from their rear-view mirror. Please remove them when you're driving.

Keep writing, Mark

I HOPE Mark Bliss keeps writing about his little daughter. I enjoy it. It takes me back to the days when mine were small.

Think positive, Indian fans

SEMO INDIANS on the road loss to Tennessee Tech was a biggie, but Monday's game versus Middle Tennessee was a mere loss of two points. A very close game. And I bet there were more SEMO Indian fans watching TV in support of the team than those in attendance at Middle Tennessee. So come on, SEMO Indians, you have the desire, ability and talent, a great coach leading you and fans' support. So accent the positive, eliminate the negative. Think win. I'm positive you can on Jan. 23.