SPEAKOUT

Is is prostitution?

REGARDING THESE strip bars, if these same women were in a hotel room performing the same acts that they are doing in these bars, would they not be considered prostitutes?

Used to walk to work

I HAD to laugh when I read the comment about the senior citizens center and all the old people having nice cars. Do young people understand that years ago we walked to work? We didn't even have a car to go to work in. Today every young person has a car, and then they wonder why they haven't got any money.

Water over the street

COULD SOMEBODY please tell me why there is always water over the road at Cambridge and Lexington streets. During winter months it is a terrible hazard. You come to a stop sign, and you slide right through. This has been going on for about three years or at least since we've been in Northfield Subdivision. Isn't there anything the city or someone can do about that problem?

Meals not subsidized

THIS IS just to let the general public know that the meals at the senior citizens center aren't subsidized. Anyone can buy a meal at the senior citizens center if they choose to. Some don't have to pay because of their income.

Playing by the rules

I WANTED to make a comment on Melvin Gately's statement in the Southeast Missourian. The majority of Cape Girardeau residents do not agree with Mr. Gately, I'm sure he doesn't speak for all of us. If Regina's House of Dolls and the Alibi Club play by the rules, they went through a thorough background investigation.

Next surgeon general

WHOEVER THE next surgeon general is, I hope that he or she is well-rounded when it comes to health issues that face our country. Dr. Joycelyn Elders apparently felt that teen-age sex, drugs and AIDS were the only health problems. Her predecessor, C. Everett Koop, devoted practically all of his time preaching against smoking. No doubt smoking, teen-age sex, drugs and AIDS are major health problems, but there are many others as well that our last two surgeon generals have failed to address. I hope the next surgeon general doesn't devote all of the time championing special causes while ignoring the other problems.

Take poll on strippers

I HAVE a suggestion for the city council. Before you pass regulations for the strip bars to satisfy what I think is a small minority of moralists who are raising a lot of problems, I suggest that the city do a comprehensive poll of the city residents to see what the feeling in the city at large is. This might prevent passing regulations that would subject the city to extensive liability with a lawsuit from these businesses, and it might satisfy the people that are interested in putting this thing to rest.

No contracts to scabs

TO SHOW you what a good president we have, he's ordering that no government contracts be awarded to companies that hire scab laborers during a strike. That's wonderful, and that's something that Congressman Emerson I understand is against. He thinks that during a strike scab laborers ought to be allowed to replace the workers. That goes to show you that the Democrats and President Bill Clinton are on the side of the working man. I think it is going to sink in with the people and the election in 1996 is going to turn it around. We're going to put Democrats back in control.

Not many protesters

IT'S PRETTY obvious that the Missourian and the city council have their own agenda regarding the strip bars, especially when the city council says there is a huge public outcry from the people of Cape Girardeau but only a handful of people show up at the meeting about this and when the protesters against the strip club number three, not hundreds, not thousands, just three measly protesters out there.

Thanks for honesty

I'D LIKE to thank the person who found my billfold in the parking lot at West Park Mall on Feb. 20. It was returned to the security office, and nothing was missing in it. Thank you for your honesty, and God bless you.

Worried about birds

CAN'T THE city do something about these birds out here on the west side behind Shoney's and in that area. They are thick, and it is a real health hazard.

Thanks for billfold

WHILE AT Regina's with my son celebrating his 21st birthday, my son lost his billfold with his spare contact lenses inside, I would like to thank the young lady who found them and called me. It was very much appreciated.

Not the entire city

REGARDING THE strip bar regulations, Melvin Gately's commented, "Make no mistake, the citizens of Cape Girardeau are very concerned about this kind of activity." Mr. Gately really does not speak and cannot speak for all citizens of Cape Girardeau. Neither my husband nor I nor our adult son have been to the new strip bar, but if we choose to go we will and we find no fault with those who do patronize the strip bar. No one is required to visit the strip bars, so where is the harm? If you don't approve, just don't go. But one person cannot speak for the entire city. What happened to freedom of choice?

Test drivers in accidents

I WOULD like to see Missouri pass a law that requires anyone who has a chargeable accident to take another driver's test and the state charge them a fee for it, but it would not affect their driver's license. I think it would start showing up on the accident reports.

OVC and the Big 8

THIS IS my response to the Feb. 21 Speak Out on Missouri basketball. Whoever made these comments does not know what a good basketball conference or team is. It is impossible to compare the OVC to the Big 8. Who has ever hear of any good teams in the OVC or even the OVC at all? The Big 8 has five teams ranked in the top 25. The OVC has zero. The Big 8 annually sends five to six teams to post-season tournaments, the OVC only one. In defense of Missouri basketball, what team was the No. 1 seed in the west last year, made it to the Final Eight and went 14-0 in the Big 8? Mizzou. Mizzou has a good basketball team with an excellent tradition, so don't talk about winning during tournament time until an OVC team can do more in a NCAA tournament than just show up.

Unbelievable North

EVERYBODY WHO believes what Ollie North tells you, please stand on your head.

Mislocated gravel

I AGREE with the comment that Missouri Street between Scott and Mississippi is horrendous. This section of street has never been resurfaced, it's just a bunch of mislocated gravel. We are also taxpayers, and we'd like to have someone to pay attention to us on this end of town. This is the worst block in Cape Girardeau.

North's purple heart

WHEN DID Ollie North get a purple heart? This is the first time I have heard this. If he would have told the truth when the story came out about going behind our president's back trying to make a deal with Iran for our hostages, he would have saved the taxpayers a lot of money. Did he tell you how he pulled this off? He's a traitor to this country, and it's a disgrace to bring him here.

Mailman visits too long

I DON'T see anyone following our mailman around, because if this was so we don't think he would be spending 20 to 30 minutes sitting in a swing down in the next block chatting with an elderly couple who I know keeps him detained while we are waiting for our mail up the street. The mailman we had before this one was also detained by the same couple, and I think it should be stopped.

In defense of Big 8

I'M CALLING in response to the comment that the Big 8 conference was supposedly sub par. I'd like to say that if anybody could compare the Big 8 to the OVC they must be insane, because the Big 8 conference has at least six teams going to the NCAA tournament and possibly all eight teams going to post-season play, including the NIT tournament, which has never happened in college basketball. The only way the OVC can get a team in the tournament is because they have the luxury of an automatic bid. No team from the OVC would ever make that tournament if it weren't for that luxury. So that's like comparing apples and oranges. As for the Missouri team, if you compare them to any other team in the OVC they have never lost to a team in the OVC, so they could beat them at any moment.

Favors caning

WHY CAN'T the United States have caning like they do in Singapore? These recent outbreaks of damage to automobiles with the glass breakage would be a good place to start. If they could catch these people doing this and use a cane on them, I think it would stop it. It would also relieve the overcrowding in prisons if they would do this in the prisons, and if they would do it here in the United States it would keep a lot of people out of prisons, and we would not have to build all these new prisons. This country is going to have to do something, because the system that we have now doesn't seem to be working.

Rising tax burden

ONE OF the key reasons why families have a hard time making ends meet is because over the past 40 years the federal tax burden on the average family has risen from $1 out of every $50 earned to $1 out of every $4 earned. I believe Congress should relieve this anti-family tax bias by doubling the income tax exemption to $5,000 from $2,500 and pay for this change with spending cuts.

Expensive trial

JUST TRY to imagine all of the California tax dollars plus all of O.J. Simpson's dollars spent in attorneys fees on this trial so far. The defense keeps implying a conspiracy in order to drain O.J. Simpson dry. But my question is this: Who and where is the man the limo driver saw enter O.J. Simpson's house at about 10:45 or 10:50 p.m. the night of the murders?

Disappointing coverage

I WAS furious about the Oliver North coverage in the Southeast Missourian gave him. I think that Anita Hill got bigger coverage, and being in a conservative community like we are I just don't think that that is very proper. I'm very, very disappointed in the Southeast Missourian staff.

The senior center

THIS IS in response to the caller who thinks undeserving people are being served by the senior center. Evidently the caller is unaware that it takes a tremendous amount of volunteer labor, monetary contributions and fund-raising activities to keep the center functioning. To a large extent those responsible for doing so much to keep the doors open are also the ones driving the cars mentioned. Were it not for these people I doubt the center would be able to provide free meals to those who cannot pay or delivery of the 50 or more meals daily to the homebound. These services are the primary beneficiaries of the subsidies. Perhaps if the caller visited the center and experienced the wealth of friendliness and socialization so beneficial to older, lonely people, he or she would find something even more interesting to observe.

Bridge or pothole?

I WAS just curious as to which great task will be accomplished first: The completion of the Mississippi river bridge or this pothole they are trying to patch on Bloomfield Road there by the Community Counseling Center.

Upset with coverage

I WAS highly upset about your poor coverage of the Oliver North event after you gave wonderful coverage to that poor child Anita Hill.

Local lunch program

I WANT to comment about the Republican effort to restructure the lunch program and turn it over to the locals. You know some people say we can't trust local government. I think we can trust it better than we can a bunch of bureaucrats up in Washington. What does somebody from Washington know about people down here in Cape Girardeau? Besides that, did you know that every dollar that gets to the recipient any kind of government program, $10 goes to the bureaucracy and is eaten up in administration. I think that locals can do a better job much cheaper than what some federal bureaucrat up there in Washington can do.

Look inside center

I WOULD like for the individual who criticized the nice cars parked in the senior center parking lot to go inside and see what takes place. See a man who is lonely sitting, working a jigsaw puzzle. The people playing cards and enjoying companionship. Those quilting with love and friendship around the quilting frame. At lunch time many come to eat. There are some who with impaired vision, and it's difficult to quilt at home. There are others who are alone, and the table is a healing place for the mate that they have lost. There is friendship for all. Yes, there is much more besides the shiny cars in the parking lot.