SPEAKOUT

CONGRATULATIONS AND THANKS to the residents of the Cape area. The town looks beautiful. I took my family and guests on the bus tour. Such an enjoyable evening. Our bus had a great driver and various ages of happy people. Cape, you can do it. Thanks for all the beautiful decorations. Thank you.

THIS IS THE time of year you like to stop and remember the people you forget all year round. How about those poor police officers? These guys are just working for a paycheck week to week like we are. I'd like to take this time to thank them for their dedication year round. I'd sure hate to think what this town would be like without them. Thank you.

I'D JUST LIKE to say thank you to the people of the Craftsman Union. They brought a nice Christmas basket to my door for me and my husband and two children to enjoy. We don't know how they knew that we needed it or anything else, but they brought it to us and we really appreciate it. Thank you.

I'D LIKE TO tell you about a house that my family has had to go see several times because my children just love it. It wasn't listed in the tour so I don't know if they entered or not, but the house is on Meadow Lane and it has Mr. and Mrs. Santa and Disneyland characters. My children love it. We've had to go several times. If you all have small children, you'll love it too. Thank you.

I WANT TO let the band directors at Jackson know how much I enjoyed the Christmas concert last night. The Municipal Band with Steve Meyer leading the singalong was really nice. The high school band sounded super in all their selections. And I want to mention the drummers in the song "Spanish Fever." All I can say is wow. To everyone involved, you did a great job. Thanks.

OUR LORD JESUS Christ was put on Earth to spread a universal message of peace, love, and unity. Sadly there are people in Southeast Missouri who have a twisted interpretation of that message. Jesus loves all: gays, straights, blacks, whites, the faithful, the non-believers, even the hypocrites. Would Jesus not heal a person with AIDS because they were gay? Jesus loves everyone. While the GLSA wishes to express this, these other misguided souls wish to persecute them for expressing this. Read your Bibles this Christmas instead of beating people over the head. Remind yourself of whose birthday we're celebrating. Fill your heart with love. God bless everyone.

WELL, IT'S CHRISTMAS. I read in Speak Out how everybody is complaining about who is stealing whose Christmas lights and everything else. And, when I'm trying to go somewhere, I can't get there in time because the person in front of me wants to slow down to 5 mph because of the Christmas lights. Get out and walk, please.

I JUST READ the column by E.J. Rotert in the Southeast Missourian about the Christmas display in Cape County Park. I agree with that writer that is much ado about nothing. Maybe we folks a little older should remember that not too long ago single parenting was looked on with horror; that children born out of wedlock are not announced in the newspapers; that grandmothers raised children born to their daughters to keep the scandal out of their family; that this society has accepted many things that were unacceptable a few years ago. Gays and lesbians are children of God. I do not approve of their lifestyles, but that is not for me to judge nor for the writers who called in so many times about this display to judge. Thank you.

THE REASON PEOPLE buy foreign-made products is, stop and think, American-made products cost two or three times more than foreign-made items. And middle-class and lower-class people cannot afford the American-made. Let the rich people buy American-made stuff and the lower class the foreign stuff. Thank you.

I'M CALLING ABOUT people complaining about the garbage service. I think instead of going back to the old way, we should only pick up regular garbage once a month and recyclables twice a week. That way, people, if they were stuck with their own garbage, they might learn to recycle a little more. This might just help out. Thank you.

NOW, IN THE rape case of the Smith boy, comes the payoff to the supposed victim: the cameras, the movie contracts, the interviews, writing a book, being in the news. I would like to see the Smith boy sue her for slander. She tried to ruin this boy's reputation for life. She doesn't seem to mind now to show her face.

MY HUSBAND AND I will soon be married 56 years. We have owned Chevys, Chryslers, Plymouths, Olds, Mercury and several Fords, but we have never owned a Japanese car. So, you see, we don't have a guilty conscience this Christmas for helping putting all these auto workers out of work. Why not trade that old Japanese-made car for an American-made car and see how good it feels to be all American this holiday season. We have made many long-distance trips with our trouble-free American-made cars. Thank you.

I'M NEW TO THE wheelchair game and have been trying to do Christmas shopping. It's very difficult to do Christmas shopping. You can't get through the aisles in any of the stores. It would really help if they would think about us and do something to clear the aisles out so we can get through. I found this in all the stores from the big ones to the little ones. Thank you.

I AM RESPONDING to the caller who claimed that women who go to bars are asking for it. Just because a woman goes to a bar doesn't mean she is asking for it. No one has the right to force a woman into doing something she doesn't want to do. If she says no it means no, no matter what. The woman's name wasn't published to maintain her privacy. If it had been known, people would have judged her no matter what the circumstances. Rape is not a woman's fault even if she was in a bar or was wearing something sexy. This attitude is why some victims of rape do not speak out. It needs to change. Thank you.

CUTTING THAT INTEREST rate is just helping the rich people out again. What about the poor people that work and try to save some to live on? The prices in the store haven't come down and we're sending everything over to Russia. Thank you.

WHERE DO ALL these college-educated people get jobs? I see well-educated people out of work, laid off or fired because of their seniority. I'm sick of hearing about the necessity of a college education. Thank you.

I WAS JUST reading all the complaints people have about the display in the Cape County Park. I would just like to say I think the lights are very, very beautiful, and it just shows how stupid Cape Girardeau people are for complaining about the lights. That's why I live in Thebes. Thank you.

MY WIFE AND I really enjoyed the Christmas lights display in Cape County Park but we were really disappointed to discover that the Gay and Lesbian Student Association is using Christmas for another one of their minority power plays to gain recognition. What do Christmas and the GLSA have in common? In my opinion the GLSA's goal was not to wish the people of Cape a merry Christmas but to gain exposure by defacing Christmas and to irritate heterosexuals. Isn't it nice to have SEMO fund such an organization with part of our sons' and daughters' fees? Thank you.

THIS IS CONCERNING the person who is obviously upset about whoever quoted the Bible concerning homosexuals in the Monday, Dec. 23, issue of your column. I don't want to start a holy war in your column because I think your column could be used for much better things than that, but I would like to refer that person, who is obviously upset, to I Cor. 6:9-11. Thank you very much.

SOMEONE IN MONDAY'S column asked an extremely important question that I think deserves just as thoughtful an answer. This person just wondered how many of those unemployed people are driving foreign-made cars. I believe six. This answer was done after a lot of research and deep thought just like that stupid, ridiculous question was. Thank you.

I CAN'T BELIEVE people are so ignorant as to let a small child stand in the front seat of a moving vehicle. I just met a mother driving with her precious cargo dressed in the cutest little cowboy outfit. He was standing in the front seat. Mother, please think about where that precious little cowboy might be on Christmas should a sudden stop or accident occur. Thank you.

THIS IS TO all the people who do not lock or forget to lock your car. Whether it be around restaurants, shopping or otherwise, those who steal are collecting items in glove compartments, center wells, and of course any other things of value loose in the car. I just realized my mistake Saturday night at a local restaurant. Once again, these thieves just haven't learned to live and become a part of society. Thank you.