SPEAKOUT

MY NEPHEW'S OVER in Saudi Arabia and his battalion got a bunch of letters from the May Greene School. I'd just like to say thank you to them.

I WAS APPALLED to read in this morning's paper that a jury awarded $25 million in Springfield, Mo., to the family of a woman who died during an abortion. What makes her life worth more than the baby she was aborting? Think about it.

AFTER LISTENING TO some of the stupid questions Leslie Stahl has been asking on "Face the Nation" this morning, I think they're not doing it to notify the public as much as they are for glorification of their own. I think they're just doing it to show themselves up, that they're trying to be smarter and get a name for themselves. That I think is the whole deal and they're harming the public more by their news than they are helping. Thank you.

THE CALLER IS mistaken about the origin of the traditional, yellow ribbon. It didn't begin around that old oak tree; it began during the Civil War when the ladies wore yellow ribbons in their hair and around their necks to welcome their soldiers home from the war. The oldest song I can think of which makes reference to that yellow ribbon was one which began "Around her neck she wore a yellow ribbon. She wore it for her lover who was far, far away." Thank you.

ACCORDING TO AN article in the Southeast Missourian on the proposed Oak Ridge exit on I-55, one party states that she could save 12 minutes per trip to Cape Girardeau with the exit. It would seem that it would be more realistic to move the construction company rather than spend millions on the interchange. Thank you.

I'M CALLING IN reference to KFVS-12's title "Crisis in the Desert." I find it odd that they began using that title after a war began. As far as I'm concerned the crisis began when Iraq invaded Kuwait. I think they're a little bit late Right now it's not a crisis, it's a war. Thank you.

BY TARRING WITH the broadest of brushes, Gary Rust has questioned his own commitment to the environment. In his column of Jan. 29 he writes: "Where is the environmentalists' protest against Saddam Hussein's dumping the oil in the Persian Gulf? They'll probably put the blame on the U.S. for defending Saudi Arabia." Mr. Rust's comments are akin to saying conservatives are all right-wing extremists. Environmentalists do not think, speak or act in lock step; they have different ideas about how to protect the environment, and some environmentalists are also political conservatives. Finally, the apostrophe in environmentalists goes after the "s." Putting it before the "s" indicates you are writing only about one person, someone called the environmentalist.

We stand corrected. The apostrophe should have been behind the "s."

I THINK IT'S TIME to revive the military draft so everyone who is able can do his or her fair share to defend our way of life. The way it is now, lots of young men are staying home while young women, even mothers, are going to war and being hurt and even taken prisoner by our enemies. This is a shameful situation. Shame on our local able-bodied men to hide behind brave, women soldiers so they can carry on a profitable business. Shame on them. Thank you.

I KNOW WHAT we can do. Let's trade our protesters of war for our prisoners of war, a POW for a POW. Hey, it'll work for me. Bye.

"AMERICA'S FUNNIEST HOME Videos" has to be rigged because there's no way that a majority of the voters could pick that little kid screaming his ABCs as a $100,000 winner. Thank you.

I HAVE A question for Aileen Lorberg regarding her column, Misplacing Words and Phrases Continue to Abound. In that column she makes this statement: First on our list is a news item published by the Washington Post, another goody from my Alexandria cousin and wife, Betty. Now, am I to understand that Aileen Lorberg is married to her cousin and that her cousin's name is Betty? Thank you.

How presumptuous of me to expect readers to remember the name of a contributor from one week to the next. I assumed "Alexandria cousin" would identify Betty as the wife of the previously mentioned Paul Walters, especially after I call his contribution "another goody." Paul Walters was born in Jackson and reared in Cape Girardeau, was graduated from West Point and retired as a colonel after World War II. His name is not unknown in these parts. And I sense no error in the structure of the sentence under question. The cousin's name would be in apposition to "Alexandria cousin," and in this case disposable. However, I apologize to anyone who lost sleep over my failure to repeat the name. Aileen Lorberg.

OUR INVENTIONS AND our so-called progress have been the major causes of the loss of life to both animal and man. Inventions and progress are not necessary for the survival of man. So we can attribute all the destruction to man's greed. Thank you.

I AGREE. America is going to win this war despite ABC, CBS, NBC, and CNN trying to undermine us with their reports. Thank you. God Bless America.

AFTER LISTENING TO "60 Minutes" yesterday and what was said about the German nation, I believe it should be treated the same as Saddam Hussein and Iraq. It seems they furnished him most of his fighting material, and everything that was given to him was to the detriment of the civilized people of the world. That is my comment.

HI. THURSDAY AFTERNOON I was driving on Bertling and something happened to my car. It was early in the morning and some nice gentleman let me use his phone. Thank you.

THE MEDIA REPORTED that there is a tax increase proposal for additional funding of the nutritional center for senior citizens. It's a well-known fact that these facilities are routinely used by people who own expensive homes and drive new luxury automobiles. It is a wonderful thing to provide nourishing meals to those in need; however, I am opposed to this tax increase until a policy is initiated that restricts the use of the nutrition centers to only the deserving. It is a shame that the needy must suffer because of the greedy. Thank you.

WAKE UP, PARENTS. With all the dangerous facts we have about tobacco, cigarettes and smokeless, I can't see why any school board would let administrators and teachers use either at school or school functions. Most schools are requiring a drug-free campus like Cape Central. Why would a little school like Advance let something like this get started after all these years without it? Don't the parents know their children take this as an OK to use smokeless tobacco too? Thank you.

I JUST WANT to congratulate the Immaculate Conception boys team in Jackson on a great game against St. Mary's. They won and it was the first time they've beaten St. Mary's and I think they deserve a little recognition. Thank you.

THIS IS TO one patriotic person. I'm glad you have so much patriotism that you have the nerve to steal a person's flag. You're worse than Hussein; even Hussein wouldn't steal an American flag. My wife asked if I was going to bring in the flag at night and I said as long as our men and women were over there the flag would be out there for them. Fly it proudly because that flag is the only thing you have to be proud of. Thank you.

I WOULD JUST like to say how much I appreciate that we have the Plaza Shopping Center. Thank you.

I SEE OUR postage rate is going up. It seems like we pay more and more for postage and our mail comes later and later. We live in Jackson. If our mail starts coming in any later, pretty soon we're going to be getting today's mail tomorrow.

I'D LIKE TO know from demonstrators in this country who are willing to burn the American flag, did they demonstrate against Hussein when he invaded Kuwait? Most likely they didn't. Did they demonstrate against Hussein whenever he poured oil in the gulf? Most likely they didn't, but they're still willing to live in this country and go out here and burn American flags whenever the United States of America military personnel goes and helps and defends a helpless country and preserves freedom for the world. These people who are burning these American flags have never demonstrated against any of these other things. They must be anti-American. They're dangerous people and they need to be put in a concentration camp until the war is over. They're against America. They're sympathizers of Hussein. I'm an ex-Marine and I'm proud of America. Thank you.

I WOULD LIKE TO know what could be done when you receive a bill for $490 in the mail for a service you didn't request.

DIANE SAWYER TALKED tonight about the Kuwaiti civilians out having a ball and partying it up in the discos while we are fighting a war for them. But I don't think that's quite as bad as our own senators and representatives having a big blast, a congressional dinner last night while our boys and women and men and children were out fighting their war. Thank you.

I REALLY DISLIKE that printout across the bottom of our weather station. I pay the cable company for that service. I don't pay them so they can charge somebody to advertise there. Thank you.

IN REGARDS TO the news article today where they are describing George Bush's speech. They say he just used the right tone of his voice to convey a message to the people on why we're in this war, but I didn't hear that. The tone was the same one he used on the campaign trail: Read my lips and I didn't attend those meetings on the Contra-Iran affair. if I did I don't remember them. Hang in there, George, someone will believe you part of the time.

IT'S A SHAME and disgrace to let men and women die in the Persian Gulf when we don't know what for except to help the so-called friends that we have. George Bush is counting on this war helping him, not the 12 Marines who were killed and not the people of this country. I heard a gentleman say last night on a talk show, What kind of man is Hussein to get his men killed? Well, George is doing the same thing. Ask yourself that.

I'M CALLING IN regards to the caller in Thursday's paper about the grade-school teachers talking about the war. I think it's very educational and our kids should learn about what's going on in other parts of the world. Thank you.

I THINK THEY ought to take Saddam Hussein prisoner, bring him back to the United States and try him for all the wrongs he has done to the world and all the people he has killed, and commit him for one solid year to hard labor.

HALLELUJAH. A SUPER Wal-Mart is coming to town. I always shop at the one down at Poplar Bluff. I always go down there all the time and I just love shopping it. Thank goodness we're finally getting one.

I JUST WANTED to make a comment to the person who in Monday's Speak Out said they didn't like all the people who are griping about the war. Well, I just wanted to say you didn't have one positive thing to say either, and it sounds like you're just another one of those gripers. Thank you.

THIS IS FOR the person who called in and said we fought for them, meaning Israel in World War II. I would like to point out that Israel as a nation did not exist in World War II. The caller just flunked his history test. Thank you.

THE ONE who is worrying about the 5-cent tax on property for the senior citizens should visit the nutrition center and check into how it operates before forming your own opinion of the center. It is not for the poor; it's for all senior citizens who wish to be with people and enjoy a very good meal together. Also it helps others who may be very lonely. We all help in some way to have a nice place to enjoy fellowship. Please be more informed before criticizing. Thank you.

I AM A senior citizen. I will vote no on the 5-cent tax issue. We do not need to cause our younger working people to pay more taxes. Please vote no.