Your View: two from 2/14

Mike I would like to Respond to Mr. Woods commentary in Feb 6th speakout. First Mr. Woods does not tell us of his military background. I find his remarks about The National Guard quite disheartening. The National Guard is sent into combat just as often as the regularly as the regular military. Even back when they weren't they did their job by being here and supporting the regular military and keeping the USA safe. I was in the Navy from 73 to 79 and never saw combat but I like to think I contributed to that little cause called the COLD WAR.

Next I would like to let Mr. Woods know that ever since and before this country was formed the people with money bought there way out of war with money. This was rampant during the Civil war and had been around ever since. It sounds as Mr. Wood just doesn't like Republicans and can't see past that division of political difference. I saw no mention of any Democratic Senators that were of age during conflict not going. I can not name any personally because I don't care.

If I were to bring one up it would be former President Clinton. He went to Oxford for the war. and you have to have money for that.

Lastly I take contention with Mr. Wood on Wal Mart. Who is one of the biggest single employer in Sikeston maybe the biggest. Where can someone who doesn't have the money to go to college or the desire for the military can work and never leave town. It takes money to make money and anyone who thinks they can sink their life savings plus some into a business without the risk of losing it all is not looking and the number of businesses that fail. Wal Mart made it, be happy for them and the cheap cost and jobs they provide. Do you hate Lowes? They too buy imported good because they pass the savings on to their buyers.

I respect Mr. Woods point of view and I am sure I have not persuaded him to change his mind but the world is bigger than Southeast Missouri and it is bigger than any of us. We elect these people who make these decisions. I respect them for that wether I follow their line of politics or not. If you are not satisfied with the current group making the decisions please get your like minded peers together and vote them out.

If you are unsuccessful try harder the next time and if all else fails run for the office yourself. In conclusion I think Mr. Wood is just short sighted but thank goodness passionate in his position. Mr. Wood please go out and find the person you want to make changes and support him or her and make the changes you want.

Very Respectfully Gary Dunn Houston Tx (formerly from Sikeston)

The Jan. 15 AP article, "DNR strikes rebel banner," in which it was first told that the Battle Flag was lowered by the Department of Natural Resources at the Confederate Memorial Park in Higginsville and at historic Fort Davidson in Pilot Knob, quoted Sue Holst, spokeswoman for the DNR as saying, "We will be displaying them (Battle Flags) inside in a way befitting the historical context. We have always viewed them as an artifact or a graphic that represents the telling of the story of the Civil War."

In my "Who will defend the banner" Letter to the Editor on Jan. 16, I asked the rhetorical question to Ms. Holst's quote, "How long do we really expect that will last?"

It didn't last long. The Department of Natural Resources has now removed all pamphlets, brochures and hand-outs, which contain a graphic of the Battle Flag from "inside" the Confederate Memorial Park. The Confederate Memorial Park, a former old folks home for Confederate soldiers and a cemetery for nearly 700 Confederate veterans, was set aside by Missouri State Statute 253.100, "... as a permanent memorial park to the valor of the soldiers who served the Confederacy in the War Between the States."

New "properly cleansed" literature will be produced by the DNR. We should all wonder what kind of "story of the Civil War" they now plan to tell. You can bet that it won't be balanced.

The biased action of removing the hand-outs that depict the Battle Flag is additional justification that the Parks and Recreation Division of the Department of Natural Resources, the division that controls and maintains our state historic sites, including the monuments, memorials, markers as well as their interpretive guides and themes, must be made accountable to the citizens of Missouri through the establishment of an independent commission to oversee their activities and to protect all of our historical icons.

The Department of Natural Resources has demonstrated by the way that they handled the flag removals and now the literature with the Battle Flag graphics that they are a "closed door" agency; and, while they give "face time" in their communications that they want public feedback, their practices indicate the opposite. We must now call on the legislative process to open them up.

Bruce Hillis, Dexter