SpeakOut 3/5

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When you go out to eat at restaurants, you need to check your food. I visited a restaurant here in town recently, and there was hair in my pizza. The manager said he had never heard of that and wouldn't do anything about it.

After reading the Feb. 17 column, "War isn't the answer," I just had to rebound. The second caller really ticked me off. How could anyone wish that anyone in the United States of America, with the freedoms we enjoy, state that they hope there are a lot of casualties in the U.S. Army and hope that Iraq is head of the United States. My father and mother both served in World War II and I am a Vietnam-era veteran and am very proud that I could serve my country. During my military years, I lost several friends and saw two of my best friends wounded in action. I have never heard them say anything bad or disrespectful about our country or our President. Yes, sometimes we do take our freedoms for granted. Do you think the Iraqi newspapers have a SpeakOut column? I think not. See, caller, you've just enjoyed the freedom we now have. Saddam must be stopped before he turns into another Hitler. I support our nation and President 100 percent. I'm a flag-waver from the word go.

If we are to have a war, so be it. Nobody wants us to have a war and I can understand that because I have relatives who are in the Army, Navy and Marine Corps. But for you who are saying they want to see people die, you are wrong. Know why we are going to war before you call into SpeakOut and sound stupid about it. I have people who have fought in the wars, the old and the new, because they did it for us. The person who said they hope we suffer a lot of casualties needs to see a shrink.

Throughout our country this month we have celebrated Black History Month. There's nothing wrong with that. That's OK. But why can't we enjoy a White History Month. In my opinion, July would be perfect for White History Month, especially the Fourth of July. That's when our forefathers signed the Declaration of Independence. We have some great white legends and leaders today in this country, like the Rev. Billy Graham, Franklin D. Roosevelt, people like Bob Hope. These people have been great Americans and we could name thousands and thousands more that we could look up in our history books. I just ask people to meditate on this and see what they think. Please voice your opinion in SpeakOut. I believe we deserve a White History Month. We live in a great country and we have some great leaders today.

President Bush wants to give Turkey at least $20 billion to help in his war on Iraq. He wants to spend $1 billion on homeland security here in America. Where is this man's reality? Don't he know that $19 billion could feed a lot of farmers?

Well, it looks like Turkey got what they asked for. And as for as a $10 billion loan, what a joke. What loans have we ever made that we collected on? It seems like behind Mighty George Bush and Colin Powell with their last offer of $5 or $6 billion, we may cave in.

I don't know where that person is calling from who was talking about loud music, but I live east of Sikeston toward Miner and we haven't heard any loud music for a long time and I'm thankful for that.

They say that in Sikeston, no one cares, but I want to thank the gentleman off Luther Street for calling me several times over the weekend to let me know he had found my dog that was missing for over five days. He was accurate on all the information he gave me. People like this need to be recognized in town.

It's 11 a.m. Feb. 24, there's snow on the ground and for some reason, the county highway department is out mowing grass on Highway 450. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own two eyes. They let this stuff grow all summer, but boy, when February rolls around, there they are, mowing grass. There goes my tax dollars.

I am so impressed. We recently visited East Prairie, a town that I've never heard anything about except for bad comments. I realize that sometimes we shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but I was so amazed because East Prairie had a black 2003 basketball queen. East Prairie, I just want to apologize for all the bad things I've said about you, your town being racist and I realize that sometimes we remember a town because of what they used to do. I now realize that you are a millennium people and that you have changed and are no different and that you are no racist from any other town. Here's to a new East Prairie. You are now on the map