Copyright 2000 St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Inc.
St.
Louis Post-Dispatch
August 6, 2000, Sunday, FIVE STAR LIFT
EDITION
SECTION: EDITORIAL, Pg. B2
LENGTH: 1350 words
HEADLINE:
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
BODY:
Cartoons
prompt readers' protest
As a response to the Republican Convention
"seating arrangement" depicted by editorial cartoonist Sherffius on Aug. 2, here
are my suggestions for the Democratic Convention seating. There would need to be
seating for liars, Buddhist monks, foreign donors, the communist Chinese that
received top-secret missile technology, trial lawyers, big labor, super rich
Hollywood producers, very rich Hollywood actors, rich television executives,
Hugh Hefner and the Playboy bunnies, left-wing radicals and Clinton defenders
like Larry Flynt. Finally, there would be special front row seating for the
Post-Dispatch editorial staff with special prominence given to Sherffius.
Kristin Goldkamp
Creve Coeur
Your
cartoonist, Sherffius, has won the prize for disgusting, distasteful, horrible
cartoons.
To depict Dick Cheney, a decent, honorable family man who has
served his country admirably for many years, as he did on Aug. 3 is deplorable.
Irene Treppler
Mehlville
From 24-plus
years of reading the Post-Dispatch, I am well aware of your political bias and
sympathy for socialistic-left causes. However, the Sherffius cartoon of Aug. 3
edition reaches a new low of depravity, desperation and plain bad taste.
If the Post-Dispatch wishes to depict real corruption, the nation's role
model currently occupies the Oval Office and walks the walk. No stretching of
the truth is required.
On the other hand, the Post is not all bad. The
weather page and the crossword puzzle are, in fact, pretty good.
Ralph Barber
Town & Country
Your very political
cartoonist, James Carville and "Nuke" Gingrich are all of the same ilk. They are
societal dividers and polarizers. I hope to see the Post-Dispatch lighten up a
bit by "humorizing," not demonizing in its political cartoons.
By
the way, I believe Lon spelled his name Chaney.
Ken Jameson
Troy, Mo.
Fix Six Flags exit
The Missouri
Highway Department didn't already realize that warning signs and a decreased
speed limit are needed at the Six Flags exit? Certainly, anyone who has traveled
near that exit knows it. I am sure the Eureka Police Department has plenty of
data on accidents there.
It is sad that five people had to die for the
highway department to take this traffic congestion seriously. The highway
spokesperson's response of wearing seat belts and being prepared to stop is
impractical be cause (1) How are out of towners expected to know that highway
traffic suddenly stops? and (2) You aren't going to be protected just because
you have stopped safely. All it takes is one unprepared person to cause a crash.
It is nearly impossible to stop suddenly and safely when you are traveling at
highway speed.
Lizzie Dennison, RN
Richmond
Heights
A year ago, I recommended to the state Highway and
Transportation Commission that the interchange at I-44 and Allenton Road be
improved in the summer months by doing the following:
(1) Add two signs
in the frames of the "over the highway standards" j ust east of the interchange.
(2) Paint the two lanes into Six Flags a bright yellow all the way out
to the edge of the through lanes of west-bound I-44. Mark them as "lanes into
Six flags."
(3) Increase the time allotments on the traffic signals in
the peak traffic times at night and in the morning. Make the middle lane of the
three going under the overpass a reversible lane. Or allow the signals to be
operated manually at peak hours by the city of Eureka.
All of the
suggestions were denied out of hand. They were based on common sense, not on
engineering studies.
My wife and I drive this road every day of our
lives. Lowering the speed limit dramatically may also help save our lives, if it
is enforced. Now, if you don't drive 80 miles an hour, you receive a digital
salute from someone talking on a cell phone, eating a sausage biscuit or
applying lipstick. Then you hear the whoosh of a semi going 85 mph, trying to
make his arrival time.
Samuel C. Ebling
Wildwood
What a tragedy. A whole family wiped out because of one automobile
accident. Even more tragic is the fact that nobody was wearing a seat belt.
Children should never be allowed to ride in a car unrestrained, and adults
cannot expect kids to buckle up if they don't do so themselves.
People
who are unrestrained inside cars become flying missiles if their vehicle is
involved in an accident. There is nothing to prevent you from being ejected from
the car through a window or the windshield.
Craig Hollander
West County
Union leader's error
The July
2 editorial cartoon was critical of Schnucks for announcing the company could be
forced to close some stores due to the financial impact of the higher wages we
negotiated for our members.
When your reporter asked me about Schnucks'
announcement after the membership had voted to accept the contract, I said it
was news to me. I've thought about my comment and feel it is important to
clarify the record.
During negotiations, Craig Schnuck did tell me that
some of the stores that were not profitable may be closed because of the
magnitude of the wage increases in the contract settlement. I considered this to
be negotiation rhetoric that takes place in the heat of tough contract talks.
In all the years I have been dealing with Craig Schnuck and his
organization, he has always been a man of his word. He had never misled or been
dishonest with me. We have disagreed strongly on many issues, but that's to be
expected because we sit on different sides of the table.
Nick J.
Torpea
President, United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 655,
AFL-CIO
Ballwin
Hindu deaths
Recently, 100
Hindus were butchered by the militants in the northern Indian state of Jammu and
Kashmir by the terrorists. No country, including the United States, raised its
voice. No human rights group condemned the attack on the Hindus.
But if
someone harms members of another religion, the entire world comes together to
condemn such act. Is it because the Hindus never protest and retaliate?
Terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir is directly sponsored by Pakistan. It has waged
war against India four times, including last year's aggression in Kargil. The
Pakistanis failed to separate Jammu and Kashmir from India. So, they started
ethnic cleansing of Hindus. They have been doing it for the past 12 years.
The United States expresses concern about what is happening to Muslims
in Serbia and Chechnya but it never says a single word about the slaughtering of
Hindus in Jammu and Kashmir. Why? Why doesn't the United States declare Pakistan
a terrorist nation? Who is it afraid of?
Suresh Gopalakrishnan
Maryland Heights
Paying for sex?
In her
July 30 column "Should insurance cover
contraceptives?", Ellen Goodman argues that, since men are
being covered by insurance for Viagra expenses, women should be
covered for their contraceptive expense.
I agree with
Goodman in the unfairness of the situation. But what disturbs me is that this
money-making decision by the insurance companies may result in
more government support at taxpayer expense. Viagra might be considered a
medical necessity. Contraceptives could also be considered a
medical necessity; i.e. mental health, peace of mind, population control,
physical health, etc. All of this would be unfair to people whose religious
beliefs are against contraception as well as medical aids such as Viagra.
Since our tax dollars are already being spent in foreign countries to
protect the poor and ignorant with contraceptives, it is
possible that some liberal politician will suggest subsidizing bedroom
activities for those poor and impoverished people who can't afford irresponsible
but safe sex.
I believe in supporting the poor and feeding the hungry.
But it is against my religion as well as other religions to support birth
control, adultery and the assorted promiscuity that is prevalent in this
permissive liberal society.
Joe Plischke
Jennings
LOAD-DATE: August 6, 2000 
