Speak Out 03/10/04

No to violence

OF COURSE Christians oppose violence. To say otherwide is absurd. When I ask myself "What Would Jesus Do?" the ideas of bombing people or machine-gunning them or frying them in electric chairs do not come to my mind. The problem is that there are people calling themselves Christians who endorse all sorts of violence. It reminds me of the shortest verse in the Bible: "Jesus wept."

Appreciate beauty

WHY DO Cape Girardeans hate music so much? Power brokers oppose the new center for the performing arts. Others want to cut music teachers and band concerts. It seems that the only art one can get support for in this town are those silly cartoons on the floodwall. Wake up, folks. The beauty you destroy will be your own.

Real eye-opener

I WANT to thank the local peace group for bringing the film on the Iraqi war to Cape Girardeau. The film had a lot of revealing facts given by impressive experts, although I think it is weak in a few respects. I'm amazed at how much went on but was not reported by the news media. Overall, it was a real eye-opener.

Checking the facts

I'M GLAD someone saw fit to knock David Limbaugh down a few pegs. It gave my wife and me quite a chuckle. We think he is foolish. I wonder how many people take his words as fact without actually looking the facts up for themsleves. I guess those who don't bother to find out what is going on in the world deserve their ignorance.

Worth every penny

ALL OF the people who have written in and complained about the money spent on the Cape Girardeau Municipal Band need a lesson on the value of culture and the importance of the arts. Musical events such as the ones this band presents each week during the summer have been going on for centuries and have brought joy and unity in communities and nations. If you take away the arts, you lose this sense of community. Some of the people who have commented admit they have never been to one of these fine concerts. Open your minds. Bring a lawn chair and your family and friends, and you will have a better understanding of what this is all about. I guarantee the value of this band is worth more than its alotted budget.

Good alternative

A PERSON said he doesn't feel he is missing much by not going to a municipal band concert. If you have never gone, how do you know what you're missing? I am proud to play in the Jackson Municipal Band. It provides people with a relaxing evening and good music for free. If you haven't noticed, there isn't that much to do in the Cape Girardeau area for recreation. Movies and going out for dinner become expensive and mundane. Municipal bands offer a free alternative.

Controlled money

OFFERING HIS opinion of current funding for education, Peter Kinder recently wrote, "Cook states this figure ($4.5 billion) should read $2.5 billion, including only general revenue. This is incorrect." I think it is perfectly correct. That is exactly what Cook wrote, and $2.5 billion is the correct figure, according to both Cook and Kinder, if you want to discuss appropriations for education made by the state legislature. Kinder claims Cook wrote that other sources, such as federal revenue, "should not be included when defining the total figure Missouri spends on education." That plainly is not what Cook wrote. She claimed only that the proper arena for discussing state appropriations made by the current legislature is in the area of the budget that this legislature controls.

Insensitive signal

WHY DOESN'T the city do something about the stoplight at Caruthers and Broadway? There is no reason why it should be red for traffic on Broadway when there is no traffic on Caruthers.

Compete agreement

I DON'T usually agree with David Limbaugh's columns, but I certainly agreed with him on gay marriages and on the movie "The Passion."