Speak Out 04/09/04

Scientific proof

MORE STUDIES prove that TV is bad for kids. On top of all the other reasons for parents not to have their kids watch TV, there's now scientific proof that watching TV at a young age changes the formation of the brain and makes kids much more likely to have attention-deficit disorder. Turn off the TVs, parents, if you want to do your kids a favor.

Vegetable campaign

I ENJOYED your story about the university mascots. I sure hope we don't end up with a name as mundane as the Red Wolves, which was highlighted as gaining momentum. While there might not be another NCAA college with that mascot, there are already far too many different derivations of different kinds of wolves. Meanwhile, the Fighting Okra has a flair that would be unmistakable, and it would gain the university national publicity, I'm sure. Be courageous, SEMO. Let's support the Fighting Okras.

Methodist morality

"THE UNITED Methodist Church has a resolution against using Native American mascots. It has become a moral issue." This quote implies that the Methodist church can set morals and that SEMO will conduct its programs in accordance with Methodist morality. Now we are making progress. I humbly request that the United Methodist Church pass a resolution against coed dorms on American college campuses and no opposite-sex visitors after sunset. Do you think SEMO would pay attention to that type of Methodist morality?

Just for show

THE WHOLE idea that SEMO would actually take suggestions from the public for the mascot is ridiculous. School officials have already made up their minds. They're going through the motions for public relations. This is the same thing they did with the location of the Show Me Center. They spent thousands of dollars on a site study in a show of determining the best location only to put it in the least desirable place according to their own study. This is just one more in a long line of SEMO shams.

Supported dictators

THE WALL Street Journal article by George Shultz is amazing. Here's a short list of the dictators the United States has supported, either overtly or covertly; Pinochet, the Somosas, the Duvaliers, Suharto, Batista, Armas and Saddam Hussein. For decades, U.S. foreign policy has been based on supporting violent dictators as long as they cooperate with the U.S. agenda. Does any educated, thinking person take any aspect of the Shultz article seriously? Get real.

Who would give?

THE CONSERVATIVE Republican majority in the Missouri House passed a bill to cut many children with chronic illnesses from state-supported health care -- in the name of fiscal responsibility. It was argued that their expenses could be picked up locally. It would be an interesting experiment if cities with these children (many in Southeast Missouri) would ask for donations to help support their health care. Would it be conservative Republicans or liberal Democrats who would offer more help? Who are the people who would represent George Bush senior's kinder, gentler nation?

More than a theory

THE DIFFERENCE between the theory of evolution and creationism is that evolution, contrary to Christian belief, has most certainly been proven. Intraspecies and microevolution has been documented in countless studies, and evolution is highly regarded in mainstream science as fact and is considered a theory about as much as gravity is still considered a theory.

Trail of Tears

WHY SCRAP "Indians" as a mascot name for Southeast? I don't hear anyone complaining about Trail of Tears State Park.

Mean mamas

To the individual who is so convinced that mothers are better at nurturing than men: Tell that to Susan Smith's dead children. Decisions should be made on a case by case basis -- period.