Speak Out 04/25/04

Good reporting

THANKS TO Mark Unterreiner for such tremendous coverage on the Missouri High School Rodeo. The articles were very good. Thanks for letting the area know about our sport and how important it is to us. Keep up the good work, Mark. You are going to be a very successful reporter.

Symbol of pride

THE INDIAN symbol for Southeast Missouri State University was chosen as a tribute to the many Native American influences in the area. Trail of Tears State Park is a permanent memorial to the saga of the Cherokees who passed through on a death march. Shawnee Community College in Illinois was named after an Indian tribe. Kansas, Missouri, Mississippi, Arkansas, Iowa, Ohio and many others are all named after Indian tribes. I guess we should rename the states too. This is what happens when a few people ruin a symbol and tradition because it doesn't seem politically correct. As a person who has Native American blood in my veins, I am proud to know that someone has enough memory left of the people to immortalize them as a symbol of pride.

A passing phase

I AM tired of hearing about the skate park. I think skateboarding is dangerous and a waste of time. I think the skateboarders and parents of skateboarders should get used to driving to other places to skateboard. In a couple of months a child will grow tired of it and move on to something more worthwhile.

Use metal trash cans

I DO not believe that trash cans with lids should be banned. The metal kind do quite well because you get a good fit. It's the plastic ones that blow over.

Picking up doo-doo

I LIVE on Themis Street. Every day I see people walk by with their dogs, I ask them if they carry a pooper scooper. Most say they do not. When I tell them it's the law, they say they never heard of it. It is Section 639 of the Cape Girardeau Code. It's ordinance No. 2336, article 2, and it was adopted March 16, 1998. I get tired of picking up dog doo-doo off my lawn when it's the dog owners' lawful job to do it.