Speak Out 06/19/04

Divine relations

A STUDY referred to in the Southeast Missourian showed that more churchgoers support George Bush and more non-churchgoers are in the John Kerry camp. However, before churchgoers start swelling with pride (one of the seven deadly sins) because of a belief that they and the president are more godly, it might be well to remember the words of the late Lenny Bruce: "More and more people are leaving the church and getting back to God."

Struggling to keep up

THERE ARE those who just sit back and take everything they can get handed to them. There are also many of us who work hard to provide for our families. But when you have a job that's had pay freezes for years, it does get hard and a little help does make a difference. The ones who deserve help from agencies like HUD and the food stamp program are the ones who get out there and bust their butts trying to make ends meet. I'm struggling to get by on one income with no child support coming in and eating simple meals. Luckily my children love breakfast for supper, but we still have a roof over our heads and clothes on our backs and food in our belly. It feels better trying than sitting back and being lazy.

Bosses are responsible

THE ENRON tapes and the Abu Ghraib photos demonstrate the same thing. When underlings are required by their superiors to perform illegal and unethical acts, they cope with dark humor in order to deaden their consciences. Yes, the traders and the guards are guilty, but their bosses are the ones who are responsible.

Federal spending

SEVERAL COMMENTS have condemned MoDOT for its work or planned work on Interstate 55. I remind everyone that interstates are built and maintained by federal funds. As far as other comments about why they do not do things, follow the money: Do you know where your state tax money goes?

Correct the design

ROUNDABOUTS ARE de-signed to keep the flow and speed of the traffic up to minimize delay. The one on Gordonville Road is pointless because it is too small. If Cape Girardeau wants to please us, they should build any future roundabouts with a huge radius and generously wide lanes.

Abusing the passes

I AGREE that there needs to be more attention paid to disabled parking. I recently attended Southeast Missouri State University and was appalled at how many people had disabled passes. Almost all of them were perfectly able people who were abusing disabled passes to park closer. At the beginning of one semester a person was on crutches for about two weeks, then he was obviously back to normal. He continued to use the disabled pass the rest of the semester. I had to park way off campus because there were no legal spots available.

Hot and cold

IF YOU think "The Day After Tomorrow" is being presented as a credible scientific film, you should not be involved in a debate about global warming. The one-degree-a-year figure cited in the Rochester paper refers to the rise in global average temperature. This means is that, after adding up all the temperature variations across the planet each day of the year, the overall average is increasing at a rate of about one degree a year. You will not notice this. It means some places can actually be cooler while some places are getting even hotter.

Earn the money

IS ANYONE else tired of all the roadblocks at the Scott City exit off I-55? Three weekends in a row I've taken that exit and pulled up on different youth organizations seeking a handout. I'm all for charity, but can't these groups earn money instead of begging on the streets? Even the homeless have signs that say "Will Work for Food."

A better driver now

I USED to complain about the roundabout being too narrow, but I've changed my mind. I hope future ones are even more so. They really sharpen driving skills.