Speak Out 07/23/04

Fix marriage first

I AM amazed at the number of people who want to waste our lawmakers' time worrying about the marriage amendment. Why don't we worry about the divorce and adultery rates instead? I'm a Christian and would rather see gay people get married than so many straight people get divorced.

Avoidable tragedy

ANOTHER AVOIDABLE tragedy involving young people and alcohol happens in Scott City. What's sad is that the police know about these young people and their drinking. They know who they are and their parents. Yet when the police catch underage drinkers with alcohol, they just pour it out and send them home. What we need is a police force that will enforce the law. Underage drinking is against the law. When the police catch these kids, they need to haul them down to the jail and call the parents. The kids need to be fined and perform community service for the offense. And if the parents won't cooperate, they need to be hauled to jail too.

Buying politicians

IF YOU would go to the Federal Election Commission's Web site and look at just one health insurance company's contributions to political campaigns and organizations (Blue Cross-Blue Shield, for instance), you would find hundreds of thousands of dollars in contributions. That's just one company. No wonder health insurance costs so much. The cost of buying politicians is pretty high.

Felt the quake

I LIVE on Highway 25 half way between Route K and Highway 61 in Jackson. I definitely felt the recent quake.

Not living in parks

REGARDING WATER hazards at the parks. How many children live in the parks? How many children live in your neighborhood? Most of the time at the city parks the children are with parents.

Under the gun

IN THE story, "Violent video games under the gun from lawmakers," "under the gun" is an old Army cavalry term. During a cavalry charge, the artillery would be booming the cavalry at a far distance. As the cavalry rode closer to the enemy line, the artillery would become ineffective, and the cavalry would be safely "under the gun." So "under the gun " is a good thing and not a bad thing.

A cruel joke

THERE'S NO job an American can't or won't do for a living wage. It is a cruel joke on the American worker to allow illegals to depress wages for many jobs below poverty level and then to mock Americans for being reluctant to participate in the poverty.

Sauce for the goose

WILL THAT activist judge in California who violated the law by marrying same-sex couples be disbarred like the judge who was removed for displaying the Ten Commandments?

Needed at school

WHEN YOU'RE teaching in school, there's only so much you can teach because some of the kids can't do math. The ethic of working comes from the home environment, not necessarily the school environment. Usually kids emulate their parents. So in my eyes, sex education is a good thing in schools.

Sentencing concerns

I FEEL Martha Stewart deserves the five months in prison, but I don't think she deserves five months of home confinement. It should be one or the other. I don't understand the $30,000 fine. What's the purpose of this? A prison sentence is enough of a punishment for most people without these ridiculous fines they come up with.

Rein in the judges

I'M CALLING in support of the July 11 guest column "High court remedy is impeachment." I strongly agree with Steve Casey and his thinking on this whole issue. Our judicial system must be reined in. Our judges are running awry, and it's time we let them know that we not allow a few black-robed judges to rule our society. We are still a government of the people, by the people and for the people.