Speak Out 1/13/11

Leaves in January

WE paid to have our leaves hauled away. People keep putting them in the gutter. Every time the wind blows, we get their leaves. People should get a mower and cut them up. The city looks like a mess.

What about Clinton?

JOE Sullivan, I'm with you on this one. I, too, have been following the news on that naval officer, and to me this is 120 percent ridiculous. I was in the service for five years, and what he did doesn't amount to a hill of beans. He has boosted the morale of the troops. A few years ago, we had our chief executive have oral sex in the Oval Office, and all they did to him was slap his wrists. He was the highest man in the land, and that was OK. But now they relieve a naval officer of duty for doing something that 95 percent of the troops under him probably approved of.

Legalize marijuana

I think they need to legalize medical marijuana for the patients who need it. It's an invaluable medication they can use, and if it's done appropriately and legally and under the care of a physician, it's absolutely necessary for the patients who need it. Cancer patients need it. Patients with glaucoma need it. It can help patients who have anorexia and are unable to eat.

Dress code exists

THE committee at Scott City has spent a lot of time and effort looking into and studying the issue of school uniforms. There's going to be a lot of money spent and a lot of effort required to put this plan into place when all they need is for the administrators to take the time and effort to stand at the doors when the students come in and enforce the dress code that's already in place.

Flip-floppers

YES, David Limbaugh, John Boehner and the GOP claimed they could save $100 billion. Then it went down to $50 billion after the election. From $100 billion down to $50 billion down to $30 billion. You guys are nothing but a bunch of flip-floppers.

Show of support

JAN. 8, my mother and I were on our way to St. Louis, and we kept noticing people on the side of the road with American flags as well as on overpasses. We finally figured out it was in support of a fallen soldier who was making his way to Ste. Genevieve. I just wanted to say what a beautiful show of support for our troops that was. It's nice to know that people still care about that type of thing. Thank you to our troops and the families who sacrifice so much. God bless our troops.

Appropriate dress

I applaud David McNeely's article on the opinion page of Sunday's Southeast Missourian. I don't understand why people can't be conscious of their appearance and wear decent clothes, pants pulled up to the waist where they belong and dresses up closer to the neck where they belong.

Disrespecting others

PRESIDENT Gerald Ford said it best when he tried to tell us we can disagree without being disagreeable. Far too many of us have promoted anger, if not hate, toward fellow citizens, candidates or elected officials who disagree with our position on issues. To belittle or not belittle, that is the question. There are many that make money spreading disrespect, anger and in some cases, hate. Some newspaper columnists, TV and radio celebrities degrade parties, candidates and elected citizens with their words and tone of voice.

Jensen's views

IN a recent column titled "Obama supporters are like sports fans," Michael Jensen actually uses the words "unable to judge impartially" when describing supporters of the president. I would use those same words to describe Mr. Jensen's views of Obama.

Enjoy the paper

I'M so proud of my Southeast Missourian newspaper. I am an elderly lady who doesn't have a computer to read all the news. The paper is a large part of my life, and I hope we have it forever.

Team America

THE election is over. Like it or not, we need to work as team America. All this anti-Obama talk and the tea party troublemakers just stir the hate pot. Those who sit behind microphones and spew hot air need to do something positive. This to me is bullying of the worst kind. And we wonder why our children bully. If tea partiers don't like our system, wait and vote in 2012.