OpinionJanuary 17, 2007
Speak Out 1/17/07
Go fight in Iraq; One-theme columns; Coddled religions; Not good role models; Helping students; Which is important?; Caravan tickets; Impressive article; Speedy justice; School apparel; Other rankings; Explaining policy; Positive article; Limited attendance; Go take a look; Fighting old battles; Spinning history; Property access
Go fight in Iraq
EVERYONE WHO thinks we ought to send more men and women to Iraq to be slaughtered ought to have to go over there and fight. It's all right for you tell us we have to be over there. You ought to go over there.
One-theme columns
DAVID LIMBAUGH can't write a column without bashing Democrats. He seems to think George Bush is a godlike president. Take a good look. You can't be that blind.
Coddled religions
I ENJOY David Limbaugh's columns, especially his most recent one about politics and Christianity. Christianity is persecuted in many ways in this country while other cults and religions are coddled. It wasn't Christians who flew planes into the World Trade Center.
Not good role models
I DON'T need the Parents' Television Council telling me what to watch. I would never recommend "Deal or No Deal." The premise is sexist. Scantily clad women stand there with suitcases. Sometimes women on "American Idol" aren't dressed appropriately. "Dancing With the Stars" also has scantily attired women. I don't see that these are positive influences for teens at all.
Helping students
I AM a single white parent who is probably considered poverty level. I have never missed a teacher conference, school party or concert that my child was in. My child is in seventh grade at Central Junior High School. I went to the math teacher because my child was having problems with a particular assignment and asked what I could do to help. She was sarcastic and said she "went over this in class" and informed me she wasn't getting paid to talk to me. My child has always made honor roll because I will always be there for my child and be there to help even though the school may not.
Which is important?
THE CITY'S talking about how hard it's going to be to find the money to pay the new minimum wage. Now I'm reading about the scenic overlook project on the old Mississippi River bridge. The city's going to be picking up nearly $84,000 of the cost. Why would this scenic outlook be more important than raising the wages of people who are working their rear-ends off? It doesn't make sense to me.
Caravan tickets
I ATTENDED the Cardinal Caravan. We bought our tickets early last week knowing, because of the World Series, tickets would probably sell out. I would say they did sell out, because at the door the Osage Community Centre was selling "standing room only" tickets. This is a shame. Because of the greediness of the center many fan's experience was ruined. Since there were so many people, adults were not allowed to meet the players unless they had a child with them, and even the children had to limit their number of autographs. I can understand the experience of the child being important, but who buys the tickets to games and events such as the caravan? Are adults no longer allowed to be fans unless they have a child? I think the Osage Community Centre needs to think about the way it runs the caravan. Tickets should come with a number or letter on them (such as when you have a boarding pass for a plane). Your number should decide the order in which ticketholders gets an autograph. This way, people who think ahead when buying our tickets won't have the experience ruined by latecomers who happen to have children. This will also help expedite the autograph process and eliminate the opportunity of people jumping the line to get ahead of others.
Impressive article
I WAS impressed by article on uniformity by Kalli Gibbs. It is good to know we have such intelligent and thinking young folks in our midst. If we could only have more of the good qualities and less of so much of the mean and the sexist things that go on in schools. Our school boards should take note of this article and try to make amends. We all would benefit from it, most of all the parents and the taxpayers. Money does not necessarily produce smart people.
Speedy justice
HOW IS it that some people think criminals should be shown mercy but fail to do anything about the real advocates of hatred: terrorists? Criminals who are tried, convicted and hanged should be executed within a reasonable time instead of taking years in the American judicial system. Liars should be prosecuted, convicted and punished right along with them.
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School apparel
CENTRAL JUNIOR High School does not enforce its dress code. Most of us dress OK. But there are a lot of girls who don't have anyone at home who checks or cares that so much is hanging out. It's yucky to see. Some teachers address it, but mostly nothing happens. A uniform would be better. Just jeans and a T-shirt would be better than what we have to see.
Other rankings
RIGHTLY OR wrongly, most schools are judged by the number and quality of their extracurricular and athletic offerings. In that sense, I would speculate that Leopold would rank nowhere near the top.
Explaining policy
NATIONAL SECURITY adviser Stephen Hadley was asked why the American people should believe the administration this time when it has been so wrong before. He said because this is different. How? The president said he listens to his generals. But he fires them if they don't agree with him. The prime minister in Iraq just fired the Iraqi general in charge of Baghdad and replaced him with a Shia general. How is any of this different? Playing ostrich is not a policy. And a lie is a lie no matter how many times you repeat it.
Positive article
THE FRONT-PAGE article on Leopold school was positive. Also positive was the teacher looking professional.
Limited attendance
CAPE GIRARDEAU officials want citizen input on a comprehensive planning project, yet they don't believe they will have even 50 people attend. If they really cared about citizen input, why would they schedule this meeting on a Wednesday night when a lot of folk go to midweek services at church? This looks like a calculated move to limit attendance.
Go take a look
IT WOULD be money well spent to send several local officials to the U.S.-Mexico border to see how overwhelmed the Border Patrol is. When they come home, they'll be less inclined to pass the illegal immigration buck to the feds.
Fighting old battles
CALLING ON the likes of Steve Forbes and Phyllis Schafly to make editorial points is downright reactionary. These folks are beyond has-beens. You're still fighting the political battles of the 20th century.
Spinning history
STEVE FORBES' spin that history will treat President Bush better because of his decision to take on terrorism in Iraq is baloney. Bush went willingly into this war, wrongly influenced by a bunch of neoconservative ideologues who escaped from a think tank and convinced the president that the time was right for America to engage in an idealistic crusade to export democracy and liberate the oppressed.
Property access
AS A landowner in Bollinger County but not associated with the issue of the cemetery road ownership, I don't think the property owners have a leg to stand on. Once a road is maintained to a site, be it home or cemetery, for a certain amount of time, there is no taking it back. Nor is there any way to keep poachers or people up to no good off your property. Fences, locked gates or any other means to maintain privacy won't work if someone wants to trespass. Absentee owners need to ingratiate themselves to locals, not antagonize them.
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