Speak Out 1/18/03

Seeking popularity

I THINK former governor George Ryan of Illinois was desperate to make up for being such an unpopular governor.

Controlling classes

AS A parent, I know that it is best that teachers not spank students. I realize that teachers can find various ways to punish children that are creative and you don't have to worry about the school system being sued. I think spanking should be left to parents. If a class if out of control, it's the teacher's fault. If they can't control a class, they shouldn't be in the classroom.

Flights to Memphis

IF THE airport manager would like to know how to increase the number of people taking flights from the Cape Girardeau airport, start offering flights to Memphis for those of us who are going south instead of having to go to St. Louis, then back down.

Test everyone else

They need to test all the people who drive so fast and run up behind the bumpers of us senior citizens, who give us the finger when they go around us and cut off our front fender, who have loud mufflers, who yell and scream at each other, who turn without using signals and who hit their brakes suddenly. They need driving tests, not us.

Not safe for the birds

MY LAST coated frying pan said, "Note: Please do not use this pan if you have your bird in the same room, a parakeet or any domestic bird. Take them out of the room." Doesn't that tell you something?

Young tailgaters

THE CALLER who talked about how older drivers should be tested may be right. I'm sure there are some who shouldn't be driving. But there are also some young girls with phones stuck in their ears who, when I'm driving the speed limit, tailgate me. Rear-end accidents are very dangerous to everybody.

Governor's report card

THERE'S A $1 billion revenue shortage in Missouri government. Bob Holden and his group didn't do it in one year's time. It had to be the Republicans before him. I give Holden a C as a governor.

Age assumptions

NEVER MAKE assumptions or use age discrimination regarding age and driving. Teenage statistics and drunken-driver statistics show their accident and death rates far exceed the experienced, older drivers. I'm 80 years of age, have been driving for 64 years and have never had an accident. I drove 70 miles a day for 25 years from home to work on I-55 from far west St. Louis County to the Mississippi River area. I do not wear glasses except for very fine print. My hearing and reflexes are very good. I do not need any medication, and my recent exam found me in excellent health. I'm sure there are other older drivers who can claim the same thing.

Truman and Roosevelt

IN RESPONSE to the caller who said Harry Truman and Franklin Roosevelt would be disappointed in the Democratic Party: I beg to differ. Truman would be a Democrat today and so would Franklin Roosevelt. As a matter of fact, Harry Truman was just as liberal as the Democrats are today, if not more. He believed in national health care, raising the minimum wage and unions. I'm a Democrat because I'm for raising the minimum wage when it's needed.

Protect life

PRO-LIFE people believe that God has given all people a sanctity of life. Life is very precious, and we need to protect it. We protect first the innocent, but then we protect all people. We even protect murderers after the innocent are safe. So once a person is convicted of murder and he's safely away in jail, let him stay there until God calls him home.

A good job

I just would like to take a moment to say thank you very much to the AmerenUE workers who came out to replace our street light Monday evening. I called, and within 40 minutes they were there with a new bulb. Thank you again from the bottom of my heart. This was a good job.

War history

The United States has not used its power to build an empire, says a Speak Out caller. So much for the Mexican and Spanish American wars.

Cloning potholes

THE TROUBLE with swerving around the potholes driving from Scott City is that you might collide with another driver swerving around the potholes driving to Scott City. Those potholes multiply like rabbits. Or maybe it's an experiment of MoDOT in an alternative aspect of cloning.