Speak Out 1/18/11

Uniform problem

AS a victim of high school rivalry and gang violence, I say don't make my children a target by having them wear uniforms. Also, when I was in the military, uniforms were not allowed off several military facilities due to the risk of being a target of people who didn't like the military.

Fire hazard

IT'S been proven that secondhand cigarette smoke is deadly. No one has the right to jeopardize the life of another. It gets on clothes and stinks, and it is a fire hazard.

Over-reacting

I can't believe the people in Fruitland who are acting as if the world will end if they have a quarry in their community. Do they not realize there are two quarries less than a mile from Central High School?

Spreading hate

THERE are so many radio talk show hosts, people in the political arena and others that are stirring up so much hatred in our country.

Snow safety

I'D love to know who made the decision to send our children to school last Tuesday morning. Maybe someone with the district should actually drive some of these rural roads, which make up most of this district, rather than sit around nice and warm while my children and I are out in the weather trying to get to the bus stop safely.

Hazardous roads

I saw a bus slide sideways all the way down Shawnee Street in Jackson last Tuesday. Jackson should have been out of school that day like everybody else.

Thank you

I wanted to say thank you to the person who found my Kohl's charge card on the Sam's Club parking lot and returned it to the Kohl's store. May God bless you.

Jackson streets

I wonder why the city of Jackson wasn't prepared for the recent snow. We haven't had any ice or snowstorms this year. I would think they would have lots of salt and cinders, but I saw none on the roads. Maybe the main drags were covered, but the side streets were bad. People were sliding all over the place and school was still in session.

Thanks, global warming

I wonder how cold it would be if we didn't have global warming. I hate to think of it.

School meeting

TO the parents of Scott City students: You need to be aware that your school board is addressing a policy for a uniform dress code, and they are voting on it Wednesday night. If you're opposed to a uniform dress code, you need to be there and voice your opposition. There is strength in numbers, and I believe only one side of the story is being told.

Great performance

The university percussion performance in mid-December was phenomenal, especially the Mannheim Steamroller piece. Kudos. How about a repeat next year? And station your ushers at the door with tip jars.

Illinois taxes

I love the way the news sensationalizes the tax increase in Illinois. It's going from 3 to 5 percent. That means if you make $100,000 a year, your taxes will go from $3,000 a year to $5,000 per year. But all they want to say is it's going up 66 percent. It just shows how people can play with statistics to make it sound a lot worse than it is.

Labor unions, Obama

BY far the largest source of money Obama received in his run for president was from the labor unions. The two largest unions in the U.S. are the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers. Since nearly all of our public school teachers are members of these two unions, did we really expect them to teach their students superiority of free market capitalistic systems?