OpinionJanuary 26, 2007
Speak Out 1/26/07
Exercising patience; Relying on DARE; We lack the will; Free meeting rooms; World-class humorist; Buildup not logical; Redeploy the police; Parental influence; Decorating advice; Raise library fees; Lack of upkeep; Bring back fairness
Exercising patience
I'M NEVER surprised by the number of individuals who jump on the anti-Bush bandwagon and spew their hatred prior to anything he does just because of who he is. I was at least waiting for a while before beginning to ask if all those who had had enough were getting what they wanted or if what they wanted is different then what they are getting.
Relying on DARE
WOW. PEOPLE actually think because their kid went through the DARE program that they automatically won't try drugs?
We lack the will
THERE IS little doubt that the U.S. has the power to mobilize a force that could permanently secure our borders in a matter of weeks. But it is clear that we lack the will to accomplish this task. "Lack of will" and "impossible" are pretty much the same thing.
Free meeting rooms
SINCE WHEN did it become the responsibility of the Cape Girardeau Public Library to provide free meeting rooms for local organizations? Just say no to new taxes.
World-class humorist
YOUR LIST of David Limbaugh's credentials -- lawyer, author, syndicated columnist -- needs supplementing. I think you need to add the word "humorist." A large number of your readership doesn't understand that he's putting us on and that he's not serious. He's a world-class humorist, better than Will Rogers and Dave Barry combined.
Buildup not logical
I AM confused. If over 90 percent of Iraqis don't want us there, 70 percent of Americans don't believe we should be there, the generals (fired ones) don't think we should increase the size of the force, and all of our so-called coalition of the willing have removed most of their troops, where is the logic of increasing our force now?
Receive Daily Headlines FREESign up today!
Redeploy the police
SINCE THE terrorists are going to remain in Iraq after we leave, I think we should consider a redeployment of the Capitol Hill police. I don't believe we should withdraw them immediately, but we should set a time limit of three to six months. This would give each representative time to get their personal security forces in place. I'm sure they could afford it based on their $165,000 base salary plus benefits such as real-estate sales and kickbacks,
Parental influence
MY CHILD'S history teacher is having quite an influence on him. Apparently the teacher is a big Barack Obama fan. My child came home telling me Obama's not a liberal. I said to my son, "Where do you get that idea? Obama's very much a liberal. He's not someone your dad or I would support." It doesn't bother me particularly that this teacher is having an influence on my young student who will be ready to vote before I know it. But what bothers me is other parents who aren't aware of what their children are being taught and the need for parents to step in. It's OK for our kids to be exposed to different ideas, but you must speak to your children and make sure that they understand that someone is a liberal no matter what their history teacher might tell them. The history teacher shouldn't have more influence than the family does when voting.
Decorating advice
IF YOU'VE got Santa sitting in your yard in late January, it probably needs to come down. If you've got big plastic blow-up things in your front yard, they don't look so good as a flattened mass. As for Christmas lights, if they're the tasteful clear bulbs, I think you could have them into March, because you might want to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. If the lights are clearly Christmas lights, they should be gone.
Raise library fees
THIS IS in response to the library expansion and the estimated $34-a-year increase in taxes. I don't oppose the library expansion, but I think that's a large amount of money to be paying each year, especially for people who don't use the library system. Maybe the library should increase the fees for people who use the library as a way of paying for the expansion.
Lack of upkeep
IT'S FRUSTRATING once again to watch the Cape Girardeau School District rally to spend its funds on great new facilities and then fail to budget enough money to maintain them. Even the most beautiful building will look bad in time without proper regular maintenance. Blanchard Elementary School's leaking skylights are an ongoing problem that should have been addressed long ago. The little used junior high tennis courts were once a nice facility used by the public as well as the high school tennis team. Now that the tennis team is gone, the nets are torn and the surfaces are so deteriorated that only the middle school kids use it in the spring. Same with the baseball field on the corner of Clark Avenue and Thilenius Street. Once used and maintained, it's now overgrown and left to deteriorate. The old junior high building was clean and maintained. As a middle school, it has not been kept up. Franklin Elementary School is a money pit that should be closed. I'd go on, but the bottom line is that the district operates like a kid with a new toy. They love and show it off when it's new, then toss it aside once it shows its age.
Bring back fairness
I DON'T know if the Fairness Doctrine needs to be reinstated, but something has to be done. For example, I can still hear the extremist right-wing screamings of Michael Savage, even if the radio isn't turned on. Something must be done.
Story Tags
Advertisement
Connect with the Southeast Missourian Newsroom:
For corrections to this story or other insights for the editor, click here. To submit a letter to the editor, click here. To learn about the Southeast Missourian’s AI Policy, click here.
Related
Advertisement
Receive Daily Headlines FREESign up today!
