OpinionJanuary 27, 2005
Speak Out 1/27/05
Perpetual partisanship; Like parent, like child; Not so funny; Complex issues; No longer supplemental; Dialing for death; Scary stuff; Action, not words; Starry-eyed utopian; Pointing a gun; Trust the Bible; Anniversary rematch; Ready for change; Disgusting litter; Focus on academics; It's a sales tool; Clean is good; Thanks for billfold; Athletics or academics?; Focusing on issues; They're all important; Noise in Jackson; Put it online; A good neighbor; Privately funded; Have money, will spend
Perpetual partisanship
THERE IS no culture war to speak of in the United States. If you doubt me, I call your attention to the current issue of The Atlantic Monthly. In virtually all matters of culture, there is a general, rather moderate consensus. The real division appears in the rabid partisanship of both major political parties. Though irresponsible, it is in the interest of all media outlets to perpetuate said partisanship between Republicans and Democrats.
Like parent, like child
IT'S NO wonder teenagers are such disrespectful drivers. Every day between 7 and 7:30 a.m., I witness parents drag racing down Kingshighway, rudely cutting in front of anyone they can at the Broadway light to get to the middle school. Come on, parents. Don't you know you lead by example? You have no one to blame but yourself when your child becomes the impatient, accident-causing, rude driver that you are.
Not so funny
I WAS told to get out of line at store's checkout because I had 13 items and I was in the 10-items-or-less line. When I told the girl I was disabled, she laughed at me. I do not think it is funny to be in pain all day. Just where the heck did customer service and "The customer is always right" go?
Complex issues
THERE ARE people among us with serious psychological problems who may become a physical threat to themselves and others. Anyone who doesn't know this must be living a sheltered and naive life. The goal, and it is a difficult one, is to balance individual freedom against the safety of society. This is not simple, and there are undoubtedly abuses on both sides of the equation at times. Naive advocates for eliminating psychiatry and the related suspension of personal freedom would have immediate second thoughts if they suddenly opened all the doors at the Farmington and Choate forensic and chronic units and dumped the residents out onto the streets of Cape Girardeau. I'll guarantee it. A lot of minds would change real fast. As usual, big opinions are expressed without much real experience or understanding of the complexity of our social problems.
No longer supplemental
THE RECENT comment concerning whether or not Social Security was meant to provide a living was both right and wrong. When introduced, it was viewed as a supplement to other income, not as a primary source of income. With that said, it is correct that those in poverty -- both the disabled and the elderly -- had a much more difficult time prior to 1935 than after. Indeed, there were poor farms. Note also that many people today attempt to live on Social Security benefits, even though they are inadequate due to the original supplemental formulation. We also have a lot of older folks eating dog food in order to pay for medication and rent. Rent has dramatically increased, even as housing assistance for the elderly has been eroded by the Republicans. All of this will likely get worse, of course, if Social Security is privatized. Welcome to the land of liberty.
Dialing for death
I WISH the Cape Girardeau and Jackson would pass bans on driving and using cell phones. Women seem to be the worst. Every other teenage girl seems to be just flapping her jaws to someone and not paying attention to what she can't do very well in the first place: drive. I see moms having a good time gossiping to their friends while her kids watch DVDs and never once turning her head to look at the intersection for oncoming traffic. I see men doing it too. Hang up the phones before someone gets killed.
Scary stuff
PLEASE STOP scaring me, particularly on a Monday morning, by publishing a piece that wild-eyed libertarian social Darwinist, suvival-of-the-fittest Walter E. Williams is going to teach a course in the newspaper on economics.
Action, not words
WE ARE but pilgrims and strangers. How are you using your time? Are you encouraging the discouraged? Are you helping those who have lost it all? Or are you a maggot feasting upon the flesh of humanity? Our time on earth is brief. So what legacy are you leaving behind for your children? One that says everyone else is responsible for me, or one that says "I have done all I can, I have fought a good fight, henceforth is a crown laid up for me"? Too many waste their time complaining and never acting. Too many are slothful. Walk the walk you talk, or give your vocal cords a rest.
Starry-eyed utopian
FOR ONCE I agree with syndicated columnist Mona Charen. She wrote that in the area of foreign policy, President Bush is an idealist. I would go a step further and say his idealism is starry-eyed and utopian.
Pointing a gun
I WAS traveling on Highway 77 between Oran and Chaffee and noticed some hunters walking on and along the railroad tracks. As I drove past, a couple of hunters stood not 10 feet from the highway with one cradling his gun with the barrel pointed toward the road. Common sense and good hunter's knowledge tells you not to point the barrel toward anyone. Please point your barrel elsewhere.
Trust the Bible
REGARDING recent Biblical science comment, I would offer the following clarifications: 1. The Bible does not teach that the sun revolves around the earth . The movement of the sun is expressed relatively, from a fixed point of reference. 2. It mentions the four quadrants of the earth, not four corners. The original Hebrew and Greek words mean "angle" or "direction." 3. The phrase "pillars of the earth" is metaphorical, much as we speak of "the four pillars of investing" or "pillars of the faith." God as creator and metaphorically upholds all things. He sets up "the pillars." 4. The value of pi (approximately 3.14) is found in I Kings 7:23 when you figure the outer circumference of the bowl, not the inner (the brim was a span wide). You can calculate pi within 0.00008 from this passage. Yes, the Bible is literally true. It can be trusted.
Anniversary rematch
NOW THAT Southeast Missouri State University is at the beginning of a new tradition with the name Redhawks, perhaps we should look at other ways to remember the past. One way would be scheduling a home basketball game against Sacred Heart University (now a Division I school). It would be a 20th anniversary rematch of the 1986 Division II national championship game.
Ready for change
HOW MANY individuals taking over a CEO position with a company would continue to maintain managers or directors whose views and goals are different than his? Have you ever tried to work with someone whose animosity is there for all to view just because they can do the job? I'm ready for change -- real change.
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Disgusting litter
TO ALL the people in Cape Girardeau who throw their cigarette butts out the window: That is littering and is disgusting.
Focus on academics
JUST ONCE I'd like to see a newly appointed Southeast Missouri State University regent want to improve academics rather than non-academic things like the River Campus or athletics.
It's a sales tool
WHILE MIKE Devaney is a good writer, he seems to think that people care about grade inflation. We don't. We care about having lots of student majors, and the way to get them is to be an easy grader.
Clean is good
IN DEFENSE of custodians, a clean classroom is more conducive to learning than many things done by teachers.
Thanks for billfold
I LOST my billfold on the Saturday of the soccer tournament. Thank you to the honest person who turned it in to the police department. Everything was still in it.
Athletics or academics?
Former Cape Girardeau mayor Al Spradling, as a to-be-appointed member of the Southeast Missouri State University Board of Regents, identified as an area of personal interest the funding of athletics. Is Spradling equally concerned about making the River Campus a success both academically and financially, addressing the issue of grade inflation and reinstating the recently terminated academic majors? Does Spradling know the extent of the increased funding for athletics since the university made the move to the NCAA Division I level? Does Spradling know how the percentage increase for athletics compares with the percentage increase for academics? Does a regent develop policy, or is the regent's role to provide judgment on policy issues prepared and presented by the administration?
Focusing on issues
I enjoyed reading the article about Mary Null and her effort in feeding homeless. While homelessness isn't a huge problem in the heartland, if one considers all the activist professors at Southeast Missouri State University, it's probably great to focus in on the national-level issues that are of the most tragic dimension.
They're all important
As far as I'm concerned, anybody in the school system who comes into contact with my children is not paid enough. From the top to the bottom, they are all important.
Noise in Jackson
HALLELUJAH! IT looks like somebody else is going to run for mayor in Jackson. Maybe we can finally get something done about all the noise problems around town. For some reason, the current administration does not want to recognize there is a problem and does not want to listen to any of the complaints from any of the citizens. Hope is in the future.
Put it online
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI State University is a taxpayer-supported university. Grade distributions for each course, major, department and college should be available online.
A good neighbor
I wanted to thank Kelly Crawford of Jackson for helping me find my dog last week. Since I broke my hip, she's been a life saver. Thank you, Kelly. You are truly a good neighbor.
Privately funded
I WOULD like to make a comment about the inauguration costing $41 million. These were private funds. It didn't come out of the taxpayers' money.
Have money, will spend
ANOTHER EXAMPLE of tax and spend. The restaurant and motel tax has a surplus of over $1 million, so we spend it on a trolley bus and signs. Here's a unique idea. Why not put the $1 million surplus in a fund for next year and lower the tax? If government or a public agency has the money, they will spend it.
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