Speak Out 1/30/07

Bless the soldiers

KUDOS TO everyone in the armed forces who believe in our freedom. Freedom's not free. God bless our U.S. forces.

Radio fairness

SOMEONE WANTS fairness doctrine because he's tired of hearing Michael Savage on the radio. There are more than a dozen radio stations in the Cape Girardeau area. If you don't like listening to Savage, change to one of the other stations. That's fairness. You turn to what you want.

Less control

I DON'T see how anyone can blame companies for moving their businesses out of the country. Our own government forces them to. Employers have to pay outrageous workers' compensation payments. And you have OSHA fining employers for ridiculous rules. I'm voting for the presidential candidate who promises less government control and more personal freedom.

Great mail carriers

ALL THE comments about the postal service and the mailboxes are crazy. The postal carriers do a great job overall. You can't get your letters any cheaper than the postal service provides. We need to thankful for the great job they do.

Hurting, not helping

WHAT IN the world is Matt Blunt thinking? Is he trying to ruin Missouri? Is he trying to make sure Missouri doesn't have any Social Security, Medicare or anything? If this guy doesn't get out of office soon, Missouri's going to be in the same shape that the whole country's in. We need somebody in his office who cares about the people of Missouri and tries to make the state a better place to live instead of trying to tear it down all the time.

Flag respect

I WAS hoping someone could help me understand why the Fruitland Fire Department does not have the U.S. flag flying at half-staff for President Ford. I thought all flags were being flown at half-staff. Could someone tell my why Fruitland Fire Department isn't flying the flag at half-staff?

Testing comes first

I AGREE 100 percent that there should be mandatory drug and alcohol testing for the recipients of Missouri Medicaid and food stamps. I would love to see that happen. Anyone who tests positive should not receive these benefits.

Follow the corn

I DON'T know what some people are thinking. I just heard that someone is talking about building an ethanol plant in Obion, Tenn., and it would use 38 million bushels of corn, or half the corn produced within a 75-mile radius of the plant. With a lot of chicken and hog operations in the area, there won't be that much corn available. Put the ethanol plant where the corn is.

Population border

THERE SEEMS to be some idea that opening our borders leads to overpopulation and opposing border warfare somehow deserves a thumbs down. If we are going to be scared of overpopulation, let's look to American soil first since so many people seem to believe that they have the right to grace the state with their progeny. I can't tell you how many young people I've seen with four or five children they obviously cannot afford. If you want to control both borders and overpopulation, let's begin by a quick trip to the doctor's office. That is the first, most accessible border that can be quickly remedied. Let's stop blaming people who are a direct contribution to society, regardless of where they come from, in favor of some worn-out ideal that a stack of children somehow shows diligence to God and personal value.

Gospel attraction

SOMEONE SAID rock music in church is a gimmick. If it brings people in to hear the Gospel, I like gimmicks. I like Christian rock music and traditional Christian music and teaching the Gospel and Communion. When I go to church, I want the whole experience.

Trashy community

IT SEEMS Cape Girardeau has become the hot spot to live for trashy people. My husband and I went out Friday night to a few stores and couldn't believe how children act. These children are in their early teens and have no manners whatsoever. Where are the parents? Are there any parents out there teaching their children manners? Good people and children are in the minority these days.

Looking foolish

I KEEP seeing comments like "Facts are troublesome" and "Reality is harsh" from the few war supporters on the left. How about the fact that Wahabbism and Osama bin Laden are Saudi Arabian, not Iraqi? What about the reality that Saddam Hussein had no weapons of mass destruction and harbored no al-Qaida? Right-wing ideologues think they are being cute or smart when they talk about "troublesome facts." The harsh reality is that they look foolish.

Fitting punishment

DOING AWAY with capital punishment, I think, is why our country is being overrun with crime, period. We have to take a much harder stand against those who undermine our style of living. If you want something, work for it. But if you steal or rob someone, you should go to jail.

Cheerleaders were there

A RECENT comment said no cheerleaders were at the Jackson eighth- and ninth-grade boys' basketball tourney. The Jackson Junior High School cheerleaders were present for the two games Monday and two games Tuesday and Friday.

Illegal entry

OUR SOCIETY depends upon trust and the honesty of its citizens to survive. What does the illegal entry by millions say to us? And where we are going as a country and what we have become as a people if we tolerate it and our leaders embrace it?