Speak Out 10/1/03

Don't change

THIS IS a reply to the Sept. 16 Speak Out titled "Disrespectful headdress." Jackson public schools all teach history and are very good at it. Jackson is the best school around here. I was born and raised here in Jackson and have my daughters in the school. One marches in the high school band and another will be marching later on. So all you kids in band, let me tell you all, you always look very good when marching, and I know how hard you work to look that good. So don't let any comment like this break your pride and all the hard work you've done. Mr. Vangilder, Mr. Broussard, Mr. Fliege and Mr. Crawford, you all deserve a big hand for the great job of teaching all these kids. So don't change a thing.

Take the lead

IN RESPONSE to the Speak Out comment on the size of the theater and dance departments at SEMO: The size of the program is a direct reflection of the availability of adequate facilities. The River Campus will attract more fine art students, therefore increasing the revenue for the university. Before the new business building was built, no one used the size of certain majors within the department as the deciding factor for the need of the new building. The only way the university can grow and compete in the new century is by improving the facilities available for the students. Right now, most fine arts students who aren't going into education are choosing SEMO simply because of price and geography. The River Campus will lead fine arts students to SEMO for the merits of the program and the facilities.

Some value

IN RESPONSE to the Speak Out about Sept. 11, 2001, remembrance, it would not be in my children's best interest to watch the footage of the strikes continually. I agree. But there are things that should be remembered besides Christmas, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, etc. The lives that were lost on 9-11 and the heroes who showed their true colors that day are worth remembering in my book. Most importantly, America stood "united" from that time on like they haven't in decades. The spirit of the American people and the men and women who defend them should be something that our children can be proud of and be part of. You may as well forget Independence Day, Pearl Harbor Day and Veterans Day since you feel that we should "move on" and "get on with our lives."

Be interested

TO THE good residents of the city of Cape Girardeau: When are you people going to take an interest in city government? The city council has an election coming up in Wards 3, 4 and 5, and you good people need to get involved. City employees did not get a pay raise this year, but the city hired a lawyer who lives outside the city and gave her a $10,000 raise when there are qualified attorneys here in this city who would have taken the municipal judge job without a raise. It is time to take action and get involved.

Take notice

THE LEFT-WING knee-jerkers should stand up and take notice. They dismissed the tent bombing by the Muslim chaplain during the war as a fluke. Now surprise, surprise, there are three Muslim spies found at Guantanamo. How many more are in our military -- heck, our country! We as a nation should not be afraid to scrutinize Arabs and Muslims in our fight for security, without fear of reprisal for being "paranoid." How many more American deaths will it take?

Media to blame

WHY DID 70 percent of the American population deny the evidence and believe that Iraq was in some way responsible for the Sept. 11 attacks? Maybe we should look no further than the U.S. media conglomerate that simply reports, without critical analysis, whatever ridiculous and unsupported claims come out of the White House. News media that took their jobs seriously would not have allowed the people to be so badly fooled by their government.

Stronger economy

I FIND it amusing as well as deplorable that so-called Southeast Missouri Republican Christians point the finger at those of us Christians who voted for Bill Clinton for president rather than George Herbert Walker Bush. I am fully aware of Clinton's sexual indiscretions, but this has been years ago and, when it all comes down to it, our nation and economy was considerably stronger than it has been during either Bush term. Furthermore, George W. Bush hides behind his Christian mask, but where is his brotherly love when it comes to his own people who are poor and in desperate need? I'll tell you where his brotherly love is, it belongs to the wealthy elite.