Speak Out 10/12/04

No give and take

PRESIDENT GEORGE Bush and Senator John Kerry have just finished what was billed as a debate. It was not a debate. It was a well-organized media event. There were 32 pages of instructions that were hammered out by both political campaigns right down to what kind of pen and paper the candidates would use and also the height of the podiums. This was not a debate. There was no give and take.

Thoughtful students

I THINK it's very thoughtful of the two Jackson varsity soccer players to wear number 31 on their headbands in honor of their fallen classmate, Jason Schafer.

Waiting for apology

HOW LONG do you think we'll have to wait until we hear an apology from the manufacturer of Vioxx? Or the Food and Drug Administration and the physicians that prescribed this medicine that was faulty from the start? Don't hold your breath.

Taking care of homeland

DOES ANYONE remember the fallout shelters of the 1960s? We were threatened then, and we're threatened now. Then the weapons were real. Today they are also real. Then we protected our homeland. There's a reason for the United Nations. In the midst of horrible times we need to take care of our homeland.

Consequences of actions

IT HAS been four years since Jeb Bush made sure his brother became president. God has sent four hurricanes to Florida, and during the presidential election period. That can hardly be a coincidence.

Bringing tourists to town

I READ an article that stated that the city of Cape may be considering keeping the approach to the old Mississippi River bridge for an observation point. I think that's one of the best ideas that they've had in the last 10 to 15 years for a tourist attraction. That would bring a lot of tourists to the Cape area.

A great job

I'M CALLING about the Jackson High School cheerleaders and the cheer camp for kindergarten to sixth grade. The girls got out there for Friday's game and I just wanted to say they did an excellent job teaching these kids and they did wonderful on the field at the game. Great job to all the cheerleaders.

Choosing a leader

SEEK BEFORE you vote. It is difficult to imagine John Kerry, who has stood for nothing during his years in the Senate, as the leader of our country. But worst yet, can you visualize John Edwards as our commander-in-chief in the event something happened to the president?

Building friendships

I BELIEVE every friendship and relationship helps us to grow into what we are to be, but friendships don't necessarily last a lifetime. You cannot be all and do all for a friend who does not reciprocate. Therefore, it's just best to say "thank you and good-bye."

Food safety training

AS A restaurant professional, I wanted to comment on an article in Speak Out about people handling money and then handling drink cups. At most restaurants where I have worked, we trained the employees to handle just the outside of the cup. They're trained not to have their hand inside the cup. The big trick here is education. Having a rule that would make us have to go wash our hands after we handle money before handling a drinking cup would add a lot of strain. That's one reason why we have lids and straws that we drink out of instead of drinking directly out of a cup.

Cleanliness at work

SCHNUCKS, WHICH is a wonderful grocery store, has put in wipes so you can wipe off the shopping cart handles or wipe your hands because, you know, those handles can be nasty. So why don't employers put in wipes at the cash register stands? I hate it when I'm going through a drive-thru and someone's touched their greasy hair, scratched their head or something of that nature. You seldom see managers even checking to see what kind of habits their employees have these days.