Speak Out 10/14/05

Awesome band

THE CENTRAL High School marching band is truly awesome this year. It continues to receive accolades at various competitions throughout the state. The band is truly one of the best marching bands in the state this year. Thanks to band directors Neal Casey, Josh Lamar and Mr. Keys. These kids really have it in their heart.

On God's side

METHINKS PEOPLE need to quit claiming God is on their side and instead focus on being on God's side.

Let's be flexible

THERE COMES a certain age when a child doesn't want to live with his parents. If that person is only capable of making minimum wage, then surely society can help a little to ensure some sort of future. It doesn't seem right that someone thinks things should be a certain way when life isn't a certain way. That's why we have to be flexible.

Comparing rates

THE MOST discouraging Speak Out comment I've ever read had to be the defense of Bill Bennett. The caller said, "The crime rate among blacks is above the national average of the groups. So somehow removing blacks would lower the crime rate." Good golly, folks. When the good Lord passed out melotonin, this did not necessarily cause a person to commit a crime. This is not an opinion that can be proven by facts. When you compare the crime rate of blacks who have the same educational and socio-economic status achieved by whites, you will see that the crime rate is exactly the same as whites.

What they deserve

WE REMEMBER Vietnam. Now it's a communist-overpowered country. We remember Jane Fonda sitting on a tank in Hanoi abetting the enemy. The first ones to scream for help if there are any further terrorist attacks on America will be liberals who have been brainwashed into opposing America's fighting terrorists wherever they are. Saddam Hussein paid thousands of dollars to Palestinian parents whose sons became suicide bombers of innocent people. These conspirators of death deserve war, and they're getting what they brought on.

Too much notice

AS A mandated reporter for child abuse or neglect, I have reported a family member. State officials went to the home and found the home not clean, among other conditions. They opened a case. Thereafter, every time the officials would get ready to visit, they would give this family member a 24-hour notice, which allowed that person time to clean the house, clean the kids and do the laundry. I have to fault the state for the way it handled this situation. If the officials didn't give these people notice they were coming, they might see more of what's really going on.

Thanks for wallet

I LOST my wallet at Cici's Pizza last week, and some kind person put it on the hood of my car. Thanks.

Abandoned car

I'M CALLING about abandoned cars. There is a car in the southbound lane of Perryville Road just north of Lexington Avenue. It's got a quilt covering the front windows, and the side windows are broken out. The car's been sitting there for a couple months. Why don't the police do something about that?

Who's insured?

WHEN WE hear that 45 million people in the country are not covered by health insurance, I wonder who the people making this estimate consider to be covered. For example, if you go to the VA for health care, are you considered to be insured? What about those who are on Medicaid? Are those people considered to be insured?

Waiting for words

I AM still waiting to see David Limbaugh discuss Tom Delay, Matt Blunt and Roy Blunt. I'm sure he has something important to say about them and how the campaign money was moved around.

Godspeed

EARLY MONDAY morning before sunrise the cars of the hurricane survivors at the Charleston Baptist Campground were lined up and ready to go. Now they're gone. May God bless you and God keep you and take care of you in your new journey. And thanks to all the good Baptists who gave Christian, neighborly love to people in need.

No poisoned corn

ANYONE WITH common sense knows you can't put out poisoned corn for birds. Cardinals, robins, doves and other birds like corn too. Using poisoned corn puts cats and dogs in danger.

No gambling

CAPE GIRARDEAU is classy. We don't need to be made less classy with a casino. Gambling doesn't do anyone any good. It's bad enough the lottery is here, much less riverboat gambling. Do we want to impoverish senior citizens? I think everyone's heard or read the studies saying senior citizens are spending too much money on gambling. It's not like those who want to gamble can't drive down the highway south of Sikeston to Caruthersville. You can cross over to Metropolis, Ill. I don't think we want that at our front door. Cape is a wonderful town without gambling, and we should keep our city as it is.

Public danger

IN REGARD to the legality of using poisoned corn to get rid of birds, are there no laws to protect the public from the use of poisons in public places? Any child could have picked up the corn on the sidewalk or driveways and then put his fingers in his mouth or even chewed on the corn. What kind of town would let this happen?

Improper parking

IT IRKS me when people park their cars too close to a street corner. This happens all the time on Broadway. The signs clearly mark the no-parking areas. So why do people continue to do it? Don't they know that it interferes with traffic and can cause an accident? I was driving on Broadway and trying to make a left at West End Boulevard, but someone had parked too close to the intersection, so cars had to move into my lane to get around it, leaving me swerving around them. The police need to pay more attention to these reckless parkers.

Religious fad

I REMEMBER as a kid in Sunday school being taught that meditation was a practice of Eastern religions, that it was bad or an invitation to evil and other such nonsense. Of course now that Christians have begun a meditation fad, we've heard all about how it's just fine and how Christians even invented it. This is another example of how religion is contorted to suit whatever opinion is popular at the moment.