Speak Out 10/16/08

Safety first

THE REASON that it's so important for bicyclists, scooter riders and motorcyclists to obey all the traffic laws is because of the people who run stop signs and accelerate through signals. You have to take responsibility for your own safety. If it means giving the right of way to someone who's not obeying the law, do it anyway. At least you'll be alive to complain later.

Bush's bailout

I TOLD a lot of people that when George W. Bush got in office, we were going to have a depression. See what we've got? Some people say we're in a recession, not a depression. Look at me. I'm in a depression. I've got no job and can't buy anything. Are you in that shape? This is a depression. President Clinton got us out of a recession and had us in the black. President Bush put us in one. Why should we bail him out?

Prepare for worst

THIS UNCERTAIN time has a lot of people scared. I'm not so concerned. I've been on the bottom for a long time. I don't think anyone can take much more away from me. If worse comes to worse, my family will circle the wagons. My children and grandchildren will come home. My parents will come home. My father lived through the Depression and is a gold mine of ideas on how to live through another one. He cannot do the work, but he can supervise. I think we all need to prepare for the worst. Life as we know it may be over. It's time to get on with the new one.

Catch the robbers

I THINK Cape Girardeau police would have an easier time catching arsonists and bank robbers if they weren't sitting along the side of the road trying to catch people going five miles over the speed limit.

It's a privilege

WITH ALL the fraud and corruption going on in our voting process, people need to be reminded that voting is not a right. It's a privilege. Our Constitution gives us the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Life no longer exists for babies being aborted. Liberty is slowly being eroded by laws and regulations enacted by Congress. And the pursuit of happiness is hard to achieve without the other two. Neither are housing, health-care or employment rights. They used to be personal responsibility. Only people who are truly disabled or in need should be considered for government assistance. There also needs to be some oversight and investigation into some so-called not-for-profit organizations operating in our country.

Making laws

YOU RAN an article about the Connecticut Supreme Court creating a new law for gay marriages in Connecticut. The issue is not whether or not that's a good law. The issue is that under our form of government legislatures are supposed to write laws. The court is only supposed to interpret and enforce the law. It should not be making law. The Connecticut legislature can make a law for gay marriage if it wants, but the legislators elected by the people are the ones who properly should make the law.

Going backward

A COUPLE of months ago I went back to my hometown in Illinois. When I was a child, we used to run all over the neighborhood until about 9 p.m. the night of Halloween. We ate whatever candy we received without a problem. Now nobody goes out after dark because if you do, you're asking to be assaulted. I stopped at a gas station, bought some gas and tried to use the restroom. The station took all the restrooms out because of all the criminal activity. This is not progress. In many ways, it's a step back.