Speak Out 10/25/11

Jackson grading

MANY people went to Jackson because it was the best school district, or was supposed to be. When something is fixed, you don't break it. That grading system that they have decided to use, or nongrading system, is just plain bad. It's such a letdown for people who cared to move to this area. Now the school tries out something trendy versus making us proud to live in this area.

Planning flaw

THE Jackson Senior Center is a beautifully designed safe haven for our senior citizens. It's in a beautiful setting. I would like to know who the city planners are in Jackson who arranged for a gas station to be placed at the entrance, because there are a lot of elderly people who drive large cars and have trouble seeing. Now there are going to be a bunch of wild people hyped up on Red Bull and beer pulling out in front of them as they go in and out of the senior citizen center.

Department's problem

I believe the deer problem is the Department of Conservation's problem. Why can't they shoot them with tranquilizer guns, kill them humanely and sell their meat? Bottom-line profit for the Department of Conservation and a safe way to get rid of the deer.

Deer hunting

DR. Stigers, please tell your 6-year-old daughter that the deer are pretty and sweet in the fields, but when they dash to the edge of Hopper Road and run right into the middle of my van on my way home, they are not so cute.

Cleaning monument

I would like to make a comment on the monument that was vandalized. Instead of using a liquid solution, it would have been better just to sandblast it. You would have had that clean in an hour.

Leave deer alone

PLEASE do not allow urban deer hunting. That is not hunting, that is slaughter, because they just stand by the road. Anyone who shoots them ought to be ashamed of themselves. We take their land. They need some place to go eat. Put up deer crossing signs. There aren't any out there that I can see. I like seeing the deer. Please leave them alone.

Hope reason prevails

THERE are well-documented methods for helping citizens and wildlife to live in harmony. One would hope that moderation and reason will prevail in the committee to study the possibility of deer hunting in Cape Girardeau. If avid hunters lead the discussion, they may not be in the best position to consider more humane options. Talk of bow hunting at this point seems rash. Wildlife in and around Cape Girardeau contributes significantly to our community's charm and quality of life. Deer, by nature, eat some types of plants. Surely we are better people than to kill them for that.

No change

BROADCASTERS on the news complain and AM radio is full of people complaining, but nothing ever changes.

Deer population

PERHAPS a more rigorous understanding of population dynamics could help inform the Missouri Department of Conservation. It's quoted in the Oct. 18 Southeast Missourian: "The department protection regional supervisor stated that 'in my 18 years of being a Cape and Jackson resident, I have seen the deer population grow exponentially.'" This statement was without any quantitative support. In reality, the Cape Girardeau County deer population has not grown exponentially and any wildlife biologist should know that.

Be patient

TO the person who is fed up with all the dust the farmers make, the good Lord didn't provide us with very much rain this year. We have no control over the dust, and we also don't control the food prices. We can't wait for rain to work the fields. We can't work mud, and you can't harvest in the rain. So please, the next time you lift your fork to your mouth, could you please have a little patience with all the men and women who are out in that dust to make that food that is on that fork.

Missourian editorials

With all the hard-hitting editorials that you folks have tackled lately on your editorial page, I am convinced that this newspaper is afraid to take on a controversial status. Judging from some of the editorials I've seen lately, I fully expect to see you folks come out in the next few days with a hard-hitting endorsement of apple pie, puppies and Mom.

University construction

THIS university wants to build a new dormitory for $25 million that is going to have 250 beds in it for 250 students. Let me see, I don't have a calculator in front of me, but I think that's $100,000 a bed. Wow. We can build houses a lot cheaper than that.

Union greed

I wonder if the people who are protesting corporate greed think there has been some union greed, too. When unions came on the scene, they were essential. I wonder if the reason companies move overseas is due to the high labor costs in this country. The auto industry is a good example of this.

Farm dust

I had to laugh when I read the Speak Out comment about farming dust. That is the dumbest thing that I have ever read that the farmers should plow their fields and harvest their crops after it rains. This person sure doesn't know anything about farming.

EPA regulations

IF the EPA gets more control over the farming business like the lady referred to in the Speak Out comment, more farmers will go out of business because they cannot meet the regulations. It costs too much and the prices of food, health care and everything else will skyrocket. Food is already going to be scarce, and it will be even more scarce with more regulation and higher prices.