Speak Out 10/3/08

Proper action

I WANT the Cape Girardeau Police Department to know this is one citizen who stands behind it 100 percent, especially the officer who was involved in the shooting. If that person had not pulled a gun of any kind, none of this would have happened. This officer must suffer thinking he hurt someone. You saw the pictures, and you could see in the officers' faces they were in fear for themselves and those around them. These decisions must be made in a few seconds. If anyone else had been shot or killed the police would have been blamed for not acting quickly enough. They can never win in the court of public opinion. I ask for special blessings for them and their families.

Equal holidays

CENTRAL HIGH School students participated in Ramadan fasting and prayers on school property during school time. The district has opened the door and set the precedent. Every Christian church in the area needs to request the same privilege for each and every Christian holiday that occurs during the school year. The Jewish community needs to do the same. It's time Christians and Jews start using the same tactics that other groups have used successfully for years.

Big things

SOCIAL SCIENTIST John Q. Wilson long ago posited in his "broken glass" theory that seemingly little things like the failure to replace broken window panes can cause a neighborhood to go downhill fast. Big things, like piled up tree branches and limbs because of a hurricane, can cause it to go downhill even faster. Look at Cape Girardeau.

Religious diversity

I'M HEARING a lot about Central High School celebrating Ramadan, but I don't get why people are complaining about it being the only religion celebrated. It is not. Many other religions, including Christianity, are celebrated. No one was forced to do anything,

Animal abuse

I AM so angry about another front-page story about animal abuse. We see it on television and read about it in the newspaper and all we say is "That's so sad." The person who is responsible for this should be fined, imprisoned or at the least publicly humiliated. I wish we would have a front-page follow-up of this story with the moron's picture in color.

Happy grandparents

WE ENJOYED our first Grandparents Day at Blanchard Elementary School this year, and the spaghetti dinner the cooks prepared was good.