Speak Out 10/31/07

Take a stand

SOMEONE SAID it's not pro-life or pro-abortion, it's a matter of choice and God gave us free will. How can that person talk about God? What does the Bible teach us? One of these days we are going to have to stand before God and tell God why we didn't take a stand and why we didn't say things were wrong. God gave us a tongue, and we should use it.

Serious music

I'M THE old man. I've been around. I've paid my dues. You'll be 35 years old some day, and the songs you listen to now may make you bored and you may search for a new sound. Alcohol slows you down. Be careful with that. Dancing is OK, but try listening carefully to nondance music, listening to the different instruments in the same song. Soon robots and drum machines and computer enhancing will take your job. There will be futuristic instruments and all tradition will be lost. Progress is progress only if it is an improvement. The music you are listening to today is damaging to your ears and your memory. When you get older, all that influence will be heard in your own style. Drugs are for kids. They won't make a man out of you at all. The virtuosos in all music never touched drugs or drink. It's your choice. Music is serious business. I hope you will make the right choice.

Help each other

I'VE BEEN reading the articles about the disabled and the senior citizens who are living in dire circumstances. It doesn't stop with the people who are profiled in the paper. I'd like to challenge everyone to look to your left and look to your right and see if your neighbors are living in decent circumstances. The elderly may not come out much, but they would dearly love a plate of food from your dinner table and an hour's worth of visiting. The government is not going to help us. We're going to have to do it ourselves. Let's help each other.

Lights in the park

THIS IS in regard to the lights at Capaha Park on Broadway. Every night I leave the hospital to go home, and it is so dark. It's spooky and scary. The lights in the park are dim. There are no street lights at all from Broadway to West End Boulevard and up to Perry Road. I'm scared to walk in the park myself.

Visitor parking

THE RIVER Campus is community unfriendly. There is no provision for visitor parking, not even to pick up the tickets at the box office. When parking in a half-empty lot several weeks ago to go for a walk, I came back to find a ticket and had to go to the traffic office to get it canceled. It would be so relaxing to walk there or go through the art gallery, but who wants to come back to another ticket? By the way, when returning to my own neighborhood one block from the university, all the street parking was taken up by students. I can't park in front of my own residence or I get a ticket. Come on, Southeast Missouri State University, treat the community with some kindness and respect.

High-class only

CALL ME a cultural elitist -- a snob, if you will. When it comes to television, I watch only those programs on A&E, The Discovery Channel, The Learning Channel and PBS that reflect highbrow culture at its best. My current favorite is on A&E and is a continuing series I would highly recommend to those dedicated to preserving and promoting the most sophisticated aspects of our culture. Its title is "Dog the Bounty Hunter."

Ultimate sacrifice

I WAS fortunate to know two classmates who gave their lives in the war with Vietnam. Joe Mirgeaux was injured early in the war and suffered for many years before dying of his injuries. I had the opportunity to thank Joe for giving so much of himself. I also knew Martha Middlebrook, who was with the children on the baby-lift airplane bringing them out of harm's way only to crash on takeoff. These two people showed the love all vets have who serve our country. We owe them so much, especially our prayers.

Looking to the future

I HAVE a question for government officials. We have highly intelligent economists and financial leaders who tell us that if we don't do something about shoring up the Social Security system and Medicare, our economy as we know it may be in jeopardy. The preamble to our Constitution mentions a great many things regarding what the Constitution is all about. One of them is our "posterity." Doesn't that refer to our children and grandchildren? If we don't get our government leaders' heads out of their posteriors and make them wake up to the problems of our economy, our children are screwed. The 800-pound gorilla is waiting in the shadows of the halls of Congress for the chance to devour our posterity. Because of incompetent government leadership, we must strive to give our children a much brighter future.