Speak Out 10/4/06

Bubble argument

THOUGH I realize it's political propaganda, it is still at times maddening to see David Limbaugh make so many misguided mistakes. His latest outrage was an attempt to use tortured logic to convince us that the Democrats and not the Bush administration are responsible for the cataclysm in Iraq. The vacuousness of that argument convinces no one any more and makes me think Limbaugh lacks any contact with the public, perhaps living in a bubble.

Assembly questions

I WANT to know what the deal was with Team Impact being in all the public schools for a recent assembly. Our grade-school children came home insisting that we go see Team Impact at Cape First Church that very night. We went, and what we found was not what we would approve for our children to be exposed to in public school. I understand that the version the "motivational speakers" had for the schools was toned down and didn't include any religious themes, but small trading cards were sent home with each child, and it was almost as if they were coerced in to going to Cape First for the event. We left Cape First early because the program became strange. We don't want to sound like heathens. We are a Christian family that attends church. Who sponsored the event at the schools? The school board? Cape First? When I tried to contact the school district office, it was brushed off as a "good wholesome motivational event." I've spoken with several family friends with kids in public school, and we'd like to know when we can get a team of people from our places of worship to "impact" the children of the local public schools too.

Endless list

TO THE person who hates smokers and likes children eating Skittles: You're also polluting my air if you participate in one or more of the following: Do you drive any vehicle with a gasoline or diesel engine? Do you use any items that run on electricity? What about batteries? There is a lot of waste involved in battery making. The list is truly endless.

Border excuse

THE FLORA and fauna have survived the Mount St. Helens volcano explosion, but according to some environmentalists, building a fence along the Mexican border would destroy nature for all time -- any excuse to keep from securing our borders.

Praying at the flagpole

I WOULD just like to say way to go, Jackson middle school, junior high and high school students. While dropping my daughter off at school I was pleased to see so many of our kids at the flagpole praying at the annual "See you at the pole" event. There was such an awesome display at the middle school that I drove around to the other schools and saw an equally awesome display at each school. There are people in this world that want to take God out of our schools. And it will be the ones who aren't afraid to show how you feel about God that will not allow it to happen.

No comparison

COMPARING EATING at a fast-food restaurant to smoking is like comparing apples to oranges. We need some calories in our diet, but we never need smoke. Too many calories are just as bad as too few. Cigarette smoke isn't good in any level. You can't compare the two.

School funding

PUBLIC SCHOOL boards should nix private fund-raising schemes for their schools because they receive tax money. Parochial schools aren't supported by taxes and rely heavily on what has been a most generous public.

Protect your children

GIRLS SHOULD be given the opportunity to have the cervical cancer immunization. I am an adult who has only ever been with one partner. I found out last year that I have HPV. Good girls deserve the protection too. Just because we were careful does not mean our future partner will have been. I have been with my husband for nine years, and we found this out last year because it is not regularly monitored for every pap-smear test. Now I have to go to the doctor every three months to have not only a pap test but a colposcopy and biopsy done. Parents, protect your children.

Don't ignore the facts

IT'S STUPID to ignore that teens are becoming sexually active sooner than in previous generations. It's wishful thinking that teens would wait until marriage to have sex. Let the girls be vaccinated and stop trying to ignore scientific research and statistical data that show us the world how it is.

Hypocritical MSBA

THE MISSOURI School Board Association rears its hypocritical head. MSBA claims the state is taking too much control away from the local elected officials and must be stopped. Where has been MSBA been the last 15 or so years when MMAT, now MAP, was imposed -- written by the state, evaluated by the state and paid for by individual districts? Where has MSBA been the last few years when Grade Level Equivalencies were imposed and "model curriculums" (probably soon to be "mandated curriculums") were touted by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education? Teachers have expressed strong concern, but MSBA has been, not surprisingly, silent. Now MSBA is outraged. Why? Because the state is going to mandate again, but this time it's not what goes on in the classroom, but what is done with tax dollars. It appears MSBA only seems to get concerned when money is involved. I guess that tells us what MSBA really cares about. Too bad local school boards follow whatever MSBA tells them to do.

Bad sidewalks

IT'S A pretty sad day when a man gets a ticket for walking in the street instead of on the sidewalk. Don't police officers have something else to do? Where are our rights? Where is it written that we have to walk on the sidewalks? Have you seen the sidewalks on Sprigg? They are a mess. The concrete is uprooted. This is city property that the city workers are not taking care of.