Speak Out 10/5/06

Awesome Art

THANK YOU for your recent front-page photograph featuring Art Lindman at the City of Roses Music Festival in downtown Cape Girardeau. Art is a wonderful person and outstanding musician. I admire him most for his ability to easily play "Guitar Hero" at the expert level, a quite difficult video-game accomplishment. Art is awesome.

Let us choose

I JUST read a story about a theater owner in Illinois closing his business so he wouldn't have to show the movies "Jackass 2" and "Beerfest." He said he didn't want anyone to see those movies because of his personal beliefs. I thought it was supposed to be our decision to see those movies, not the theater owner's. It's another example of other people trying to tell everyone else what to do and not letting us make our own decisions.

First-hand information

THANK GOD for people like Ray McGovern. Even though he has inside knowledge and experience, our government and the Bush apologists attack him. The media blowhards like Limbaugh have never served this country but will brainwash people and call him a traitor. But McGovern not only has the right to make his voice heard, he has his 27 years of experience to back it up. So thanks to him for speaking out about what he knows firsthand.

Shopping safety

I HAVE noticed time after time that a large number of automobile drivers fail to stop at the stop signs at the entrances of our grocery stores. If we aren't careful, someone will be struck by a careless driver. Stop to protect your fellow shoppers.

No comparison

THE PRESIDENT many times deserves to be corrected on comparing his administration with those of Harry Truman and Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Again, the Republicans are going to our heroes. We were attacked by Japan. Roosevelt did not encourage us to attack Mexico or China. He encouraged us to answer back to Japan. Truman sent troops into Korea for what he called a police action. We were to stop communist aggression. We invaded Iraq under false pretenses. No way does the president have any right to compare himself to Truman or Roosevelt.

American concerns

I'M CONCERNED for our for free America and the life we enjoy today. I'm concerned for our very lives. We are dealing with an enemy with no conscience as we in the civilized world understand it. They hate us and our way of life. Terrorists would kill any one of us without regret if they had the chance. If you don't believe this, you are either gravely misled or living with false security and possibly trusting an untrustworthy media. Why are our leaders who were elected to represent the people continuing to show disunity in our fight for our lives? Have they forgotten 9-11? Have they forgotten countless other attacks for well over a decade? Have they forgotten young men like Jeremy Shank who lay down their lives? Have they forgotten that people like me have a son who proudly serves our country and is protecting us today? We need to think about positions voiced by Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi and Jimmy Carter, whom I voted for. These people encourage the terrorists. The terrorists are overjoyed with this disunity. It gives the terrorists new zeal to kill our fine military people and disrupt the struggling young governments of Iraq and Afghanistan. I am stunned when I hear these people talk about negotiating with terrorists.

Quit the war

PLEASE, MR. President, bring the boys home. The Iraqi people want us gone from their country. Please, Congress, do not give any more money for arms to prolong this ridiculous war that was a big mistake from day one. Our president had bad advice from Vice President Cheney and Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld. His generals say it's a losing war. Let's quit the war.

High-speed chases

TWO PEOPLE got killed during a high-speed chase by police. I believe high-speed chases should be outlawed. They cause more damage than not.

Timely action

I'VE BEEN reading that Congress approved a 700-mile fence along the Mexican border, and the Republican majority leader says what a great job legislators have done. But it seems funny that they messed around with it all this year and last year and didn't do a thing about it until about a month before the election. That seems kind of timely, doesn't it?

Big cover-up

THE MARK Foley scandal is the tip of the iceberg. My understanding is that many House leaders knew about some of these slime bags and have been sitting on the information for months. If that is true, the time has come to get rid of those who try to cover up stuff like that. They don't deserve to be in any position of authority.

Spending priorities

THE CAPE Girardeau Public Library has proposed a 15-cent property-tax increase to raise $9 million for an expansion. This would nearly double our library tax. Libraries are important. However, in 2004 the city struggled to pass a quarter-cent sales tax to help our police and fire departments, and all city employees were given a raise. If any building needs to be expanded and updated, it's our police department. If you don't believe me, ask for a tour.

Bless the farmers

GOD BLESS the hard-working farmers. Your hard work doesn't go unnoticed. Thank you.

Sounds familiar

THE WORDS of al-Qaida's No. 2 man, Ayman al-Zawahri, published in Saturday's Southeast Missourian and the words of Ray McGovern, published in Sunday's Southeast Missourian, are similar. Could it be al-Qaida's taking cues and encouragement from lefties like McGovern? We are at war, people. Let's support our president.

Time to be united

RAY McGOVERN should be ashamed. I think whoever sponsored his visit to Cape Girardeau should be ashamed. The important thing for us after 9-11 is to be united. We elected George Bush to do a job, and he's keeping terrorists away from us and people like McGovern, who suggested Bush should be impeached when the man is simply trying to do his job. I love my president, I love my country. And I believe in "united we stand, divided we fall."