Speak Out 11/09/04

Back to normal

HOORAY! THE elections are over at last. No more political phone calls, junk mail and yard signs. Now maybe we can get back to normal. I'm Jane Doe, and I approve this message.

Double standard?

IF A person is against birth control for people, why is it OK for animals? I just hope none of these people who favor spaying and neutering of pets have a double standard.

Two commandments

I'M RESPONDING to the person who said Jesus only gave us one commandment in the New Testament. Another person said he felt Jesus gave us two commandments. He did give us two commandments. The first commandment was to love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength. And the second new commandment the Lord said was to love thy neighbor as thyself.

Nuisance walkers

I SHOP at the mall, and the smoking at the entrance isn't a problem for me. Is this complaint coming from a walker in the mall? Sometimes they can be a bigger distraction than a smoker outside the mall.

Which is closer?

TEN BLONDES are standing in Cape Girardeau looking at the full moon. One of them says to the other, "I wonder which is farther away, the moon or Florida." And the second one says, "Well, you can't see Florida, can you?"

Don't bother parents

AS A parent, I have a problem anytime I have to sign anything but especially if it is something as silly as kids taking part in a fake voting exercise. I shouldn't have to be required to sign silly stuff for the school. If the teachers want to do this foolishness, don't send it home for me to sign. Adults have a lot to do in their life without this nonsense.

States' rights

SOMEONE CALLED into Speak Out and corrected someone previously who called and the original caller said the Civil War was fought of states' rights. The second caller called in and said that was incorrect, that it was fought over slavery. Slavery was not really considered the issue, but that's how it's simplified in schools today. But when you get to high school and college they explain to you very clearly that it was fought over states' rights. Slavery was one of those issues of states' rights. The southern states felt that each individual state should have the right to determine whether or not their state had slavery.

Not acceptable

SO THE university thinks it can get away with sending people to Hawaii to get computer training. What's wrong with having someone from the computer company come here? Or, even better, doing it via a video teleconference? The arrogance displayed by the university administration shows no bounds. They think they can do whatever they want and we peons will just accept whatever they say. Their cavalier attitude regarding our money is outrageous. I hope the negative publicity this has garnered forces the university to re-think its plans.

Author was H.G. Wells

I ENJOYED Chris Pagano's article about the "War of the Worlds" radio broadcast, but she made an understandable error. The author of the book the radio play was based on was H.G. Wells, not Orson Welles. In the original book, the Martian attack happened in London. The scene was shifted to the New York area for the radio broadcast . When the book was later made into a movie, the scene was shifted again, this time to Los Angeles. The scene of a Martian ship crashing into the Los Angeles City Hall is a classic. One other note: "War of the Worlds" is often replayed these days around Halloween. It is also available on CD for those who want to listen to a classic radio production.

We're not guys

I HAVE a very generous tip waiting for the next server in a restaurant who refers to my wife and me as something other than "you guys."