Speak Out 11/15/05

Thanks for recognition

I ATTENDED the recognition for veterans held at Jackson High School and was greatly impressed with it all. Thank you, Jackson, Jackson High School students, superintendent and teachers.

Use those mirrors

MODERN CAR manufacturers are nice to their customers. They provide three strategically placed mirrors so the driver can see approaching traffic. Does anyone actually use these magical devices anymore?

Doesn't seem right

I WANT to know why military recruiters are allowed in our high schools promoting the war and sugar-coating what really goes on, but the word "God" or any type of peacefulness is banned from schools.

Downtown post office

ABANDONING THE post office in one of Cape Girar-deau's most historic areas would be a disastrous mistake. As a college student, I like the convenience of having a post office nearby. I don't see any sense in building a post office in a part of town that is largely inaccessible to low-income residents and college students without cars. Just because the west side of Cape Girardeau is growing doesn't mean that we should put the rest of the town at a disadvantage. Fix the Frederick Street post office and let the wealthy drive from their homes.

Never forget

CONCERNING YOUR front-page story, "A new generation of veterans, a new appreciation for sacrifice:" God bless and keep Bob Davis for his service to our country. God comfort Mandy for her loss. Dust off the veterans. Parade them around. Pat them on the back. Say "Job well done!" Put them back on the shelf. Forget about them for another year. I am a veteran. I am proud that I served. But, please, never ever forget those soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines still out there. Pray for safety on the front lines. Pray for their safe return home. Pray each and every day that you won't forget Bob Davis.

Get clearance first

IF THE Jackson student wearing a kilt and his parents really wanted to honor his culture, couldn't they have checked with the administration ahead of time before he showed up at the dance? If he was wearing it for legitimate reasons, I'm sure it would have been cleared. It seems to me that this is another case of a kid trying to joke around and see what he can get away with.

A travesty

A RECENT comment said, "If the students don't have people to control their activities and require them to study, then the parents need help more than the students do." I am not sure how to remedy this problem. In fact, I suspect the problem will continue to widen the gap between the haves and have-nots and most people of color. We need to confront this problem systematically. However, this will not happen. Simply put, we don't care about the have-nots and people of color. This is a national as well as personal travesty.

Full Scottish attire

THIS UPROAR over the male student wearing a kilt to the Silver Arrow dance has gotten out of hand. The picture I saw was of a young man in a red and black plaid skirt, not a kilt. Just wearing the plaid skirt in your school colors without any other accessories does not make it authentic Scottish attire. He should take the time to research his heritage to determine his proper clan tartan, if any. Not all Scots were affiliated with a clan, and usually only Highland Scots wore a kilt. Lowland Scots did not wear them. If this young man still wants to wear a kilt, he should do it properly. Wear a more traditional shirt, not a dress shirt and tie. Wear the proper knee socks, and wear a sporran over your kilt. Wear a sash, draped correctly, and fastened with a brooch. Do it the right way, and you will have a better argument about your Scottish heritage. Do it the way you did for the dance, and you will just look silly.

Keep it decent

IT IS not fair that a school leader would allow females to wear a tuxedo to the prom, but a male could not wear a kilt to a school dance. As long as the attire is not indecent or revealing, what a student wears to a dance does not distract from anyone's education.

Cold War vets

THE ARTICLE on Veterans Day was nice and done professionally. There was one forgotten group of veterans. Nobody mentioned the Cold War vets. These guys stood on the front line between democracy and communism for over 45 years. It's time they get their just due.

Where's the crowd?

AS NEWCOMERS to Cape Girardeau, my husband and I went to our first Veterans Day Parade. It was wonderful to be able to honor our veterans. However, the turnout was so sad. A town the size of Cape should have had people crowding the streets, cheering for our past and present military men and women. It truly saddened me. As the speaker at the ceremony said, "Freedom is not free." Who do you think pays the price? We should support and honor our vets as a way of saying "Thank you."

Driving inefficiency

I CAN'T believe a Speak Out caller would brag about traveling on the interstate at 10 mph below the speed limit. This person is going to cause a serious accident. The amount of money slow-driving motorists are saving is negligible, because more gasoline is used getting up to speed as opposed to traveling at speed. Also, think about all of the fuel wasted by law-abiding drivers who have to slow down and speed back up to get around this person. America needs to rethink every aspect of driving, and educating drivers should be a top priority.

A choice in Iraq

ACCORDING TO James Fallows, writing in The Atlantic Monthly, we have two choices in Iraq. One is to stay there a long, long time until a there is a viable Iraqi security force. The other is to realize there is no orderly way out of Iraq and plan accordingly. Both Fallows and I advocate the former course.

Best for the country

IT HAS long been held by most countries that immigration policy must be based on what is best for the country, not for the immigrant.