Speak Out 11/22/06

Character attack

NATIONAL REVIEW Online's Kathryn Lopez couldn't contain herself. After calling for reasoned, honest debate between Democrats and Republicans, she showered Bob Casey (who drubbed Rick Santorum in the Pennsylvania Senate race) as a "weak candidate" and an "empty suit." It didn't take Lopez long to ignore her own advice and return to the ad hominem practice of name calling and attacking the politicians character.

Low opinion

IF DAVID Limbaugh stands by his contention that the Democratic Party is intellectually and morally bankrupt, assuming he has faith in the wisdom of the American voters, he must think the same of the majority of the Democratic electorate.

Economic legacy

THUMBS UP and Godspeed to Dr. Milton Friedman. He leaves a legacy of economic freedom rivaled only by our Founding Fathers.

Year-round DST

I DON'T understand people complaining about daylight-saving time. I love having the extra hour of daylight in the evenings. I spend October dreading the time change at the end of the month. If it were up to me we'd have it year-round.

Confusing news

WHILE LISTENING to the national news, I was struck by two back-to-back stories: while visiting Indonesia, President Bush was called a terrorist by a local Islamic imam. The imam went on to say that the president should learn to live in peace with others. The next story was about a plot by "peaceful" Muslims to attack the president with a suicide bomber while in Indonesia. I'm confused. What do Muslims want? If it is peace, the first thing you need to do is condemn suicide murderers and clean up your own house. By the way, our troops are not cowards who wear hoods to hide their identities or chop off the heads of captured enemies. What am I missing?

Fiscal caretakers

DEMOCRATS WANT to tinker with the economy in the sense that out-of-control federal spending is irresponsibly passing huge debt to future generations. The Democrats have become the party of balanced-budget fiscal conservatism.

Voice of reason

THE TRAFFIC hang-ups on the way to sold-out Show Me Center concerts and other events would never occur had we long ago listened to the voice or reason who wanted to locate the Show Me Center on the much more accessible west side of town.

Bad timing

Can someone explain to me why crews were painting lines and arrows on Route K near Wal-Mart and Interstate 55 at 1 p.m. on a Saturday? Not just any Saturday, but the weekend of all the craft shows. The traffic was already bad enough. It took me 14 minutes to get from Wal-Mart to Burger King on Mount Auburn Road. Whoever made the decision to do that work at that time of day on a weekend is insane.

Is this progress?

Is it a sign of techno-progress that shoppers are fighting over PlayStations instead of Cabbage Patch dolls or Beanie Babies?

Killing logic

I have heard enough from the people who shoot defenseless animals, claiming that hunting keeps wildlife populations in check. Besides the fact that it's obviously not working, by killing some animals every year you are keeping the population at a steady point of rapid growth. Leave them alone, and the population will crash. Quit claiming you are doing it for the good of mankind. Just admit you like killing for power.

Refreshing mayor

I think it is refreshing that Cape Girardeau's mayor shoots from the hip, doesn't mind blurting out truths and doesn't bend to decorum.

Jam

A scribe named Matt Sanders

Said, "Fill the Show Me Center

so we can jam and kick!"

But then the finicky Sanders

began to change his mind,

getting stuck in the traffic.

Other access

I DON'T know what all the fuss about parking at the Show Me Center for the Trans-Siberian Orchestra is all about. I didn't get there until 15 minutes before the show began, pulled straight into the parking lot and went right in. After the show was over we walked out to my truck, hopped in and drove away. I was home less than 10 minutes after the band quit playing. There is more than one way into the Show Me Center parking lot than lining up like cattle on Sprigg Street.

Awful letter

I think it's awful that this newspaper would let someone write an awful letter and sign it "Jesus," telling us to get over it and let's all just get along. No matter what, Jesus is the reason for this season. Without him you have nothing to celebrate. God sent his only son that we may not perish. Yes, God does allow free will so that you can chose to worship who you want, but I know where I'm going be when this world comes to an end, but the writer of that letter will be shaking his head wondering where he went wrong.

Great picture

THIS IS Saturday, Nov. 18. I just opened my Southeast Missourian, and I'm looking at today's weather art by Marissa Copeland, 11, of Cape Girardeau. Her picture is one of the most unusual drawings I've ever seen. I think that person has much potential in the art field in the future. I wanted to tell her she did a good job.