Speak out 11/24/08

Mandatory diploma

WHEN WE have so many runaways and homeless, we wonder why. Maybe it's because the law allows children 17 years old (and younger) to leave school and home to become school dropouts, drug users, prostitutes or whatever to survive, and the parent can do nothing. Do you see something wrong with this picture? Where are our legislators? Our elected officials need to recognize that the law regarding this situation needs clarification. I realize some people at 17 are capable of supporting themselves and are responsible, but the majority have not finished high school and do not have a full-time job and are not capable of finding employment that will support them. Every child should be required to finish high school or the equivalent before being considered an adult.

Meeting halfway

I HAVE no trouble with the school district spending money on auditing the curriculum as long as parents also audit the way they are raising their children. If all parents are meeting the district halfway by being involved, promoting school rules, creating a positive homework environment in their homes and instilling a work ethic, the next logical step would be to look at the school's curriculum issues. Until then, you are wasting valuable time and money on a problem far bigger than what curriculum evaluations can solve.

Absentee problem

IF YOU want to know why the graduation rate is low, just look at the absentee rate. Students cannot pass classes they do not attend. There are students who are making decent grades but will not receive credit because of chronic absenteeism. That decision was the board's. Calls home to get the students back in school are ignored, or there is no working phone number. After the student is 16 there is nothing legally any school in any district can do. This should be looked at as a cultural and socioeconomic problem, not just a school problem.

Lingering sign

NEAR KINGSHIGHWAY there's a yard on Cape Rock Drive that has a political sign. The election is over. That sign has been there for weeks. When we had a business on Kingshighway, we were visited by policemen and a council member and told to take down our signs. I think this sign on Cape Rock Drive should be removed.

Reach out

WE ARE much more than consumers. Each day as you go about your business, try acknowledging the people you meet. A nod, a smile, a heartfelt quip to a stranger makes our lives rich. Reach out to those people who are different from you. It seems that people all over the world are different, but you will also find they are all the same. You're never too old to grow and cultivate good character. Take a chance.

No auto bailout

I SAY don't bail out the automakers. They've been having a good time drawing that high salary. Now they want taxpayers to bail them out. We worked all our life for our savings. Now they want us to bail them out. That's not right. Let them figure out how to get out of this mess. It's their fault. They did it themselves.

Fairness on the air

K.P.S. KAMATH made a coherent argument that the Republican Party veered way off course in large part by patronizing "right-wing nut talk shows." Perhaps Kamath might be reassured that every effort will be made by the incoming administration to enforce the Fairness Doctrine and require the radio stations to give equal time to opposing viewpoints. I hope that will have the effect of greatly reducing or perhaps silencing their impact.

Time to fade out

I THOROUGHLY agree with K.P.S. Kamath's comments. Whether or not you listen to the radio garbage doesn't matter. You can't insulate yourself from it. In the past months, these hucksters had the nerve to bring their falsehoods into my living room via my phone. I would like to be compensated for all the time I spent running to the phone and for the pain I suffered when I tripped, only to hear "This is John Doe. Did you know my opponent was born with a tail and approved legislation that would have required all infants be born with tails?" There are good people with good ideas on all sides. We must get them together and let these hatemongering columnists and talk-show hosts fade into antiquity, a sordid chapter for the history books.

Call it quits

THERE IS only one option left for the Big Three automakers to do. It might hurt for some people to hear, but they need to shut down their factories, liquidate their assets to pay off their creditors and call it quits.

Curriculum is OK

THE CAPE Girardeau School District has the best team in place in the central office that it has had in years. The people of Cape Girardeau should be outraged that board members want to spend $50,000 for a curriculum audit to tell us what teachers and staff members already know: Our curriculum is aligned.

Lawless Jackson

SAY I'M driving down the main drag in Jackson and I'm pushing it and going 5 mph over the posted speed limit. Say I become a victim of road rage by one of the many people who speed (much more than 5 mph) down that road and know that the Jackson police never patrol it for speeders during the main hours of the day. Can I sue the city for not providing a safe town to travel in?

Free expression

THIS IS in response to the comment criticizing the Southeast Missourian for publishing an article and picture about cross burning. Don't you find it ironic that your comment was printed? It's called free speech. A paper's job is to bring you facts. I don't want to read a newspaper where someone else has decided what I should or should not read or see. Let people see the cruel and vile acts our fellow men are capable of. Perhaps one person can be reached and one mind changed.

Wasting our money

THESE ARE hard times, but the Cape Girardeau School Board wants to spend $80,000. When I was in education it was the building administrators who did evaluations and observations to be sure that the curriculum was being taught. Shouldn't the administrators be the ones to tell the central office and the members of the school board that they know whether or not the curriculum is taught? No new money is needed there. What a waste of taxes.

State your position

ALL OF you out there who post comments about stoplight timing, burning crosses, third-lane use and funeral processions should redirect your efforts to what will ultimately bring this country down. You need to contact your elected officials about the really important issues. You need to tell them you object to them spending $700 billion of your tax money to give bonuses to Wall Street worms. You need to tell them you can't imagine bailing out the auto industry when it refused to see the future. You need to make your position known. These representatives of the people will continue to take your money to do what they want. Tell these fat cats you aren't going to take it anymore.

No rest for the weary

THE REPUBLICAN Party is at its lowest ebb since Watergate. However, those who want to see the party go the way of the Whigs should not assume that it is destined for extinction. If anything, the pressure should be ratcheted up on the entire party apparatus and its minions in the media, particularly those on the radio who falsely claim to represent conservatism. Hopes are high that the party is destined to become one of old white people, predominately from the South and, therefore, on the way out. History shows this will likely not be the case unless the organized opponents are and continue to be relentless and unwavering in their criticism. Now is not the time to rest.

Bearing the wrath

SO THE destruction of wealth for the rich is supposed to be phenomenal. Oh, well, we poor and meager have borne the wrath of the wealthy for a long time.

Brush removed

I'D LIKE to thank Bob from B&B Rentals for removing the brush pile from the corner of Boxwood Drive and Spruce Street that has been there since Hurricane Ike blew through. I can now turn left safely at that intersection. Thanks, Bob, for taking time out of your busy day to make the city a little safer.

Grant-a-wish

OFTEN WE forget about the men and women serving our country, and we forget that there are children without fathers and mothers and servicemen and women celebrating their Christmas alone. Have you ever had to stand by the phone while your 10-year-old told Daddy merry Christmas over the phone? I have, and it was the loneliest Christmas we have had. The Sears grant-a-wish program is an awesome way to help give back to these servicemen and women. It is not just the man or woman in uniform who serves this country. Their families do as well. I encourage everyone to help these families have a good Christmas by going to Sears and donating what they can. I donated, and you can too.

Conservative stance

IN HIS impressive prescription for the ailing Republican Party, K.P.S. Kamath referred to "blabbering paleoconservative talk-show hosts." I beg to differ. Paleoconservatives are those in the tradition of the late William F. Buckley who articulated what conservatism stood for and said that George Bush wasn't one. The people to whom Kamath refers cast their lot with the failed George Bush, got on board for nonconservative big government and big spending and are now trying to recast their image, although they don't know what that image should be. I do agree that they are full-time blabberers.

Street decorations

The new street decorations in downtown Cape Girardeau, featuring garlands and lanterns, are a big improvement. Thanks to those who made the effort to spruce up for the holidays. It gives us cheer.