OpinionNovember 29, 2006
Speak Out 11/29/06
Holding the gun; Use the sweepers; Election access; Parade lights; Can of worms; Thanks for help; Words of wisdom; Scores, transfers; Gun protection; Getting to church; Parking lesson; Stopping gangs; Strict rules; Great tradition; Life-saving work; Spruce up; Different policies; Art for gifts
Holding the gun
THERE IS no gun in this world that will kill anyone or participate in a crime unless there is a bad person holding it. These people will always have access and own guns, legal or illegal. It would be hard to put away all the people who should be in prison in order to make our country safe. Blame people, not guns, for unnecessary or violent deaths.
Use the sweepers
DID CAPE Girardeau get rid of all its street sweepers? If we have them, why not keep them running constantly to help clean out streets? What happened to the mayor's goal of cleaning up the city? It's as dirty as it has ever been.
Election access
MY HUSBAND and I want to thank whoever was responsible for the handicap ramp at Bethany Baptist Church on Election Day. In the past, we had to take our own ramp. There were two people with walkers and one other than my husband in a wheelchair who used our ramp in past elections. Thanks again.
Parade lights
JACKSON NEEDS to have its Christmas parades in the evening like Cape Girardeau does. What's the point of putting lights on the tractors, fire trucks and other floats if you can's see them? Start the parade at 5 p.m. and let us see the lights.
Can of worms
FARMINGTON'S superintendent can thank Jackson's superintendent for opening a can of worms that all school districts will have to contend with. By giving in to the Warmack family last year over the wearing of a kilt by a student, Jackson schools set a precedent that other trouble-causing students with overindulgent families will take advantage of. Because this student got his 15 minutes of fame, other students were drawn into the unnecessary drama, other school districts face similar action, and Jackson was a joke across the nation.
Thanks for help
THANK YOU to the kind woman who offered to hold my infant daughter who was crying while I comforted my screaming 2-year-old son who had fallen while at the Christmas parade. You were an angel and made the life of a single mom a bit brighter.
Words of wisdom
"TESTING AIN'T teaching." Famous words spoken by Dr. Dymple Medlen at Southeast Missouri State University 30 years ago in her education classes.
Scores, transfers
WHOEVER WROTE the editorial regarding the Cape Girardeau School District's handling of MAP scores and student transfers is to be commended for explaining the situation and offering support for the teachers, parents and students who have to endure an administration that doesn't know what it's doing.
Gun protection
CONCERNING THE gun issue: Please do not let fear control your thinking. Think of the fear your or my family would have if someone who illegally had a gun tried to harm you or them. I would be helpless. People feared the outcome when the conceal-carry bill passed a couple of years ago. Now where are all the irresponsible shootings from licensed gun carriers? They aren't there, nor will they be. We are responsible, protected, law-abiding gun owners. People kill, not guns.
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Getting to church
MY MOTHER would like to go to church but can no longer drive. I called the minister and asked him if someone from the church would pick her up each week, as all of her family lives out of town. He said the church doesn't offer that service. That's a problem that needs to be corrected. I'm sure there are other elderly people who would like to go.
Parking lesson
I QUESTION any university student who parks where she will receive a ticket and then complain about it. Those students should receive an assignment from one of their instructors to educate them about where to park.
Stopping gangs
IF CAPE Girardeau has a gang problem, why doesn't the police department start identifying these thugs? Enter the identities of these people into a state or national database as gang members. The police could shake down these offenders and most likely get them into the prison system faster. Perhaps the police need to start a gang unit, because our community is growing larger all the time. I think we could handle it.
Strict rules
ONE WEEK out of the month I am required to be at school by 7:15 a.m. to greet the children, although I don't get paid for that extra hour. I might get a 40-minute lunch break, depending on the weather. If it's bad out, I have to take care of the children during recess and only get 20 minutes to eat. Sometimes our faculty meetings go until 5:30 p.m., and that's two days out of the month. We don't get paid for those hours either. My principal doesn't allow anyone to leave the building during our prep time.
Great tradition
THANK YOU to the Hutson family for a beautiful ending to our Thanksgiving gathering. We've been going downtown to see the Hutson's window since our children were little. Now we take our grandchildren. The Hutsons give so much to our community. Charlie Hutson would be so proud to see that the tradition is carried on.
Life-saving work
AS OWNER of The Cape Club Complex, I would like to thank the city fire and rescue personnel for their quick response to a call made for an extremely ill patron. Their timely and efficient response may have saved another life. Keep up the good work.
Spruce up
IT'S A shame to walk along Broadway and see all the buildings that are empty. Paducah has done such a great job of attracting shops, and it's a much smaller city. The owners of the empty buildings in Cape Girardeau should fix them up and make them appealing.
Different policies
WHY DO some principals permit teachers to leave the building during their lunch break and planning periods and some principals don't? Shouldn't it be the same rule across the district?
Art for gifts
I WISH the arts council would hold a Christmas arts festival for local artists to display and sell their work in time for the holidays. I'm not interested in crafts. I want to buy real artwork.
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