Speak Out 11/7/08

Stay healthy

I'M A big believer in personal responsibility. Let's continue to raise taxes on tobacco products and alcohol. And with the epidemic of obesity in this country, why not take it a step further and tax those who are 50 pounds overweight or more? These three types of people are slowly killing themselves. Who do you think will pay for their surgeries, their rehabs and the disabilities and other illnesses they will incur as a result of their bad habits? The rest of us, of course. What better incentive to take better care of yourself than to realize continuing to harm yourself will hit you where it hurts the most: your pocketbook?

Follow the road

HI, JOE Sullivan. My husband and I are both retired. We live out in the country east of Marble Hill, and we're always taking a ride with no destination. We've found more back roads and squirrelly roads. One time we took a ride when it was dark. We didn't know where we were. The road kept getting narrower, but we prayed and got where we needed to go. They're fun rides. Nice hearing from you, Joe.

Spellbinding

I WANTED to praise Bridget DiCosmo on her article about the woman shooting the rapist. I wanted to thank her for writing a spellbinding article.

Near-death experience

I WANT to share an experience I had. I had a reaction to a medication I was taking for five months. Every time I took it, I felt strange and weak, unable to walk or talk for an hour or so. Then it would go away. One night during such an episode, a loved one who had passed away four years earlier was somehow there with me in my living room, gradually joined by other loved ones until they were all around me. I felt so safe and happy until they started disappearing. I felt such anxiety because I wanted to stay with them. I found out later the attacks were sustained ventricular tachycardia, the last stop before death. I have never felt so safe as when they were here with me in my living room.

Wonderful parade

I WANT to express my sincere appreciation for everyone who worked on the Homecoming parade for Southeast Missouri State University. It was an awesome parade, which was so organized. It was such a great time for families to enjoy the city and the university.

Too much cancer

A FRIEND of mine had adult-onset leukemia. He said there are way too many people in Southeast Missouri getting cancer compared to other areas of the United States. Are there any studies being done about the environment in Southeast Missouri that is causing more cases of cancer? What is it that's causing too much cancer in Southeast Missouri?

Time for support

REGARDLESS OF who wins the presidential election, the winner deserves all of our support as he takes on a job of monstrous proportions. It will take a while for our bruised and battered country to heal. We're going to roll up our sleeves and get to work on restoring our country.

Power outages

I TRY to tell my son not to sweat the small stuff, but it's ridiculous when the power keeps going out. I reset my clocks Saturday night because of the time change and then again because of utilities going out. Again on Monday the utilities have gone out. I also have to reprogram my radio stations. It's pretty sad when I have AmerenUE's number memorized.