Speak Out 12/15/08

Government nonsense

HOW LONG are the good people of Illinois going to put up with the nonsense that goes on in Chicago politics? It is an embarrassment. It is time to clean up Illinois state government.

Opposing views

ADULT AMERICANS have an obligation as citizens to expose themselves to ideas with which they disagree. Even if the ideas are absurd, propagandistic, divisive, illogical and repulsive, one should expose himself to them if for no other reason than to make an effort to refute them. That's why I expose myself to Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh and the like. Reading and listening to what only reinforces your own views borders on the un-American.

Tepid response

YOUR EDITORIAL encouraging people to be nice to one another while shopping is the most tepid response to the Wal-Mart trampling death of a security guard by shoppers I've read to date. As many have written, this one incident exposes us as a corrupted and obsessed consumer society with no moral compass. As one journalist wrote, you don't see adults trampling over one another to get into churches or PTA meetings. This tragedy serves as an example of the coming end to the American experience that was once based on high ideals.

Family time

HOW DARE anyone chastise parents for taking their children to the movies. They should be praising them for having the gumption to hustle the extra money to take their children. Do you know how many parents use their money for drugs and alcohol? Let them go to the movies. Children need stuff like that.

Economic plan

I WAS reading a piece in USA Today about what can America do to avoid an economic depression. It says one thing we can do is allow every U.S. citizen to get a 30-year mortgage at a fixed rate of 1 1/2 percent. That would stop the home prices from falling. It would let everybody save money on their mortgages, and they would be able to reinvest in the economy. It would create jobs, increase tax revenue and allow people to keep their homes. Please contact your legislators to push for something like this.

Beautiful lab

THERE HAS been a beautiful black male Labrador hanging around my house the past couple of days. I called the police. I thought I was doing the right thing by having him taken to the animal shelter. The animal-control officer said the dog would be put down in seven days, which made me feel bad. Somebody is missing a beautiful Lab. He's so friendly.

Class sizes

CONGRATULATIONS TO the Jackson School District for holding steady on its state report card. However, I feel the administration is misleading the public by saying the teacher-student ratio is 1-20. This includes every special education class, gifted class and behavior disorder class. The average general education classroom has many more than 20 students. Statistics can be reported any way that looks good to the audience reading the report. I say congratulations to the dedicated teachers in the district who go above and beyond what is expected in order to improve student achievement. I feel taxpayer money needs to be spent on decreasing the regular education class size rather than increasing the number of administrators. With fewer students in the regular education classes, there would be fewer problems to send to the administrator, and our children would be even more successful than they are today.