Speak Out 12/17/08

Just a shell

WITH THE near death of the Big Three automakers, America has come to poetic point in its history. At the beginning of the 20th century our country was the most industrialized and productive country in the world. Now at the beginning of the 21st century we have become a pathetic shell of our former self. God help us all.

Lane confusion

THE INTERSECTION of Silver Springs Road and Bloomfield Road has new lights. However, the lanes have changed, and no one is paying attention. Heading north, the old straight lane is now a right-only turn lane. The old lane to turn left is now the left and straight lane. I was going to go straight in the correct lane, but a woman next to me seemed like she did not realize the lanes were different, so I made a left turn. If I had gone straight, I would have been hit by the four cars that all went straight in the wrong lane. Please make the lanes how they used to be, because no one seems to be paying attention.

Tripod's story

WHEN I read the heartwarming article on "Tripod" on the front page of the Southeast Missourian on Dec. 13, it lifted my spirits. This is a win-win situation for a lot of spirited seniors and a lovely dog. I hope this inspires people to look at the animal shelter first when desiring a pet. They have so many lovely animals out there like Tripod waiting to be adopted. What a great story.

Success stories

THERE IS no statistical correlation that proves the reason ACT scores are going down is because of the higher rate of single parents. The ability of an individual to score high on a test has nothing to do with the fact that his or her mother is single. School systems are responsible for preparing the future leaders of our country, but without the proper fundamentals there will always be a deficiency in scores. I have met many engineers, doctors and lawyers who have been raised by a single parent and somehow have succeeded in life.

Over the line

I RARELY agree with columnist Mona Charen, but this time she was right on the mark. There is a big difference between honest and dishonest graft. Rod Blagojevich went over the line.

Doing what's right

KUDOS TO U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson for voting to help the auto industry. She also voted to help Wall Street. Both were in need of assistance. The real hypocrites were those many members of the GOP who voted to spend trillions to bail out Wall Street financiers but not one dime to help the most important manufacturing sector of this nation, a nation bordering on collapse due to excessive greed resulting from extreme deregulation of our economy. Emerson gets and deserves 75 percent of the vote because she has the guts to do the right thing, unlike others who represent us at the state and national level. Her constituents recognize that and appreciate it.

Best play ever

MY FAMILY watched the play "From Humbug to Hallelujah" performed by Bethel Assembly of God at Cape Girardeau Junior High School. It was one of the best plays we have ever seen. It was professionally presented with excellent music. Our 22-year-old son loved the play so much he went to all three performances. We are already looking forward to next year's performances.

The entertainer

RUSH LIMBAUGH is an entertainer, nothing else. It doesn't matter if Republicans listen to him. That speaks more to their choice of entertainment and how serious they are on political matters.