OpinionDecember 18, 2004
Speak Out 12/18/04
Grant in Cairo; Customer relations; Not keeping their word; Dishonorable honors; Demand good service; An amazing woman; A wonderful thing; Taking the blame
Grant in Cairo
WHEN MISINFORMATION gets printed in a newspaper, it is there for posterity. Regarding the Cairo information that was in Speak Out recently: The St. Charles Hotel, later the Halliday, burned in 1943. There were cellars under it for the storage of food for the dining room. During his six-month Civil War stay in Cairo, Gen. U.S. Grant roomed at the hotel. But his headquarters was at 609 1/2 Ohio St. on the second floor of the City National Bank, never in the hotel.
Customer relations
I PATRONIZE many local businesses. The unfortunate reality of bad customer relations is this: I pride myself on going out of my way to greet in a positive manner whoever waits on me. When that is met with a roll of the eyes, a sigh of disgust or contemptible mannerisms, it is difficult to keep being nice. The local business owners and managers need to be aware of the disposition of some of their employees. Local businesses need to use good employees as an example of excellent customer service.
Not keeping their word
TO THE person who said we should pay attention to what our legislators stand for and how they plan to vote: The trouble is the politicians say "I stand for this" or "I will vote for this." When they get in, they vote the way they want to.
Dishonorable honors
THE MOST urgent problem confronting Southeast Missouri State University is the erosion of standards caused by grade inflation. If everyone at SEMO graduates with honors, it is not an honor.
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Demand good service
CUSTOMERS WOULDN'T be rude if they weren't receiving bad service. I am not a rude person, nor do I treat salespeople rudely. I used to be a retail salesperson. I will not, however, tolerate bad service or rude salespeople. I have made it my personal mission to point out rude behavior and to let management know when I'm treated that way. I work hard for my money and refuse to spend it where I'm treated poorly. If more people pointed out poor service and demanded better, we'd get it.
An amazing woman
MRS. HARRY Naeter was an amazing woman. Few people have had to face the loss of children she had to face. She was fun, frank, sometimes outspoken, courageous and an inspiration to me. I came to know her in her later years. She loved her children and her grandchildren dearly in any and all circumstances. She and her husband looked after her aging mother -- who reached 100 -- in their home with amazing care. She loved her sister, cousins, and Southern kin. Family was all to her. I thank your paper for remembering a very special woman who stood by her family, kept her friends and showed courage and common sense in the happy times and equally well when the chips were down and when it meant the most. It was inspiring for me to witness. It was thoughtful of your paper to remember her, and it warmed my heart. I am a Southeast Missourian reader from Southern Illinois.
A wonderful thing
AS A parent of three stillborn babies, I know how comforting special keepsakes can be. Anna Mae Rigdon is doing a wonderful thing, giving parents one more memory of their special child. God bless her.
Taking the blame
WE LIVE in Cape Girardeau County, and we don't always keep up with our recycling. Every morning in the garage I pass a stack of newspapers with a headline on top that quoted Donald Rumsfeld about the Abu Ghraib prison abuse. He said, "These events occurred on my watch. ... I take full responsibility." That was last May. To date, 11 Marines have been convicted. Many observers, both conservative and liberal, say Rumsfeld trained them to do just what they did. The Big Guys start the wars and give the orders. The Little Guys fight and die and take the blame.
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