Speak Out 12/28/05

Equal treatment

I READ with interest the article on the lack of blacks on various city committees. It was interesting to see that some people believe it's the city's responsibility to recruit blacks through their churches. This is another example of people confusing equal with special. Black people are already treated equally in the selection process. White churches are not used for recruiting, so neither should black churches. Just like with affirmative action and other initiatives, what is being said is that blacks need extras to be on the same playing field as whites. That's not true. Blacks are just as intelligent, just as capable of subscribing to the newspaper or reading it at the library for free, and just as able to go through the process to serve on these committees as any white person. To give them special treatment is to say they aren't.

What has changed?

IF THE traffic counts on Bloomfield Road are higher than on Perryville Road or the section of William Street past St. Mary's Cathedral or if a traffic signal is needed at Siemers Drive and Bloomfield Road, why is the city making Bloomfield Road narrower than the 36 feet originally planned and sold to the public in the Total Transportation Fund 2 documentation? The city made a bypass when the bridge was replaced because of emergency response time and citizen inconvenience. Why can't they keep a lane open now? What has changed since the bridge replacement that makes closing the road safer now?

Library bargain

THE INCREASE in fees for those living out of district to use the public library seems high, but the new rate isn't. Thirty-six dollars for a whole family to use the library is fair. It's a great library. I thank the board for not raising the rate for 14 years, but I understand it's necessary now. Those who complain should look around at how much other things cost and have increased over the past year. Anyone who subscribes to cable or satellite TV certainly can't complain about the library fee. Compared to them, it's the best bargain around.

Out of my way

"SENIORS WALK slowly," said a comment. I'm a senior, and I don't walk slowly. In fact, I move so fast that many youngsters get in my way when walking at the mall. I'm tired of it. Let this serve warning that when you see me coming, make haste to get out of the way.

Toddlers deserve fun

MY HUSBAND and I took our 2-year-old child to the mall to get her photo taken with Santa. While there, we took her to the toddler play area. It was overcrowded not by toddlers, but by oversized schoolchildren a teacher had brought there. My child was accidentally kicked in the face. Something needs to be done about the kids who play there and are over 42 inches tall. Toddlers deserve to have fun, too.

Secular triumph

CLOSING OF churches on Christmas Day seem supportive of the thesis that the forces of secularism have triumphed.

Grrrreat cartoons

I THOUGHT the Left was exclusively humorless. However, the scathing attacks on Don Greenwood's editorial cartoons betray a lack of a sense of humor on the right. As Tony the Tiger might say, Greenwood's cartoons are "grrrreat!"

Keeping informed

I'M GLAD Scott County now has a sheriff who will lay everything on the line in black and white, keeping the people of the county up to speed on the workings of the law enforcement system.

Sidewalk comment

I WOULD like to comment on the discussion about sidewalks between contractors in the city. There's really no need to put in sidewalks. I was going down New Hopper Road. There's a perfectly good sidewalk on one side of the road, but people were jogging in the middle of the road. Just because there is a sidewalk doesn't mean it's going to get used.

Goat crimes

BEFORE THE Army-Navy football game, the trophy was taken from Army, and Navy left a note saying they took it. The media laughed at this, because it was a prank. A fraternity allegedly takes a goat from another fraternity, and it is considered a major crime. Only this goat was taken to an animal hospital. Maybe whoever took the goat thought the goat needed medical care.

Change the system

MAYBE I'M idealistic, but I think teachers should challenge each child. Teachers should be able to help each student reach his fullest potential. If the system is not allowing teachers to do their best, then the system needs to be changed. What would happen if future students were taught without considering the No Child Left Behind Act and MAP testing? Changes can be made.

Small inconvenience

THIS IS regarding everyone who lives on Bloomfield Road and is complaining about the three-month inconvenience of widening the road. Three months is a small inconvenience for a wider road. I used to travel that road every day. It has needed widening for years. An inconvenience is when you had to travel I-55 a few years ago with a bridge down and traffic was backed up for hours at a time.

Leadership skills

I SUBMITTED an application for the city's boards and commissions at least five years ago. When I wasn't contacted, I assumed that my professional experience wasn't relevant to the city's needs. It would never have occurred to me to blame discrimination. While I applaud the city's effort to utilize a variety of media to solicit participation, I would want as my representatives those who make an effort to stay abreast of community issues through their professions and involvement in the community and those who stay informed of local, national and international issues by, for example, reading the newspaper. Passively waiting for a personal invitation to participate, and then complaining when the invitation doesn't arrive, does not demonstrate the leadership skills I would want in my representative.

Politics over security

THE DEMOCRATS bragging about killing the Patriot Act are going to have a tough time selling their point of view come election time. This will surely appeal to the blame-America-first crowd but will be seen by the rest of the country for what it is: an attempt to put politics before national security.

Collection woes

THE DECISION by Wal-Mart to use a collection agency for its bad checks has another down side. People like me who have their checks stolen and used at Wal-Mart have no recourse. Now I am having to contend with a collection agency even though they have copies of the police report and the affidavits of forgery. The checks were returned by the bank to Wal-Mart as forgeries, but the company still turned them over to a collection agency.