Speak Out 2/13/06

Help the students

IF MISSOURI can sell a portfolio of student loans for some $400 million profit, it seems evident there is that $400 million plus enough profit for the buyers to make it worth their while. No matter how you slice this pie, it will be financed by higher-than-necessary interest on student loans. Why not reduce student interest rates rather than give money to the state to waste.

Wrong number

MY SON came home from Central High School asking for his Social Security number because he is writing a paper for one of his classes, and to save it to his online drop box his teacher said he had to enter his Social Security number as a password. What are they thinking? I am not about to let my child put his Social Security number on the Internet. People are trying to steal these numbers every day.

Empower women

IF THERE was a strong feminist movement in the Muslim world, maybe there wouldn't be so many males running amok, burning and blowing up everything in sight. No good can come from half the population dominating the other half. Equal parts estrogen and testosterone brings forth a more perfect world. The empowerment of women is good for everyone.

Test disparity

I AM a teacher and would never call any student ignorant. However, the achievement gap between black students and white students cannot be dismissed. Data show that white students score several points higher on MAP tests than do African-American students. Facts and figures are not racist. They just are. Until the black community sends the message that education is important and that state-mandated tests are important, we will continue to see this disparity between white and black students.

Listen to the money

TO THE Oran City Council: Hire me to be the chief of police. While I have no experience in law enforcement, I promise to gladly accept the salary, and I will refuse to write any citations. I won't disturb the vital commerce that is more important than public safety. After all, money talks. Doesn't it?

Entitled to refund

I AM frustrated with one of my professors at Southeast Missouri State University who shows up late for class, spends most of it talking about nonsense and dismisses early. This is a business class, yet I doubt that any of the business teachers could manage a paper route. It's foolish to have a professor instruct a course on something he's only studied in a book. It is nearly impossible to have professors return an e-mail. In the real world, correspondence and communication are keys to a successful business. To the university, I am a customer. I want my money's worth. If I am getting cheated out of time and service, I want a refund.

Horse issues

I SAW a story about how lawmakers are trying to stop horse slaughtering in this country. I find it absurd that we have programs that pay farmers not to farm while trying to limit the horse industry. I might not want to eat a horse, but others want to, more power to them. The horse market is at a low point because of not having a place to go with unwanted or unneeded horses. If a full -grown horse is not worth $600 or $700, then the slaughterhouse is an alternative.

Council takes action

BOYCOTT MEANS to abstain from dealing with, basically to force an issue. Resign means to give up or quit. It seems the mayor of Cairo, Ill., has taken to rewriting established definitions as well as established laws of Illinois. Kudos to Cairo City Council for not quitting but for standing up for what is right. Thanks for listening to the people of Cairo when they asked you to go back to the meetings. The council conducts city business in spite of the chaos the mayor causes. Keep up the good work, city council. You have to stand up for what you believe. Keep the faith.

Nonexistent support

THANK YOU for exposing state Sen. Jason Crowell's true colors. We always suspected as much. His enthusiasm for the Southeast Missouri State University River Campus is and always been nonexistent. We know who butters his bread.

Prison labor force

PRESIDENT BUSH is right. We need more workers to harvest our food supply. We have thousands of legal Americans in overcrowded prisons watching large-screen TVs, reading magazines, getting free meals and education and all the things they need. I think putting them to work would be a win-win situation, ease the crowding , make it safer for prison guards and furnish farmers with all the manual labor they need. I believe most prisoners would rather be out in the fresh air accomplishing something than having time on their hands.

Military choice

THE COMMENT saying our military is an all -volunteer force" is absolutely correct. This is a perfect example of the same deceptive half-truths that got us in the war in Iraq. While it is true that our military is an all-volunteer force, the deployment of these personnel is not left up to the individual soldier. Most, if not all, National Guard units sent to Iraq did not volunteer to go to Iraq as they have full-time families and jobs here in the U.S.

Shady dealings

EVERYONE WHO said that the Southeast Missouri State University River Campus would be funded on the backs of students, faculty and staff has turned out to be right. President Ken Dobbins and the regents have engaged in the kind of shady financial dealings we have come to associate with Enron and Worldcom. It's time to clean house at SEMO.

Support for chief

I HAVE been a resident of Oran for 20 years. I support the chief of police. We need police in town. To those of you spreading rumors about a man who is trying to improve our community, grow up. I have seen men and women acting like children because things aren't going their way. Go ahead. Get rid of the only law enforcement we have ever had.. When something happens to your family and you want to know where the police were, think back to the comments you made and actions you took to get rid of him. I hope the chief will overlook the naysayers an continue to do an outstanding job for our community.

Street standards

I'LL AGREE that Siemers Drive is not the easiest to navigate, but it is in much better shape than portions of Mount Auburn Road. Both are results of poor planning. Mount Auburn was expanded to four lanes without consideration for lane widths, shoulder widths or pedestrian traffic. Siemers is better, but it still zig-zags with random unmarked left-turn lanes scattered about. Look at Broadway. It's not much better. Only the state-maintained routes are up to today's standards, while Cape Girardeau officials are trying to make ends meet.

Support the veterans

THIS COMMENT is for the people who have yellow "Support the troops" ribbons on their cars and trucks. If you really want to support your troops, you could start by e-mailing your federal legislators and asking her why Southeast Missouri veterans have such a difficult time drawing their GI Bill benefits. This is a program we all invested in with the hopes of getting an education for a better future. We sacrificed a lot in order to serve our country, so why is it so difficult for us to use what is rightfully ours?