Speak Out 2/21/14

Missouri flag

Rep. Jeff Roorda, please, why change the Missouri flag? We have one of the most beautiful state flags, and it says a lot. Please, let it be. Do not try to change history.

Teaching days

School boards of the area, here's an idea for makeup days: Eliminate play days, any other days for trips to the movies or whatever, and make them instruction days. There you go. There's a good idea.

Gaming system

I'm calling in regard to the article in Sunday's paper titled "Decline in matrimony." I saw nowhere in the article where mention was made of the fact that many of these young couples are simply working the system and having their children out of wedlock. They get all the perks of free medical. Many times the girl is getting free paid education. It's simple, if you dig a little deeper, there's too many perks that our system is giving away to these unmarried couples that married couples do not qualify for. You need to do a little more investigating and do some more reporting on that.

Thank you

A big "thank you" to the kind soul in Bent Creek subdivision who salted my frozen driveway. You warmed my heart and helped me immensely.

Hillary Clinton

I do want a rebuttal to the "Hilary for president" in the Speak Out. I think Hilary would be a wonderful president. One, we need a woman to run this country who is really organized. Two, we need another decent Democrat in there. And another reason would be, she has a heads-up with already a past president as her husband who could balance the budget. We don't need another Bush and Laura. We don't need another Obama and Michelle. What we need is a woman. And I think she is the outstanding woman right now to lead us into that next election.

Safe rooms

As a brutal winter hopefully starts winding down, I am still curious to know if any area schools have made progress in establishing safe rooms for students since tornado season looms ever closer.

Great church

I read in Speak Out last week about a little church a little bit south of Jackson that still sings good old-fashioned hymns. Well, I found it Sunday and I went to it. Whoever called that in is correct. They do have the good old-fashioned hymns, the kind you hear on the Gaithers and some of these other shows on TV. I went in there and felt just like part of their family. If anybody's looking for a good church, that's the one to go to. I was really impressed.

Health care law

Let's stop calling the Affordable Health Care Act Obamacare. Obama didn't do this by himself. He had the help of nearly all of his Democrat friends in the Congress. A few of them did vote with the Republicans and voted no. No Republicans voted for this. The Affordable Health Care Act actually is Democrat Health Care Act. Let's give credit where it's due. The Democrats, if this is a great thing, then they own it. If it's not so great, they still own it.

Leaves on the street

I was behind the street sweeper in Jackson as he was trying to clean up the pebbles from the ice treatment. He could do a much better job if people did not put piles of leaves in the street to get wet and turn to brown paste.

Obamacare disaster?

Bad news for many Missouri politicians and private citizens. Though you worked so very, very hard to ensure it would happen, it's beginning to seem more evident with each passing day that Obamacare will not be a train wreck.

Road safety

Forget the new roundabout. It's great. I'm more concerned with safety at the intersection of Route W and LaSalle Avenue. And it's only a T! Someone is going to get hurt there again, like they did last Friday. Slow down folks, and live.