OpinionFebruary 5, 2007
Speak Out 2/5/07
Vaccine choice; Not the worst of times; Grant gone awry; Following the family; Chicken soup; More on cheerleaders; Heavy homework; Paid trips; Problem parents; Changing audits; Wisdom and talent; Teaching the test; Late decision; School cancellation; Bad reputation; Model schools; Right questions; Put money back; Street lights; Pit bull bashing; Streets not cleaned; Single parents; Great start; No seconds
Vaccine choice
IT'S ONE thing to have a vaccine made available, but it's another to attempt to force it on a certain populace of the United States. If you want it made available, then it should be. Doctors should have the sense to use it for families with a history of cervical cancer. Our family has no history of that, so I wouldn't want my daughter taking the vaccine. If you're raising a sexually active daughter, you might to get your daughter vaccinated. But it shouldn't be forced on the rest of us.
Not the worst of times
WE ARE not worse off than any other time in history. If you think we are, then we are a blind and spoiled nation. We've been in worse wars with far greater casualties and worse economic times. Consider the Great Depression, and the list goes on and on. Quit letting the news media do your thinking for you. Educate yourself with unbiased sources, including history books.
Grant gone awry
THE SHOW Mobile health clinic is a perfect example of grant money gone awry. This is a disaster. The SHOW Mobile saw 170 people in a matter of three to four months. Now Southeast Missouri State University is going to turn it over to another federally funded grant program that will take more tax money that we work so hard to pay.
Following the family
I ALWAYS enjoy Mark Bliss' columns. I've been reading about his girls since his first girl was born. It's been fun following the family for years.
Chicken soup
THE BLUE-ribbon chicken soup lady in Jackson is appreciated by two disabled people. God bless.
More on cheerleaders
Regarding a recent comment about cheerleaders at the Jackson eighth- and ninth-grade boys' basketball tournament: There may have been cheerleaders at the ninth-grade games, but there were no cheerleaders at any eighth-grade game. I attended every eighth-grade game. I asked a Jackson cheerleader why the cheerleaders weren't at the eighth-grade games, and she told me it was because the coach didn't want to. All the other schools in the tournament had cheerleaders present at both the eighth- and ninth-grade games.
Heavy homework
I have been reading comments from parents who are concerned about the amount of homework their children have each night. My nephew is in the second grade and has at least two hours of homework every night. He does not goof his time away while he is in class. He is a good student and works on his assignments when time is allowed in class, but he still has so much to do when he gets home. I wonder why it is necessary to pile on this much homework in the second grade.
Paid trips
Perhaps the answer to the question "Why would international teachers come to Southeast Missouri State University to study our teaching methods?" can be partially explained by asking ourselves why so many of our politicians go to foreign countries to study or observe things -- the answer being because the trips are paid for by someone else.
Problem parents
The reason international teachers come to Southeast Missouri State University to study our teaching methods is that American teachers are not the problem. American teachers are the most overworked and underpaid of any American professions. Parents who continue to make excuses for the failures of their children are the problem. Parents who believe that it's the job of the education system to raise their children are the problem.
Changing audits
Is it legal to change the numbers in an audit to make the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education happy? Audits shouldn't be changed. Why pay a company $14,000 and then get out the White-Out?
Wisdom and talent
TJ Greaney is way beyond his youthful appearance in wisdom and talent. Cape Girardeau should be proud that he has chosen this city for his home. He is a gifted writer with a wealth of experiences. I look forward to his column and send the link to family and friends across the country. Thank you.
Teaching the test
I just met with my child's fourth-grade teacher regarding a problem on the playground. In the course of the conversation, she said that the school would not be teaching science, social studies, Missouri history or health from now until late March because students have to practice taking the MAP test. Is this going on in every school or just my son's?
Receive Daily Headlines FREESign up today!
Late decision
My husband and I do not appreciate finding out so late that school has been canceled. We knew at 5 a.m. that schools should not be in session. Our children were not going to stand in frigid temperatures in the snow at the bus stop, so we were juggling our work schedules to drive them to school. Then at 6:30 a.m. it's finally announced. But because of the late decision, our children are all up and dressed and fed anyway.
School cancellation
It teach at Central High School. I was met at the door Thursday morning by the janitor and told that school was canceled. I left for school at 6 a.m., fearing that I would be late because of the poor road conditions. It was dangerous, and it took me 45 minutes to get there. Please cancel school early. Most schools were listed last night on KFVS, but not Cape Girardeau.
Bad reputation
WE HAVE two pit bulls, one inside and one outside. The one inside is wonderful with my 2-year-old son. It depends on how you raise them. I understand that they can turn on you, but any dog could do that. When we take our dog for a walk, people approach us about how beautiful she is. When we tell them what kind of dog she is they freak out and assume she is a horrible dog. She is more protective than anything. If we didn't trust her with our 2-year-old, we wouldn't have her.
Model schools
The public schools of the United States are a model for other countries. Model does not imply an exact copy. We have excellent teachers and teaching methods. That is what is studied at Southeast Missouri State University. The politics and religious involvement in creating policies for our schools hinder their ability to teach effectively. The education system should stress scientific theory, mathematics, reading, writing and the arts. Religious education should be taught at home by parents, not at a public school with many different religions. For our schools to succeed we need to remove these disruptive inputs from school policy and get back to educating our children instead of indoctrinating them.
Right questions
Thank you, Charlie Bertrand, for asking all the right questions on the Cape Girardeau School Board.
Put money back
DO YOU know what I'd like to see them do with that $21 billion going to Iraq? I'd like to see it put back into Social Security.
Street lights
I READ where downtown Cape Girardeau is getting new street lamps with a $45,000. grant. It would be nice if the money were used for the Scott City interchange instead of street lamps in downtown Cape.
Pit bull bashing
STOP THE pit bull bashing. What about Angel, the full-blooded pit bull that saved her family from the house fire in Illinois? Is she also to be feared? She almost died from burns all over her body trying to save the ones she loved. Is she a bad dog? I don't think so.
Streets not cleaned
I WOULD like to know how can you live in such a prosperous city as Jackson and pay taxes, but your streets don't get cleaned. I would like to know where this money goes.
Single parents
I WAS reading the birth announcements and all the babies born to single mothers. This is absolute;y atrocious in this country and needs to be stopped. Our politicians need to direct their attention to this problem and stop having the taxpayers subsidize unmarried parents. God is not pleased with this, and we will be cursed for it.
Great start
Wednesdays are wonderful, thanks to TJ Greaney. What a way to start my day.
No seconds
My children attend a parochial school in Cape Girardeau. They get seconds during lunch. It's a practice that needs to be stopped.
Story Tags
Connect with the Southeast Missourian Newsroom:
For corrections to this story or other insights for the editor, click here. To submit a letter to the editor, click here. To learn about the Southeast Missourian’s AI Policy, click here.
Related
Advertisement
Receive Daily Headlines FREESign up today!
