Speak Out 2/9/05

Big decisions

WHAT IS the Republican proposal for tort reform? Tort reform is taking away David's slingshot and giving it to Goliath. It is also Big Government liberalism at its worst. Under the current bill, the Republicans would impose a government mandate on every jury without the benefit of hearing any witness or seeing any evidence. Why does Gov. Matt Blunt believe jurors are qualified to decide the death penalty, but not qualified in matters involving money?

No extremes

WE LIVE in the greatest country on Earth. We have the freedom to decide issues for ourselves. I think if you get too far away from the center on any issue, you get into the realm of fanatics and need to backtrack.

Making choices

MOST WOMEN who get pregnant choose to do so by choosing not to use some form of birth control. Teenage girls know how to prevent a pregnancy. If they choose pregnancy to prove love, why would they then choose to abort that love child?

Driving rules

IS THERE a two-second rule at stop signs? At a four-way stop with turn lanes, I was waiting my turn. After waiting for the others, two motorists were not content to wait for me. I had to stop twice to prevent an accident. Just because one motorists doesn't observe considerate driving doesn't justify another to go too. Observe the rules of the road or let someone else drive.

Let's start helping

PLEASE GIVE me some names of seniors in the Cape Girardeau area that have to eat dog food. I sure would like to help, and I'm sure there are other people who would like to help too. Instead of complaining about this problem, let's get together and help. That's what America is all about: helping when help is needed.

Setting an example

WHILE I was waiting to make a left turn at the stoplight from Kingshighway onto Broadway, a car making a left from Broadway to Kingshighway blatantly ran the red light. There was a police car next to me going south on Kingshighway. The police officer did nothing. Running red lights has gotten way out of hand in Cape Girardeau, and as long as the police do nothing, it will only get worse. This would have been a perfect opportunity to make an example out of someone and give some consequences to these people who think they are above the law.

Marketing sham

THE MEN and women who tout Viagra aren't elderly, just like you don't see overweight people in exercise and diet commercials. People in our world today seem to need pills to get up, go to sleep, suppress depression, speed up, slow down and anything else they can think of. If Medicare pays for Viagra or any other erectile-dysfunction drug, someone has been powerful enough to pull one of the biggest blankets over everyone's eyes.

Put benches back

IT TOOK just hours to remove the riverside benches before impending floodwaters last month. What will it take to get them put back?

Convincing comments

THANKS, MONA Charen. Your reported comments from Bill Moyers are far more convincing than your criticisms of them. Contrary to Charen's claim, the Rapture is imminent.

A sad chapter

FOR THOSE of you who think the after-effects of European colonialism in Africa ended long ago, think again. In what was once known as the Belgian Congo, the so-called white man's burden was the direct cause of the genocide that took place in Rwanda in 1994, taking over one million lives, while the United Nations, the United States and most of the West stood by. It ranks near the top in the saddest chapters in the history of western civilization.

Seeking evidence

THE TERM "religious ignoramuses" has been used to describe the extremists who argue there is proof of creation. Anyone who knows an iota about science will tell you science cannot prove anything. Creation is not a science, because it makes no testable predictions. However, every time medical research provides advances based on research conducted on species evolutionarily related to humans, it is using predictions that follow from evolutionary theory. If evolution is good enough for the pope and other thoughtful religious leaders, it's good enough for me. We do not decide important scientific ideas by public debate and who is perceived to have won them but by what the evidence indicates.

Acts of selfishness

THIS IS the 100th anniversary of political philosopher Ayn Rand's birthday. I think we need to pay tribute to her. Although it in ways would contradict the very admirable Random Acts of Kindness Week, I think we could best honor Rand with a week devoted to random acts of selfishness.

Ruling on embryos

I READ that a judge in Illinois has granted a couple a wrongful death suit because the woman's embryos were accidentally destroyed at a clinic. This judge said that this should be treated just as if the couple had lost a child. If this is a wrongful death, then abortion is murder.

Pay for everything

IF MEDICARE starts paying for Viagra, is it also going to start paying child support for all the extra kids Viagra could help bring into this world?

Checking China facts

A LITTLE research can debunk some of Eli Fishman's claims about China. From a visit to the CIA World Factbook Web page, anyone can find out China's population is less than 1.5 billion, that its ratio of men to women is only 1.06 men to every woman and that the number of Buddhists alone constitutes somewhere between 7 percent to 15 percent of the population.

Lead with integrity

REGARDING "Bush budget to cut grants for police: That's what this country needs, less funding for America's police force and firefighters. It's a proven fact that they are already understaffed and underpaid for what they do for our communities. The civil servants of this nation finally find a glimmer of hope to obtain funds for much needed technology and communication upgrades that would allow them to network more freely among themselves to prevent such things as 9-11, and Bush eliminates the funding. Thank you, President Bush. It's nice to see your support when it can be beneficial for your image, but you turn your back on those who need your representation the most. Maybe Congress will do the right thing and not approve these detrimental slashes for our protection and show us what it is like to lead with integrity.

Same sentiments

I HOPE you'll keep Tiffany Monroe on as "Everybody's a critic," because she seems well-grounded. She is such an example to her daughter. She seems to be able to recognize a good movie versus a bad movie. She shares many of my sentiments.

Autos in charge

A QUOTE from the dalai lama: "What are we going to do when everyone on the planet is possessed by an automobile?"

Not recognized

I DON'T think Condoleezza Rice should have been appointed secretary of state, the No. 1 reason being that the Arab world does not recognize women in authority. How is the secretary of state going to make any progress in world peace when Arabs won't even acknowledge her as a legitimate authority figure.