Speak Out 2/9/06

Timely intervention

AN 8-YEAR-OLD boy who brings weapons to school needs more than a slap on the hand. I think the police and school administration were just in their decision. People don't want to blame the parenting in a situation like this, but where else would this behavior stem from? Some would say the boy was watching too many violent television or video games. Parents still have the authority over what their children are exposed to, what they watch and who they associate with. Wake up. This boy is already on a path leading to lifetime incarceration. I hope with early intervention by police authorities his life may be turned around for the best.

Small-town ugly

KEEPING AMERICA beautiful is a noble goal. However, as long as people continue to keep derelict vehicles in their yards and old furniture on their front porches, as long as empty buildings are falling into disrepair and all the other assorted uglies, beautiful is going to be impossible to accomplish. Surprisingly, small towns are worse than cities in the ugliness they allow. How simple would it be for a town like Marble Hill to notify residents to clean up all their junk?

Show me the money

THE ONLY remedy I was given for a boss who wrote bad checks was to file a complaint with the state's attorney. It doesn't pay the bills or buy groceries, but it is an action you can take. I was blessed in that I kept checking with the bank, and we were able to cash our three payroll checks. That business went bankrupt, but it didn't keep the owner from starting all over again. Good luck in getting what you worked for.

Show some respect

WEAR WHATEVER shirt you want, but when you go to the nation's Capitol, you should respect the seat of government and dress appropriately. No one should wear a T-shirt or sweatshirt to the Capitol.

Things to come

THE APPARENT bankruptcy of Cairo's city government is a red flag for what's in store for the United States.

Movie themes

I DON'T understand the controversy surrounding "Brokeback Mountain." People are upset because it depicts what they believe to be an immoral lifestyle. What do most movies today depict? Adultery, murder, pornography. Why is one sin worse than another? If immorality is the issue, why aren't more movies being protested? Is it possible that the problem with "Brokeback Mountain" is not necessarily the immorality of two men loving each other, but our own homophobia?

Poor parenting

I READ Callie Miller and Bob Miller's "He said/shesaid" column about a punk kid with a chip on his shoulder. Just think, this kid goes to a school somewhere. Teachers get more and more of these kids because parents don't know how to parent. Would you like to be his teacher?

Another T-shirt ban

DO THE people complaining about Cindy Sheehan's T-shirt troubles remember that President Clinton kept out citizens wearing T-shirts with an pro-life message when he visited Cape Girardeau?

Strictly prohibited

CINDY SHEEHAN did not have the right to protest during the State of the Union address. Protesting and outbursts are strictly prohibited during this address. It escaped many that a wife of a Florida congressman was also ejected for wearing a T-shirt of a political nature. Few remember when protesters were ejected during one of President Clinton's State of the Union speeches. There's a time and place for everything. The State of the Union speech is not meant for such outbursts.

Bad street planning

NOT A weekend goes by that I don't dread having to shop at any store near the Siemers Drive area. What a nightmare. I'm sure some engineer was paid handsomely to design those roads. He failed.