SPEAK OUT

Take it to Washington

MY WIFE also rolls her eyes heavenward when I climb onto my soapbox concerning the foolishness of daylight-saving time. I wish to become a member of the Joe Sullivan American Legion against Time Change and implore all good Southeast Missourians to resist the resetting of clocks and to begin a movement to abolish this time-worn tradition. Perhaps we can convince U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson to carry our banner to Washington. Who knows? Even our politicos in our nation's capitol may see the light at the end of the day.

Easter decoration tips

TO THE lady who wanted to know how to hang plastic Easter eggs in a tree: Come by the yard of Maxine and Gerald Boren at 2114 Sherwood, and they will tell you, after 20 years of experience hanging eggs, how it's done. They can also tell you how to blow up 50 or more inflatable rabbits and balloons to put around the yard, and how much work it is. But they will also tell you how rewarding it is when children, parents and senior citizens stop by to tell them how much they enjoy it.

Get rid of this joke

I DROVE around the roundabout today, and I think it's a joke. That thing in the middle of the flowers would be fine without the red around it. Then it might be a little bigger. But thank God they didn't put this joke down here on Sprigg Street, one of the busiest streets in town. I think the city fathers better get their heads together and get rid of this problem before it causes a bad wreck or someone not being able to get to the hospital that way if they can't get the ambulance around the silly thing.

Where were you?

TO THE person who called about the city workers putting up signs: Where are you when the city workers are out at 1 a.m. and 3 a.m. cleaning your streets of snow and ice so that you can go to work the next day? Where are you when they are cleaning up your leaves? The same goes for removal of tree limbs after storms. Why don't you find citizens to man the barricades the workers put up instead of going through, cursing them while they are doing their jobs of making your streets better?

Stand up to China

WHAT GOOD does it do to be the greatest nation on earth if the United States is going to allow China to intimidate our democracy? It's time the U.S. called China's bluff. Appeasement only shows weakness, and gives more power to the enemy. President Bush should immediately grant Taiwan defensive equipment.

That's all there is

JON RUST recently wrote that the presence of the St. Louis Cardinals adds to the quality of life in Missouri. That's the understatement of the decade. The Cards are all we have and Speak Out.

Nitzschke's residency

WHEN I read that Cincinnati resident Dale Nitzschke may continue to be employed by SEMO, the Muses motivated me again.

Dr. Dale may stay at SEMO

and be a well-paid hired hand.

He would become my all-time hero

if he'd move here from Cincy land.

Public speaking 101

I JUST watched a news report showing some Chinese reporters and diplomats at a press conference. The sad part was they speak better English than our president.

Make it 65 mph

A SPEED limit of 55 mph is not enough on Highway 74. Let's go straight to 65 mph. Then let's do something about the stop lights. Am I the only one who almost always has to stop at every light?

Who gets the goodies?

WHEN REPUBLICANS call the Democratic party the tax-and-spend party, I always fall on the floor with laughter. Both parties believe in taxing and spending. Their only difference is who benefits from the results.

No cuts for the rich

"ONE MAN'S welfare is another man's livelihood!" screamed the president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in expressing outrage over President Bush's proposal to cut corporate welfare. I agree. It's one thing to cut welfare for the middle class and poor but quite another to reduce it for the rich. This must be stopped.

Police cars are parked

SOMEONE ASKED recently where all the police are. Just look around the city. Their cars are parked everywhere. There are usually two around the Missouri Veterans Home, two around the Super 8 Motel and usually a few more parked randomly around the city. Does the police department really believe placing parked, unmanned police cars around town will reduce crime?

Narrow school drive

AS I was sitting across the street from Orchard Elementary School in Jackson, a grandmother who picks up her handicapped granddaughter could not get to the handicap parking area as the drive is too narrow for people to get through. It's a good thing we don't need an emergency vehicle at that time of day, because it certainly wouldn't be able to get to the front door. I also believe the bus garage and lot need to be moved. It would cut down on some of the traffic. Whoever thought of putting them on a dead-end street wasn't thinking very clearly.

Important art

DRIP PAINTING, or abstract expressionism, has an important place in the annals of art history. Prior to the development of abstract expressionism, artistic influences were diverse, leading to varied art movements in different parts of the world. Abstract expressionism was the unifying style and represents an important trend in the art world. Jackson Pollock never has been my favorite artist, but I certainly recognize the importance of what he was doing to the artistic landscape of the United States and the world. The Speak Out caller who referred to drip painting is probably the person most in need of an art history class or, barring that, an opportunity to see "Pollock."

Here's the definition

FRUSTRATION MIGHT be the word best describing a Speak Out caller who couldn't find the meaning of the phrase "conservative catterel." In order to put the caller's mind at ease, I will supply a definition. Conservative catterel is defined as an extraordinarily obnoxious brand of conservatism, whose adherents continually cackle, chide and even cry in their ceaseless efforts to convert those correctly resisting modern-day conservatism's patently false premises.