Speak Out 3/20/06

Root of the matter

THE DICTIONARY definitions of "liberal" and "conservative" have little to do with anything political. At the end of the day, both political parties act about the same. Only their rhetoric is different. If you want to get to the real problem with politics, you need to break the word down into its root components: poli (poly), a suffix meaning many, and tics (ticks), blood sucking vermin.

Cairo's council

RUDI KELLER reported that the mayor of Cairo, Ill., was holding a "carrot" (the city council's paychecks and insurance) over the council members' heads to get them to come to meetings. On what authority does he have this right? Has not the council been coming to meetings? Has not the council been conducting business? How can you put something like that in print without showing the actual facts. That mayor is a walking contradiction. Where else in any municipality is a mayor allowed this kind of free rein? The council members have come back to the meetings in good faith.

Freedom isn't free

WHAT MAKES me angry in today's society is the attitude that one can do whatever they want. Instead of individuals taking responsibility for their actions, they are given a free ticket. Children aren't taught to respect themselves and others but allowed to run rampant, destroying others for their own gratification. When society finally gets a grip on reality and decides that the freedoms that have been given are not true freedoms but a path of destruction, then those who keep screaming that they have a right to do whatever they want while walking on the rights of others will be silenced once and for all. Freedom isn't free, and life is precious.

Reading chaos

"COPING WITH Emily's chaotic senses" is a poorly written article that does no justice for little Emily. Could you not find one doctor to explain sensory integration dysfunction for your readers? Could you not locate any statistics to help readers understand how rare- or common it is? Don't leave your readers coping with the Southeast Missourian's chaotic articles.

Disruptive behavior

THUMBS UP to all the kids who participated in the Southeast Missouri Regional Science Fair at the Show Me Center, and congratulations to the winners. Thumbs down to the obnoxious parents who insisted on talking loudly throughout the awards ceremony. This was a ceremony to award the kids for their hard work. The loud conversations and disruptive behavior were nothing short of rude and inconsiderate.

Seat belts in buses

MY HUSBAND and I both drove school buses, he for 25 years and I for 5. We've discussed the pros and cons of seat belts in buses many times. Neither of us have ever come up with a way to make it work. How do you make a child buckle up or stay buckled up once the bus has started? It's not like driving a car with your own kids in the seat behind you. You're dealing with 65 kids, not all of whom are well behaved. They're not always going to buckle up just because you tell them to. You can't leave your seat to make them buckle up, and once the bus is in motion your main concern has to be your driving. In case of an accident how do you get all those kids unbuckled and out of the bus in a timely manner, especially when fire is a possibility? Seat belts are a great idea if you can make it happen without causing more distractions for the driver. Otherwise, we're better off the way we are.

Widening worries

I WONDER how many people in Cape Girardeau really understand how much of Capaha Park is going to be ruined to widen Broadway. People had better check it out before it is too late. How will the widening project affect Freedom Corner?

Transit imbalance

LET'S SAY hypothetically that Cape Girardeau initiates a public bus system. People who live on the outskirts of town are going to be paying a lot more than the people who live in town and move around the downtown area. That's just the way it is. These people own more property, pay more taxes and have a larger economic impact on the community. The largest tragedy is that the transit system will probably never reach the people who provide for it.

Thoughts on killing

CRIMINALS GUILTY of murder (killing someone unjustly with malice aforethought) are not being "murdered" by capital punishment. Justice is being served. Considering that the majority of the people in the U.S. claim to be Christians, the Bible permits the use of capital punishment on murderers. Also, the collateral damage caused by war is a sad thing, but the U.S. government does all it can to prevent it. Billions were spent on smart bombs to prevent killing innocent civilians.

No connection

AN OLD mantra asks, "Should the elderly be killed because we can't afford them?" How many years has abortion been legal? Apparently people can distinguish between someone not wanting tissue growing inside them versus killing people who are already here. It's been years since abortion was legalized, and no one's killing off old people.

City potholes

I LIVE west of Cape Girardeau in Bollinger County. We have potholes in our gravel roads, but I dodge them. When they get too bad, we put gravel in them. When I was coming down North Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau, I had to dodge potholes. When is the city going spend some tax dollars to fix some of these potholes?

Seat belt concerns

AFTER YOU get the law passed to force schools to put seat belts on buses, step up and volunteer your services as monitors. You help drivers enforce the law. You draw up the rules and determine the punishment if a student does not fasten his seat belt. You see that the students in early grades get their belts fastened. You see that the belt is never used to hit another student. You be at every accident to see that the belt does not endanger students' lives. Getting seat belts unfastened on 40 to 60 passengers after an accident can also be hazardous. Sure looks like good intentions. It may feel good to play the role of a goody-two-shoes, but don't condemn others who also have real concerns about seat belts on school buses.

Dumplings and ...

THIS IS in response to Sam Blackwell's column. I would suggest a chicken-and-dumpling substitute of tofu and a little bit of peanut butter as a base with some chicken stock. Make the dumplings as normal.