OpinionMarch 27, 2005
Speak Out 3/27/05
Nab the speeders; Speeding at school; Slow elderly drivers; Refund on containers; Thanks for litter pickup; Registered offenders; One solution; Fair-weather religion; Losing battle; Safety issues; Trash in fields; Look for quality; High school safety; A reformed litterbug; Litter bags, barrels; Stiffer fines
Nab the speeders
HAS ANYONE seen them? I've been traveling East Jackson Boulevard in Jackson during the mornings for a little over seven years now. I think I can count the number of police I've seen patrolling for speeding without having to take my shoes off. If the police would just pull over the ones going 10 mph over the posted speed limit and weaving in and out of traffic, I don't think they would need any revenue from property taxes.
Speeding at school
MOTORISTS ARE speeding in the vicinity of Jefferson Elementary School. As a resident of South Louisiana Avenue, I see cars routinely going 40 to 50 mph on the streets around the school. Most of the violators appear to be faculty or parents of students.
Slow elderly drivers
OLD PEOPLE complain that young drivers are so are so bad, but when old people get on the interstate, they do 45 or 50 mph. They cause more accidents than anybody. We have to swerve so we don't run into them.
Refund on containers
A LOT has been said about litter on our roads but until our legislature stands up to special-interest groups and passes a law requiring refunds on all beverage containers, we will continue to have such litter. It would also be a good start to recycling such items.
Thanks for litter pickup
THIS IS to whoever picked up the trash along Highway 25 between the Route K intersection and Jackson: Thank you. And to the rest of you who drive that route every day, please don't crud it up again.
Registered offenders
I HAVE found out there are quite a few registered sex offenders here in Cape Girardeau. This information is on the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department's Web site. There is a registered offender living just four blocks from Alma Schrader Elementary School. I find that very scary as a father of three children. Do you know who your neighbor is? If there sex offenders nearby, we have the right to know. Pay attention to who's around your children and what criminals are living in your area.
One solution
THE BEST way to solve the Social Security problem is to stop the abortions in the country. We are killing 1.5 million kids a year. These are the workers who were to contribute to the system.
Fair-weather religion
THIS IS to you church-going people who run to Sunday services and on Monday abuse people. We all make mistakes. But you're not fooling God. Religious people will be held more accountable than us sinful people who pray and do right. Go read the book of James.
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Losing battle
IT LOOKS like the Middle East isn't using bullets to fight a war with us to get us back for invading their lands. They are putting our country deep in debt. They're strangling us, and we're begging them for more oil. It won't get better, only worse. President Bush won't be able to undo his mistakes and will go down in the history books as the president who caused the United States to become a third-rate nation.
Safety issues
IT'S A proven fact that teenagers are, as a whole, careless drivers. The police aren't targeting teens. They are just preventing a serious accident. Wouldn't you rather be safe than sorry if it was your teen on the receiving end of that accident?
Trash in fields
WHEN YOU cross the bridge into Illinois on Highway 146, look at the fields before you reach Route 3. Cape Girardeau isn't the only place with a litter problem. I feel sorry for those farmers. How do they ever plow their fields with all that trash? Is that how we want all our fields to look? Think about it before you toss out your trash.
Look for quality
HEAVEN HELP the next generation if all that is important is getting a college diploma. They want cheap classes. They don't care who teaches them. If they wanted a quality education, they'd go to Southern Illinois University. These are the future doctors, lawyers, scientists and technicians who are going to run our lives in the next generation. Heaven help them if all they care about is getting that piece of paper.
High school safety
I READ the comment about the parent who thought the cops were preying on his son because they were arresting teenagers for speeding. I live in Jackson an. When the high school kids get out for lunch, they drive like maniacs. They weave in and out of traffic. It's amazing to me that there's not a wreck on East Jackson Boulevard every single day. Parents need to talk to their children about their driving habits and quit picking on the police for doing their job. They're trying to keep the streets safer for everyone.
A reformed litterbug
I WANT to thank Speak Out for all the comments on littering. I was a litterbug. I never noticed how bad it looked until I started reading Speak Out and started opening my eyes. I will never litter again. Maybe you're helping other people like me see what it really does. I just want to thank you.
Litter bags, barrels
WHATEVER HAPPENED to litter bags for the car? Everywhere you went companies used to give them away. Now no one does. And how about litter barrels on the street corners? Where did they all go? Wouldn't it be easier and cheaper for the city to pay the trash collectors to collect from them than having to pay to pick it up off the streets and right of ways? These are just a few things to consider by those in charge of our cities.
Stiffer fines
I HAVE a great idea for the trash problem. We could do what other cities and counties have done and assess a $500 to $1,000 fine for people who litter. Any time anybody would be seen throwing out litter, it would be a $500 fine. We probably wouldn't have the problems we do with insufficient taxes and funding for both our cities and our schools. We could use all the litterbugs' fines for taking care of it.
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