Speak Out 4/20/06

Temporary help

LET ME set something straight. All Democratic puppies do not willingly live off of the Republican puppies. Many of us Democratic puppies work full-time hours with overtime hours as well. Sometimes we do need a little help. Take note: Sometimes Republicans need help too but are too afraid to admit it. There are reasons people have to get help. Unfortunately, there are those who choose to live that way, Republican and Democrat. I do not choose to live like that. I like money too much. But there have been situations when I had to get help -- for a while, not permanently.

Loyal and honest

MY DOG is caring, compassionate, loyal, honest and sharing and recognizes a fake or potential enemy when he sees one. Sounds like a Democrat to me.

Too much religion

RIGHT ON cue for Easter, the Southeast Missourian has turned into a religious pamphlet. It's the same thing every year. What happened to a neutral, unbiased press? There already is a Religion section of the paper, yet we have an op-ed piece and an editorial giving Sunday school lessons. Now that Easter is over, maybe we can go back to news.

General call

CAN YOU imagine what Republicans would be doing if a bunch of retired generals were calling for the removal of Bill Clinton's secretary of defense and he refused to do it? They'd be clamoring for a coup.

Wrong approach

I THINK that Donald Rumsfeld has done a lousy job and that much of the criticism of him by retired generals is justified. However, Bush has no choice but to keep him on board because of the absolute necessity of not giving the appearance of military ascendancy over civilian control of our armed forces. The critical generals should have kept their collective mouths shut and let things evolve. Rumsfeld would have been gone by summer. Now, who knows?

Rigging districts

IT DOES seem like the gerrymandering of congressional districts around the country will ensure continued Republican control of the U.S. House of Representatives after the fall elections. Rigging such districts is certainly a disadvantage to challenger, yet I think it will be superseded by the coming Democratic revolution.

Honest inducement

DOES THE mayor of Cape Girardeau really think we believe that companies want to know if we have sidewalks before they come here? We have an overabundance of restaurants but not big-salary jobs. The next time a company calls from out of town, he needs to be honest. Tell the company there are plenty of sidewalks and plenty of potholes in the streets.

No documentation

WHEN MY children started school, they had to have a birth certificate and immunization record. How do illegal aliens get into school? Isn't it physically dangerous allowing all the diseases into the U.S.?

Repair the lights

ACCORDING TO the Missouri Department of Transportation, the street lights that on Kingshighway are not MoDOT's responsibility. It is the city's responsibility. You could probably drive from one end to the other and find 25 to 30 percent of the lights out. That seems to be a safety factor. I think the city needs to get these fixed. Let's look around for the lights that are out and get them on again.

Fight for rights

IF ILLEGAL aliens want rights, need work and seek safety for their families, they should sign up for a year in the military. Let them fight for their freedom and rights as many American and legal immigrants have. Anything is better then denying the problem.

We're not engineers

I ENJOYED the editorial about the roundabout until the last paragraph. Just because there is a perceived problem doesn't mean the roundabout wasn't built to standards to start with. You might want to consult the design plans and the minimum requirements before writing about something you don't understand.

Down the river

THIS IS in response to the comment that said liberals are selling the country down the river. Have we forgotten about President Bush trying to give our ports to the Arabs? Iraq is another Vietnam, and gasoline will soon hit $3 a gallon.

Undying gratitude

MY UNDYING gratitude goes out to the jogger who found my purse on Independence Street close to the new federal courthouse. He used the phone inside to reach my daughter, who retrieved it, but he did not leave his name. I hope he reads Speak Out so he will know how grateful I am for his good deed this Easter Sunday.

Voting power

PLEASE UNDERSTAND, Sen. Kit Bond, Sen. Jim Talent and Rep. Jo Ann Emerson. Most of the people who are demonstrating about the immigration policy are not citizens and do not vote. I am an American citizen, and all of my friends are American citizens. We do vote.

Clean-up payoff

THREE CHEERS for the folks of Bloomsdale, Mo., who cleaned up trash north and south of their exit on I-55 over the weekend. The next time I'm in need of gas or supplies, I'll be stopping in Bloomsdale even if Lewis and Clark didn't.

East Cape license

I BELIEVE the mayor of East Cape Girardeau, Ill., and the owner of the Purple Crackle knew whom they were giving a license to. I don't believe all of the council members knew whom they were. They wouldn't have voted it in.

Not all in combat

A RECENT caller stated that only veterans who had seen combat should be commenting on the war. The statement further exemplifies the general misunderstanding about the war. Much like in Vietnam, only a small percentage of the troops (about 12 percent) see day-to-day combat. Many of us were exposed to random mortar rounds, improvised explosive devices and small arms fire. However, only two provinces in Iraq experience a constant level of hostility, and the other 16 provinces are peaceful.