OpinionApril 28, 2009
Speak Out 4/28/09
Show quality; Tree city; Tame protest; Population control; No access; No stadium; Central stadium; Jackson discipline; Old buddies; Saving lives; Losing skills; Murder on TV; Cold weather; Pine trees are gone; Offended by 'frumpy'; Wonderful race
Show quality
MY wife and I attend several plays each year at the River Campus. In order to support the students, we attend some presented by Southeast Missouri State University and have enjoyed every one of them. However, we also enjoy those the professional touring companies bring to Cape Girardeau, and we have been thrilled with the quality of each until now. "Footloose" was not of the quality we expected. The acting was less than polished, and the dance numbers were halting and lacking fluidity. The singing was, for the most-part, strained, and the dialogue was often unintelligible. We left at intermission. I'm not proud of that, but we both had to get up at 3:30 o'clock the next morning, so sacrificing our $30 each seemed appropriate. Had the show been worth our money, we'd have stayed. Others may have felt differently, but I am frankly disappointed that such a lesser quality performance was brought to perform here. The performances we have attended that have been given by the University students have all been far superior to "Footloose." Someone with booking responsibilities didn't do his or her homework.
Tree city
IT is nice that Cape Girardeau made the list for "Tree City USA." It is not nice that the first thing to come down when building new projects is large healthy older trees. Then young trees are planted in their place.
Tame protest
THE Founding Fathers were a boisterous bunch. They would have considered Cape Girardeau's tea party protestors far too peaceful, docile and infused with insipid and glittering generalities from speakers who seemed not to understand the serious topic that drew the people to the picnic-like protest in the first place.
Population control
CALL it what you want, but it looks like the political left has come up with a solution to the overpopulation problem in the United States: abortion to kill the unborn children and same-sex marriage so they can't biologically reproduce. I wonder who will be left to pay for all these government handouts and spending.
No access
MY brother performed in a band at this year's annual Spring Fever Reliever at Jackson High School. The administrators would not let me in to watch because I was not a parent. I was told to leave. I had a 4.0 grade-point average at JHS and graduated in the top 5 percent of my class. I understand there are security issues, but when multiple teachers and students could affirm my identity, I don't see why I couldn't watch with parents.
No stadium
PEOPLE want to use my tax dollars for a Central High School stadium? Are you serious? Who does that help besides the few kids who are into sports? It doesn't help the majority of kids who aren't doing sports. I do not find it educational or needed in any way. If you're going to spend so much money on something so frivolous, make it something that all the kids can enjoy.
Central stadium
THE city is missing out not having a stadium at Central High School. The band program is one of the best. Central could have a band contest here if it had its own stadium. If you happen to go to one of these contest at another school, you would see how much money that could be brought into our school and town. It will never happen at the college stadium.
Jackson discipline
CHILDREN who behave don't walk the line in the Jackson School District. A child who gets in trouble sometimes has to walk the line. Concerning lunch: The students talk and eat. After so many minutes talking ends, and they need to finish eating. They put the trays up and go out to play. Do you want your child to talk and not eat? As a mother, I do not.
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Old buddies
IT seems that Rod Jetton and his pal Jason Crowell are at it again. This time the two buddies take a trip together to London at the expense of the retired Missouri state employees. What a great example by these two. Those of us who are true Republicans should be insulted to be associated with their like.
Saving lives
IN response to "Loud motorcycles" comment: I can sum it up in four easy words. Loud pipes save lives. In other words, the "I didn't see you" comment is not an excuse.
Losing skills
THERE are fewer skilled trades in today's industry. A mechanic diagnoses an automobile's problem with a computer. All he does is follow a procedure to diagnose. Doctors could be replaced by a computer robot. Machine tools are computerized so that a machinist doesn't have to be skilled, just push buttons.
Murder on TV
IT seems like every program on every television channel has to do with murder. Why are people interested in that? It's depressing to me.
Cold weather
WHEN I was a child, my parents always told me whenever the snowball bushes bloomed it will be cold. It's called snowball winter. So far it has come true. We will have another cold spell when the blackberries bloom. It's called blackberry winter. After that, it will get hot. That's what the old folks believed back then.
Pine trees are gone
EARTH Day has prompted this question directed toward the Jaycee Municipal Golf Course board. Why were all the beautiful pine trees cut down on No. 4? These pine trees made this hole. Without them, it's a nothing hole.
Offended by 'frumpy'
AS a woman I resent it when I see a show like "Inside Edition" refer to a woman as "frumpy," such as Susan Boyle because she's overweight and in a dress. I thought the dress she wore on "Britain's Got Talent" was beautiful. She looked elegant.
Wonderful race
CONGRATULATIONS to Sam Blackwell and the huge list of people in the newspaper who ran the St. Louis half-marathon. Wow. Now that's something. Is there an organized effort for all these people to get in shape and run the half-marathon at the same time? A half-marathon is a realistic distance because it makes you exercise and get in good shape, but you don't have to go fast and you don't have to go as far as a marathon. That's wonderful.
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