Speak Out 4/3/06

Bad-food penalty

HOW CAN the mother of a jail inmate complain about jail food? Does her son expect steak and lobster? It's jail, not the Hilton. Before her son commits a crime next time he will remember how bad the food is. I might be onto something here: Prevent future crime with bad food in jail.

Something to do

DO PUBLIC officials sit around all day wondering what street they can make one-way, where they put another no-parking zone and which rich neighborhood needs a new sidewalk? How about thinking about what our kids are doing after school like smoking marijuana, drinking and driving and having sex? Providing more activities for youths and at later hours might occupy the busy minds of the kids of Cape Girardeau and provide them more alternatives to their boredom.

No disease barriers

THERE WAS an article that implied only gay men and African women are affected by AIDS. People need to realize diseases don't care about sexual orientation or skin color. All types of people are contracting HIV every day in our area of the country. Only when we start seeing AIDS as a problem for all of us will we ever put enough money and effort into finding a cure.

Sending the money

IT'S NOT just that immigrants will do work that Americans won't do. It's that they will work cheaply and employers will hire them, especially in the construction field. All these people are doing is working and keeping enough money to pay their rent and eat and sending the rest back to their country. Being here isn't helping our economy at all.

Goal-driven success

A RECENT comment mentioned that allowing high school students to work 20 or more hours a week comes down to parental neglect with an exception for those in "dire financial straits." I worked an average of 20 to 25 hours a week during high school, and I was never coerced into doing so for economic reasons. My parents encouraged me to hold a job. Because of that I learned to value work, save money, spend wisely and set priorities for my time. I am forever grateful for the foresight and concern my parents had for my personal development. I graduated college magna cum laude (on the four-year plan) while working full time and serving as president for two organizations. I was recently accepted into St. Louis University's law school. I would not be nearly as goal-driven, successful and happy without my parents' guidance and support while I was still young.

Jail space

WHY ARE the police setting up people to put in jail through situations like that on St. Patrick's Day? I have been told by police officers, lawyers and state representatives that deadbeat dads usually aren't arrested because there isn't enough jail space. I guess there's just enough jail space for convenience-store clerks or bartenders found through a sting operation, but not for those who are already committing crimes against their own children.

Good record

IN YOUR editorial justly praising Risco for its History Day triumph, why did you feel compelled to take a cheap shot at the basketball team by saying it compiled "only a 14-11 record?" That's not bad in my book, as compared to Southeast Missouri State University's, and on a par with Central High School's.