Speak Out 4/3/09

Educators' challenge

FOR those individuals who think that the Cape Girardeau School District has too many administrators: On what do you base that opinion? How many times have you visited a classroom or the district offices? Have you followed a school administrator to work in the morning at 6 a.m. and stayed him until he leaves at 5 or 6 p.m.? If the administrators have duty for an after-school event, they might get home at 10 p.m. I have noticed a lot of comments bashing our schools, yet these people are probably never in our buildings, much less the classrooms. Teachers and administrators work incredibly hard to help students. Instead of complaining, why not volunteer to tutor, be a mentor, help supervise.? It will open your eyes to the challenges that educators face.

Inappropriate content

I am a subscriber to the Southeast Missourian, but if I wanted to read about "anal sex tastefully done" I would subscribe to a porn magazine.

Waiting for the rest

I just came from the River Campus' excellent production "Angels in America." My only problem with it was it seemed a little incomplete. Hope to heck they'll soon put on Part 2.

Not so insignificant

I was involved in a snafu at the grocery store where the clerk forgot to include the last $1.89 from my food stamp card. That doesn't sound like much, but when you are on a fixed income and just had surgery and only have $6.25 to spend on a week's groceries, that $1.89 takes on new meaning. As I tried to figure out the mistake, the woman was rude. I hope she never needs $1.89 as much as I needed that $1.89.

City expenses

FROM what I read it seems like the mayor and city council of Cape Girardeau only care about city employees and not all the citizens. A lot of us can't find jobs. I haven't had a raise in years. The city needs to cut expenses like the rest of us. We don't need a bomb squad utility vehicle to be used to take spouses to work and children to school. The firetrucks need to be used only for fires. And police cars need to stay at the station when officers are off duty.

Deadly bailouts

NO more bailouts. President Obama's fiscal policy is killing America.

Mailbox access

I live in Senior Gardens II in Jackson. We've got a beautiful community building that we all use, and a lot of people rent it out. People block the handicap ramps that go to the mailboxes. People are in walkers and mobile chairs. It's a shame. People need to have more respect for the handicapped.

Look in the mirror

DAVID Limbaugh is dead wrong when he says "all income groups" did better under Ronald Reagan's tax cuts. Reagan raised taxes. Only the rich did better under Reagan. I laugh when Limbaugh critiques Bill Clinton as "more about himself than permanently transforming the country." All but the rich did better under Clinton than under Reagan or Bush. But Limbaugh is even funnier when he considers President Obama to be narcissistic. I can't think of people more impressed with himself than David Limbaugh.

Offensive plays

I'M glad the Southeast Missourian reviewer for "Angels in America" gets it, but a lot of people are getting disgusted at what's happening at the River Campus. Some of the most offensive plays and programs are being scheduled under the guise of arts. If people want to see this type of stuff, let them go to bars and the back-alley theaters. Don't make taxpayers pay for the decadence and immorality they're presenting.

Play money

THE Central High School plays cost money to see. As a past parent volunteer and someone who never received reimbursement for the costumes I purchased, I would like to know where that money goes. Maybe we can figure out how to pay for a new auditorium that way.

Great performance

I was impressed with the Central High School performance of "Twelve Angry Jurors." Those who were unable to come missed a great performance. These students worked so hard and had their parts down pat. I commend them for their work and for their dedication to making this a good show and making it enjoyable for all of us who attended. Thank you, students, and thank you, Cindy Bradshaw.

Hear the message

TO the person who was offended by the babies crying in church: Do you not recall what Jesus said? Suffer the little children who come unto me. I'm sorry that you would be offended by this. I'm a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. Most importantly, I'm a Christian, and I believe the best place for all little children, including a baby, is in church. It's a shame when people who are running the church nursery are not allowed to hear the message the preacher gives.

Study the Chinese

PERHAPS we could improve our lives here in the United States by learning from the Chinese. In ancient time, the Chinese developed into a frugal society. When they cooked a meal, much time and effort was spent on the food before cooking so that the actual amount of fuel used to cook it was at a minimum. With respect to medicine, the Chinese have a different philosophy than the West. They study the human body while the person is still alive instead of dissecting a cadaver. In the West we say "out of one, many," but in China they say "all is one." So their entire approach is holistic.

Don't go overboard

LISTEN up, school board and administrators. If you go too big, none of us is going to vote for anything to be done at the high school. Yes, the high school needs lots of things. We all do. More classrooms? Maybe. Auditorium? Good possibility. Stadium? Forget it.

Adapt to change

A lot of people are suggesting that we let bad companies fail and let the market decide who gets to stay in business. In considering this proposal, perhaps we could go back in time for some perspective. What happened to horse and buggy sales after the automobile industry grew? What happened to the candle and kerosene lamp industries after we all got electricity? Icebox manufacturers must have been hurt when we all bought refrigerators. What happened to the telegraph industry? Milkmen and icemen had to find other occupations. Neighborhood grocery stores went by the wayside in part because of supermarkets as well as families having automobiles to get to them. Toy companies stayed in business after the advent of electronic games by changing what they manufactured. Yes, let the bad companies fail. They will then either come up with something more useful and efficient or will go on, as many people must do when they lose their employment, to other ways of earning their living.