Speak Out 4/4/08

Overseas stimulus?

I WOULD like to know why I should spend my rebate check on goods to stimulate the economy when all the goods we buy are made overseas. Just whose economy would I be helping?

Monitor the highway

REGARDING THE divided highway outside of Jackson by Pioneer Orchard: Who should be watching over that? Jackson police or the highway patrol? Someone is going to get injured or killed, maybe me. I just about got ran over by a big truck that came flying by. There needs to be an officer planted there who oversees this and keeps traffic in a more orderly manner. It is a dangerous situation.

Time to recycle

IN SUNDAY'S Parade magazine, an article said there is floating in the Pacific a giant field of plastic trash that's double the size of the United States. This stretches from our West Coast to Japan. It is affecting our ecosystem. Isn't it time that more people tried to recycle? The truck goes by your house weekly.

Combat graffiti

RESIDENTS ON Old Sprigg Street have a nice neighborhood, but there is a problem with graffiti on signs. Get a can of spray paint and paint over the graffiti. I lived in a large city and was told the worse thing is to allow the graffiti to stay there. When graffiti creeps up in a neighborhood, the vandals add and add. The worst thing is to allow these graffiti people to deface our public signs, especially highway signs or directional signs.

City motto?

THE MOTTO for city leaders seems to be: Take from the many and give to the few.

Too much temptation

AS A mother of two teenagers, I am concerned about the Keg Shop opening across from the junior high school. According to Rudi Keller's business column, they will have beer, liquor and wine. How can this place get a liquor license? With Show Me's already on the corner and a new Irish pub just a few yards away, what is the city thinking? There is a junior high school just across the street, and these children have enough temptation.

Churches with energy

THIS IS in response to the editorial about growing churches. While it is wonderful a few megachurches are growing, let's not forget about the constant expansion of the many traditional churches in our area. They are growing because not everyone wishes to rock out during worship, and many wish to recognize the fire-and-brimstone messages in the Bible, not ignore them. Christ provides hope, but he also has rules — and he should be intimidating. Traditional churches have a lot of energy. By the way, I'm 30, not 70.

Lonely caregivers

I WOULD like to add to the excellent comments in Sunday's paper about Sam Blackwell's story, "The long goodbye." I am the sole caregiver for my husband. He has been diagnosed with Parkinson's with probable Lewy body dementia. I say "probable" because Lewy body dementia cannot be diagnosed until an autopsy has been performed. Lewy body disease shares a lot of symptoms with Alzheimer's disease. I have found it to be a lonely disease. People say they want to visit, but they never know when is a good time. Believe me, a phone call would allow you to know when would be a good time to visit. And when you come to visit, offer to stay for a while so caregivers can get away for a short period of time. It gets very difficult for us to ask for help. But help is always appreciated. Remember, you never know who these diseases will affect. Every family has been affected either by a friend or relative.

Great show

WOW, CONGRATULATIONS to Saxony Lutheran High School on its first musical production, "South Pacific." What a great show. The leads were perfectly cast, and everyone did a great job. Kudos to the crew, musicians and directors. Well done.

To all rude people

GOING TO church doesn't make you a Christian anymore than flushing a toilet make you a plumber. My husband uses this all the time to let people know they're not better than anybody else.

People pay

I KEEP hearing about the government helping disaster victims. That's not the government. That is the people who pay taxes. They are the ones who pay this bill, not the government. The government doesn't have a penny until it takes it away from somebody else.

Saving fuel

I DRIVE either at the speed limit or up to five miles below the speed limit just about anywhere I go. I find that stretches my fuel economy. I get roughly 25 to 50 more miles per tank of gas. This is something for everyone to think about, especially those who pass me and end up being right in front of me at the next stoplight. I try to leave early enough to work so I don't have to go that fast. It seems to work for me.

Using the system

I'M WATCHING a "Good Morning, America" special on servicemen's wives who are becoming surrogate mothers. The biggest reason is they can make $30,000. But our government also pays for prenatal care. As a taxpayer, I disagree with that. I don't think we should be paying for women to make money having children while using our government's health-care system. More power to them if they need to make money, but I don't want to pay for health care for an unborn child that is given to somebody else for money. I just think that's morally wrong.

Traffic courtesy

I WANT to say thank you to the man in Scott City who let out onto Main Street from a side road. Most people will not let you in, and the traffic is horrible trying to get to work and school. Thank you. It made my day.

Moved by the Spirit

THERE WILL be no energy in any church whatsoever without the Holy Spirit. That's what's making the churches grow.

No welfare guarantee

A COMMENT said the government is supposed to provide for the general welfare of the people. This is not what the Constitution says or means. It says it provides for the common defense and promotes the general welfare. Nowhere does it say anything about providing a welfare system that takes from one citizen and gives to another.