Speak Out 4/5/09

Nuisance cameras

KEEPING an eye on your own home for the purposes of your family's safety is one thing, but when video surveillance branches outside the perimeters of your own property into another's property, you're being a nuisance.

Judging Obama

REGARDING the suggestion that we give President Obama an opportunity to correct things before we start judging him: I didn't vote for him. I thought from the beginning that he wasn't going to be able to do anything for our country. I think two months is long enough for him, but thanks to so many other people we'll all have our heads tucked between our legs for the next four years.

Thanks for letter

THERE are honest people out there. I would like to say thank you to whoever received a letter in the mail that was addressed to me. The address was correct, but the letter somehow ended up in someone else's box. They marked the envelope and returned it to the postal service. It was then delivered to me. This particular letter had an extremely important and valuable document in it, and I am grateful it found its way to me.

Expressing outrage

DAVID Limbaugh seems palpably perplexed at the apparent lack of outrage over the increasing national deficit and debt. I think the answer is that we got used to it during the Bush administration because Limbaugh and his like-minded fanatics failed to express outrage about it.

Bullying advice

BEING a resident of Scott City for the past 39 years, the last 25 as a parent, I'd like to comment on the bullying at school from my perspective and personal experience. It is difficult to be unbiased toward your own children whenever they are involved in an incident such as bullying. You will love and protect them at all costs. However, I urge all involved to take a step back and consider that their children may very well be the source of the bullying. I'm a firm believer that parents should avoid getting involved in conflicts between their children and their children's friends, unless, of course, it escalates to bodily harm or property destruction. Most of the time, these things settle themselves between the kids. School administrators have definitely seen a lot more of these situations on day-to-day basis than parents have. Please don't undermine or criticize their handling of the situation. If our children are raised in the home to be caring and compassionate, all the pettiness goes away after graduation, and time heals many wounds for the kids.

Pet donations

I moved here from St. Louis. I was talking to my neighbors about unwanted pets and about how Safe Harbor takes them in. They said they take their unwanted pets out in the country and let them out near a farmhouse because farmers can always use a good cat to chase mice or dogs to herd farm animals. This is interesting. I didn't realize that.

Smelly party

I will not be attending the tea party protest. Although they say it's not affiliated with any political party, it sure smells Republican. Since this administration has only been in power two months, I have better things to do with my time.