Speak Out 4/6/04

Maker of trees

WHEN I drive around Cape Girardeau and see all the beautiful white trees in bloom, I think of a poem I learned in high school many years ago. "Poems are made by fools like me, but only God can make tree." Thank you, God.

Expensive concert

I'M SURE the John Philip Sousa concert was very good. The house would have been full if it weren't for the ticket price. Sousa himself only charged $1 when he was here in person. Perhaps this is why the place wasn't full this time. How about being more reasonable with prices so everyone can go, not just the rich?

Charges too stiff

I CAN'T believe they're charging a girl with a felony for selling two pills to another girl. It's ridiculous to charge a 17-year-old kid with a felony for this. This could ruin her whole life. Let the punishment fit the crime.

Oil conspiracy

IT APPEARS to me that OPEC is out to destroy the American economy. It appears to me also that the oil cartel must be sympathizers with the bad boys. After all, look at who the hijackers were on 9-11 and where they were from.

No spanking

SPANKING CHILDREN is primarily a frustration-venting act for grown-ups. I would always have preferred a spanking from my father, which was pretty much a momentary pain, than a lecture from my mother, which always had me in tears because I felt I had disappointed her. Twenty-plus years ago, I knew that spanking was not an effective disciplinary tool. Whoever believes spanking is the answer is fooling himself or trying to take the easiest, least time-consuming avenue. Incidentally, my children all turned out pretty darned good, and they don't spank either.

More things to do

THOSE WHO say you won't save anything by going to St. Louis don't also realize that not only do you have a wider selection of stores, but there are a lot more places to go for events other than shopping.

Exporting democracy

BY SAYING that "our great task is restoring the vitality within the framework of a world of opportunity," George Shultz has evolved from a sober-minded realist into a wild-eyed utopian idealist, hell-bent on exporting democratic institutions abroad, and for that I reason I support him.

Mascot stereotypes

THE SOUTHEAST Missouri State University Web site also screened out my suggestion that Southeast change to the Local Yokels, with the mascot being a doofus-looking white guy with a mullet and Rush Limbaugh T-shirt to let townspeople see how the last mascot made American Indians feel. I guess the site filters out stereotypes indiscriminately.

Nabbing speeders

I WOULD like to thank the police and the highway patrol for at least trying to put a clamp on speeding. The people who claim the speed limit is too low or feel the police should be doing something else with their time are the same people who speed on a regular basis and don't care about the consequences until they are caught. For those of you who complain something should be done about the speeding and aggressive drivers should go to the ballot box and vote yes the next time they want to increase the sales tax to help the police department hire new officers and give them raises. They are greatly unappreciated in this town and should be commended for putting up with this.

Concert supporters

I TOO enjoyed the Sousa concert. However, what completed the evening was an invitation to attend the university foundation's dinner. Hats off to the foundation for a wonderful evening celebrating donors. Keep up the great work.

Street smart

EVERYONE COMPLAINS about the traffic problems on Main Street in Scott City. Most of the problems could be solved with a little common sense and courtesy. Don't block the entry to Burger King and the gas stations. Traffic stops both ways when they are blocked.

Religious freedom

IF YOU do not believe that our freedom of religious expression is under attack, you are asleep at the wheel. My child should be allowed to walk into her public school, Bible in hand, and pray quietly before her classes. But I guarantee she would be punished in some way. I fail yet to see how a high-school graduating class voting to have a minister say a prayer at graduation constitutes Congress establishing a religion.

Medical savings

I SERIOUSLY doubt the premise that a national health care plan would allow Medicaid recipients to be more productive members of society. Most of them I know are about as productive as their maladies will allow. Besides, the majority are elderly who should be enjoying their retirement after years of toiling and laboring. The answer is an unlimited, tax-free medical savings account. Just think, if you could start at age 25 and put whatever you can afford in a tax-free medical savings account, you would be able to reduce your insurance costs and have the funds to offset anything that insurance does not cover -- even major medical. But the bureaucracy is also a problem.

Good discipline

MANY CHILDREN are out of control, and I agree that parents are largely responsible for not disciplining their children. However, discipline does not need to involve spanking. Appropriate guidelines for acceptable behavior, consequences for both appropriate and inappropriate behavior, consistency in enforcing rules and unconditional love in the home environment are what children need to become well-mannered, functional members of society.

Cell-phone fines

IF THE city's having trouble coming up with extra money, why don't we do what they did in New York? If you're caught in your car talking on a cell phone, why not pass a fine such as $150 for the first time, because talking on a phone is just as dangerous as drinking and driving.

Great JJHS concert

CONGRATULATIONS ARE in order for the Jackson Junior High School band instructors, Mr. Flieg, Mr. Crawford, Mr. Vangilder and Mr. Broussard. We attended the concert. Our granddaughter is a member of the band. The entire concert was awesome, and it is obvious that each student is proud to be a member of the band.

Helpful officer

I'D LIKE to say a very special thank you to the officer who helped me. My truck broke down on Highway 177, and no one else would stop. I sat there for an hour. An officer finally stopped right before my son got there and tried to help us. I want everyone to know that there are some good officers in the Cape Girardeau and Cape Girardeau County area.

All professionals now

A SALESMAN is now an account executive, and he no longer has customers. He has clients. A store security guard is now a loss-prevention specialist. I guess the crooks these people catch are also clients. The personnel department is now the human resources department, and the people they hire are not employees, they're associates. In the past, professionals were people like doctors, lawyers and architects. Today, everyone is a professional. Another irritation is people who like to put letters behind their names. Insurance people and nurses are especially fond of doing this. I guess the more letters behind their name, the more impressive it looks even though few people know what these stand for.