Speak Out 5/11/07

Relaxing music

BRAVO TO the boys at the Rose Bed Inn. Their summer Sunday series kicked off, and it was so relaxing with wonderful music from Pat Schwent and Saxy Jazz, good food and nice drinks. Great idea, guys. Keep it up.

Driving a bus

I AM a bus driver for the Jackson School District. I take pride in my job. I love the children on my bus. There isn't one who I wouldn't lay down my life for. I have to admit some days are better than others, but I find my work to be most rewarding. I train extensively to do my job. My examination was through the state, not the school district. I attend safety meetings once a month. While on the bus, I'm a mom, I'm a grandma, I'm a bus driver, I'm a nurse, I'm a monitor, I'm a police officer, I'm a listener. I wipe a few tears, I'm the first one your child sees after he or she leaves you every morning. I am truly sorry if I ran that stop sign. I would not intentionally do it for anything. I would never risk harming any of those children. Give the school district a chance to solve the problem. Quit criticizing. We do a lot of miles and a lot of children. The school system will fix the problem.

Using victimhood

IN HIS May 7 column, "Thought control," David Limbaugh takes the victimhood mantle to new heights. I used to think people like Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton were the nation's biggest whiners, but Limbaugh's latest ravings smacks of a narcissistic glorification of victimhood based on a selective memory and a twisted interpretation of both science and Scripture. His use of quotation marks around a phrase "reality-based community" brings to mind GOP functionary Jeff Gannon, who posed as a reporter so President Bush could have a powder-puff question at the ready when reality-based questions got a little too tough. Like Jackson and Sharpton, Limbaugh is capable of making a valid point now and then, but his tendency toward blame games and delusions of persecution only serve to advance the cause of the liberals who scare him so much.

Standing water

IT IS great that the city has placed boulders to stop the trucks from cutting corners and making deep, muddy ruts in the grass at beautiful Kiwanis Park. Another problem created is stopping up the drain with dirt. Water is standing deep enough to drown a person, especially a child playing on the playground. Please, don't let a tragedy happen.

For the firefighters

WE VOTED for the fire tax, so stop taking things away from our firefighters. We'll remember this at the next election.

Weather sirens

OUR MAYOR and city council members have seen the tornadoes that are going around us. We have been hit before, and it can happen again. Quit spending our money on things we don't need until we get weather sirens all over town.

Collar the adults

I KEEP seeing reports where children as young as 10 and 11 years old are driving cars. The police should find out who taught children that young to drive a car. They should be arrested, because they're the ones responsible for those children doing that.

Stopping the attacks

I WANT to comment about the men who are accused of trying to kill soldiers at Fort Dix, N.J. Arresting them is a result of President Bush's surveillance policy. We were attacked nine times when Bill Clinton was president. We've been attacked right after President Bush took over, but Bush stopped the rest of the attacks. Think of that.

Thanks for purse

THIS IS a heartfelt thank you to Jerome at the Jackson Wal-Mart for turning in my purse at the service counter after I left it in the cart on the parking lot. You saved me from a lot of stress. Thanks, and may God bless you.

State needs balance

WHEN CONSERVATIVE lawmakers disagree with rulings from the courts, they label judges activist and accuse them of trying to legislate from the bench. It seems Missouri has taken such a radical right turn politically that some lawmakers feel empowered to ignore the democratic notion of checks and balances. In yet another brazen slap in the face of democracy, state representatives Nathan Cooper and Scott Lipke are pushing House Bill 213, which would muzzle critics of the right wing and leave educators in fear of reprisal for refusing to toe the party line. What's next? Press censorship? Missourians are witnessing the danger posed when one party is allowed to monopolize a government. I hope in 2008 we can restore some balance.

They have good jobs

AT THE Cape Girardeau City Council meeting May 7 I observed a disgraceful demonstration by the firefighters and their wives over putting their vacation and sick days in line with the rest of the city's employees. The constant refrain of them of being heroes is wearing thin. They need to think twice about the fact that they have good jobs.

Out of Iraq

HOW WILL we handle more body bags from Iraq? With the increase in troops we will see more deaths. We keep hearing that if we leave it will be chaos. We have to leave at some point. And does anyone remember President Bush saying we need the oil to keep gas prices down? He said it, and he is letting the oil companies gouge us again.

Muddled middle

WHAT DAVID Limbaugh writes of Noam Chomsky and the far left is equally true of Limbaugh and the extreme right. Neither is tolerant of opinions that differ from his own. That is a common characteristic of Chomsky, Limbaugh and all ideologues. Luckily, the majority of Americans are and will remain in the somewhat muddled middle.

French borders

NEW FRENCH President Sarkozy was elected because he promised immigration reform. Will street riots replace the election with mob rule?

Ethanol concerns

ACCORDING TO the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and the Environmental Protection Agency, Nash Road is "the largest proposed concentration of ethanol production in the entire United States." I learned this when speaking at the Missouri Air Quality Board Meeting in Jefferson City. Our way of life, property values and environmental concerns, as well as health issues such as cancer, birth defects and respiratory disease, are all threatened by the greed of local politicians. Jamie Burger, Scott County presiding commissioner; Martin Pringle, past Scott County presiding commissioner; Tim Porch, Scott City mayor; and David Mann, former Scott County judge, all have invested in one of the four proposed ethanol plants. "20/20" did a story on this corporate welfare and fraud Friday night, calling ethanol the biggest scam to the American people. Russ Mothershead wants to build a plant at the Tower Rock Quarry site. This is the same site that the Sikeston group, Bootheel Agri-Energy, rejected because there are fissures in the bedrock, making it unstable.