Speak Out 5/17/05

Stealing from yard

IT'S A sad day when you can't leave things in your front yard without them being stolen. I've had three gas cans stolen. I bought a weed trimmer at a yard sale for $5, and it was stolen after I left it in my front yard. I don't think Cape Girardeau is being policed enough.

Littering excuse

REGARDING THE comment about the lack of trash barrels at the boat dock down at the Diversion Channel: It reminds me of the incident that happened to me a few years ago. A guy called for permission to fish in my farm pond. My son told him no, even though the man had been fishing there pretty frequently. But the man had left some beer cans the last time he was there. His excuse was, "I had nothing to carry them off in." My son said, "You got them here, so you surely had the capacity to pack them away." No trash barrels is a poor excuse for littering in my estimation.

Poor planning

SOMEBODY GOOFED when sidewalks were built along Lexington Avenue between Sprigg Street and Sprigg Street Road. They were placed on the north side of Lexington. All the fire hydrants are on the south side. The people walking their dogs have to cross Lexington five times to keep their dogs happy.

Debt and health care

LET'S KEEP that crummy new bankruptcy bill, but let's get a national health-care bill. If not, we're going to have people dying right and left because they're afraid to go in debt to get that operation.

Church and politics

I WANT to comment about the minister who suggested that people who were voting against the principles of his church ought to leave the church. In our church, we have a bunch of people just like that: hypocritical, lukewarm Christians. The church preaches against abortion and same-sex marriages, but these people vote in favor of people who support abortion and same-sex marriages. The Bible says in Revelation that Jesus will spew you from his mouth if you're lukewarm, neither hot nor cold. Even though the preacher has quit that church, they've still got those people in there. What are they going do? What does this church stand for?

For clean air

I HAVE read every article in Speak Out regarding smoking cigarettes in public places. Cigarettes are a drug; therefore, cigarette smoking is a drug addiction. It is a proven fact that it kills people and so does second-hand smoke. It is our responsibility to this community to keep the air that we breathe as clean and pure as we possibly can. I would urge every citizen who is against smoking in public places to write our mayor. He says he hasn't heard from many people regarding this issue.

Going north

THE ONLY thing that makes sense is to make Water Street one way northbound. Having two southbound one-way streets is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard of.

Get input

I WOULD like to strongly encourage the members of the Jackson Historical District Committee to seek input from the community. This comes from one of the property owners in the historical district.

Perfectly happy

DURING THE Clinton years, Social Security was sound and in good condition. Ever since George W. Bush took the White House, there's been weapons of mass destruction, a panic on Social Security, the sky is falling, the sky is falling. We elderly people are perfectly happy with Social Security. Yes, we would like a better way of life, but President Roosevelt has been taking care of senior citizens like us year after year after year, and we're perfectly happy. Whenever the Republicans want to help Social Security, that's the fox guarding the henhouse. They never did want it. They have been trying to butcher it up ever since it came out.

Policing the county?

I HAVE a question for the Cape Girardeau Police Department. I live out on County Road 621, a little way past Teen Challenge. I see city patrol cars out there quite often. I know that's out of the city limits quite a way. I was wondering why the city is patrolling that county road. Just curious.

SEMO critic

I SEE where Southeast Missouri State University is reaching out to the second Chinese college. They want to get more students from St. Louis and other countries, but they don't care about the students from the local area. They can't get along with Three Rivers Community College. They want the local students to pay for a swimming pool they will never use. I would like for my grandchildren to get a college education, but if SEMO keeps raising the fees, they will not have a chance.

Free thinker

I HAVE allergies and asthma. I take four prescription drugs daily. Second-hand smoke bothers me, but I have yet to find an establishment where the smoke is bad enough to affect my condition. If I ever do, I simply will not return to that establishment. I have a real problem with government taking freedoms away in order to appease a handful of obsessed zealots.

Blunt on welfare

I'M A quadriplegic on Medicaid. If any part of my Medicaid is cut off, I will be in big trouble because I can't take care of myself, I have lots of medication that I take that I won't be able to afford. I don't know what the governor is trying to do, but I think it's time we get him out of office.

Sick of spending

I AM so sick of our so-called government. Our president tells there will be no money for Social Security in the future. And I read how the House easily approved $82 billion for Iraq and Afghanistan. Yes, the government's free to spend our money and help everyone else but us taxpayers.

Nice people

I JUST wanted to say there's a lot of nice people in this world. I had car trouble at the Murphy gas station in Jackson. A young woman and her son helped me remove my car to the Wal-Mart parking lot. I don't know where the men were, but this young boy and his mother were a lot of help to me, and I wanted them to know I truly appreciated their help.

What's pretty, what ain't

BEING FROM this here town, I ain't got no culture. I figure that's why I like them pretty pictures of them there riverboats that's going to hang at that there River Campus. As soon as I finish my corn pone, I'm going to sign up for that professor fellow's class so I can know what's pretty and what ain't.