Speak Out 5/27/07

Eye-opening protest

I WANT to thank the Jackson Knights of Columbus for sponsoring a trip to Granite City. We stood in front of an abortion clinic and prayed. It was an eye-opening and emotional experience. That day alone, more than 33 girls went in to abort their babies. Thankfully, three girls spoke with a woman who provides a mobile ultrasound machine. The girls were able to see the life growing inside them, and they chose to keep their babies. I encourage everyone to attend a peaceful protest like we did. You will never be the same. Thank you.

Attention for autism

I WAS appalled by the comment saying autism does not deserve greater attention than other diseases. Autism has not received more attention. Autism is more prevalent than any other disorder, with stats being 1 in 150, yet autism receives less funding, less attention and fewer services than any other disorder. I am in no way discrediting any other disorder. But try being the parent of a child with this disorder and having to pay for everything because insurance does not cover anything. I know what a tragedy autism can be, and I know what a tragedy cancer can be. Neither is good, and both are deserving of all the help and awareness there can be. The difference is cancer gets it and autism doesn't.

ID concerns

THE NATIONAL Animal ID program is anything but what the U.S. Department of Agriculture is presenting. Would you like to have to register your home with a federal agency and have them require you to buy equipment to tag and track your movements? Our animals don't live in a vacuum. Where they go, we go. Would you like to have to pay for the privilege of reporting your movements? If you have ever signed up for a USDA program, you know that the good programs are the best-kept secrets in government. You have to go to the office and ask about them. Why is this one being pushed and why was it originally mandatory? There has been no cost analysis. The cooperative agreement to do it has only just been announced. The field trials are not on small farms but on the large farms that already tag and track. What is the impact on small farms? What is the impact on sale barns, feed stores and large animal veterinarians? You guessed it. We will all be history just like the small pig farms, dairies and chicken farms that are no longer in existence. The USDA needs to get out of its offices and find out how most farmers live. It needs to look at its own statistics. Most of us make less than $10,000 a year. Their own forms consider a "limited resource" farm one that makes less than $100,000 a year. If I made that, I would be doing great.

Fuel motivation

THE COMMENT that American drivers are not cutting back due to rising gasoline prices is deceiving. Almost everyone is griping about rising gas and food prices. But drive by any high school in this area and you'll see that record numbers of kids who could easily ride the bus are driving their cars. Cape Girardeau and Jackson are small enough that people could easily carpool. What about putting out your own vegetable garden? Our family started gardening a few years ago, and we grow enough vegetables that the only vegetable we purchase the entire year is potatoes. Drive by a fitness center and see how many people drove to get there so they could walk around the track! Why not walk around the neighborhood, especially since many Cape Girardeau neighborhoods have sidewalks now? There is plenty that could be done if people were motivated enough to get to work.

How much longer?

IT'S ANOTHER day, and another handful of U.S. soldiers died today in Iraq. The same thing happened yesterday and the day before. How much longer will we continue to allow the future of our country continue to trickle away in a war that increasingly has little value, no recourse and no further options other than to assuage the stupidity that is the basis of all wars?

Support the sheriff

THE SHERIFF of Scott County is sending a silent message to all citizens of Scott County by showing how hard the sheriff's department really works. Look at how many drug arrests they have made with the shortage of deputies. Pass the tax next time, and I bet the Scott County Sheriff's Department will be able to do even better. They have two deputies on, sometimes one, to cover the entire county. On top of their daily activities and patrols, these deputies are supporting municipal officers in Sikeston, Oran, Chaffee, Morley and Miner and cover all other towns themselves. I support the sheriff's department and hope others will change their minds and do the same.