Speak Out 5/30/07

Remove gas tax

I THINK it's humorous that politicians are trying to control gasoline prices by trying to legislate some sort of action against gouging. Here's a solution: Take the tax off of gasoline. At least that will provide some relief.

Making do

I WAS at the Burfordville Mill with my family last weekend and witnessed the Millersville Fire Department doing some training. I thought it was educational to see how the rural departments deals with not having fire hydrants on every street corner. It's good to know that these wonderful people know what to do. More people should have to do things without the luxuries and conveniences of modern-day technology. It makes them harder workers.

Not a good dream

AMERENUE, thank you for restoring the nostalgia of utility poles and overhead wires to Spanish Street. The courthouse lawn needed some obstructions, and the sightline of the street is certainly enhanced. The DREAM initiative is nice, but is this what they were dreaming?

Had enough?

PRIOR TO the 2006 election, Democrats asked us if we'd had enough. Democrats hoped that phrase would catch on with their historical supporters: minorities, those on the welfare rolls and the hypereducated liberals. Now that gasoline prices are at record highs, we're in a true housing bubble, another blank check has been sent forward on Iraq and not a single piece of meaningful legislation has been passed, I have to ask: Had enough?

Oil investments

I KEEP hearing that President Bush and his cronies have something to do with higher gasoline prices because they're oil men. There was an interesting story at Breitbat.com detailing that the Clintons have more money invested in energy-related businesses than the first President Bush, the current president and Jeb Bush. Of course, I don't expect that to sway any of my liberal friends, but maybe you will have to find a new talking point.

On sovereignty

SOVEREIGNTY IS one of six underlying principles of our Constitution. It means that in order to be a sovereign nation we must be able to defend ourselves. If we are no longer a sovereign nation, as some Speak Out callers claim, I suggest that we either call a constitutional convention to rectify the situation or continue with our apparent experiment in anarchy.

Useful negotiation

IN RESPONSE to "Plea bargains": Prosecutors should not give cases away, but that doesn't mean plea bargains are bad all the time. The court system is full to overflowing right now with the cases that have not been worked out. Imagine what it would be like if there were 95 percent more cases pending because there was no negotiation.

Need repairs

NOW THAT the connection between Autumn Drive and Perryville Road has been completed, I wonder how long it will take the city to fix the old section of Autumn Drive. It was rough before. Now the heavy equipment that rolled down the street during the construction has caused breaks in the street.

Surrender terms

I HAVE put this challenge out there before and still wait for an answer from the liberal surrender-at-any-cost crowd: You say we have lost the war in Iraq. To whom do we surrender? When you lose a war, you surrender to the winning side and generally give up land or freedoms or money. So who gets it? I wait for an answer but do not hold my breath.

Job well done

I WOULD like to commend the Jackson police and fire departments on a job well done. They are a credit to their profession with both their response time and professionalism, I will sleep better at night knowing they are there to keep us safe.

Minors who drink

MOTHERS AGAINST Drunk Driving may be sending mixed signals and, as a result of legislation the group has pushed through in Missouri, put some people in precarious, Catch-22 situations. I am convinced that a number of people who attended the post-graduation beer party that was busted had not been drinking. However, the fact that they were around alcohol apparently made that irrelevant and subjected them to receiving summonses. Many of the non-drinkers may have been there in the capacity of designated drivers (something encouraged by MADD, an organization which seems to concede that people are going to drink) and could have thought they were doing the right thing. Of course, when the police arrived, non-drinkers were left holding the bag. Allegedly, many of the drinkers scattered hither and yon, putting life and limb in more danger. None of this is meant to excuse or justify any of the behavior of those involved, but it would be helpful if MADD, one or more spokespeople for the Missouri Legislature and a prosecuting attorney or two spoke up so as to clarify what the law says and the rationale for it.

Immigration proverb

AN OLD proverb perfectly fits the Senate's 1,000-page immigration transformation: "He who promises too much intends nothing."

Troop strength

I AGREE with Gary Rust that we should wait and see what General Petraeus has to say about the situation in Iraq. However, the question is whether or not Rust will agree with Petraeus when he says we need 200,000 to 400,000 more troops and a long-term effort to stabilize all of Iraq.

War complex

I WATCHED the national Memorial Day celebration on PBS. The closing song was "Let There Be Peace." Peace is a pipe dream. I am a 53-year-old man who has served in the armed forces. I am seeing the same stuff now on TV that I watched in the 1960s: American military personnel killing and being killed. Nothing has changed. We should have listened to Eisenhower back in the 1950s about the American military-industrial complex. As long as we support it, it will have to have wars to keep it operating, even if they are legal, illegal, just or unjust.

Taking by force

IF YOU have any concerns as to how your government will treat someone over his land if he holds something the government wants, you should watch "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee" or read the book. Then you tell me if the war in Iraq is not for oil.