Speak Out 5/5/07

Support for Mr. Ellis

I SUPPORT the reinstatement of Frank Ellis. Evidently, so do the people. Though I fear it will fall of deaf ears, I plan to attend the rally for Mr. Ellis, sign the petition and do whatever else is within the law to help this wonderful middle school principal retain his job.

Save the deer

WHILE I understand that controlling deer populations with bows and arrows has worked, quite successfully, in major metropolitan areas, Cape Girardeau does not need deer population control. There is a family of deer that resides in my area, and my neighbors and I will be devastated to see them legally hunted. Keep in mind that we have invaded their territory.

Withdrawal support

HOW QUICKLY people around here forget that it's not just Democrats who support a return of the troops from Iraq. Sixty-five percent of this nation supports a swift withdrawal. Quit pointing the finger toward the Democrats.

Saving energy

IN ORDER to conserve energy, I strongly encourage the Cape Girardeau City Council to ban all incandescent lights and require substitution of fluorescent light bulbs.

Parking-lot hazard

I AM a senior adult who goes to the adult education center in the former vocational building in Cape Girardeau. Often I stumble because of the poor condition of the parking lot at the entrance to the building. Where was this mentioned in that study of school facilities? Let another office's repair, expansion or renovation lapse, but fix the other side of the building.

Economic pillar

ISN'T economic security a main pillar of national security? Look at the old Soviet Union, which went bankrupt trying to stay the course of its beliefs. We will be totally dependent on China in the next decade if we don't cut the spending.

Pet decisions

THE HUMANE society is a not-for profit private organization. It should not be allowed to dictate to pet owners that they should have their pets' reproductive organs removed if the animals have been picked up by animal control.

Affordable goods

WHAT WOULD be the cost of goods and services in this country without our trade with China? Inflation is more dollars chasing fewer goods. China is producing affordable goods to offset inflation. Without that trade, poorer Americans would be hurting. The problem is not China, but the currency-printing factory called the U.S. government. China has a rapidly expanding economy, which puts pressure on its money supply.

War risks

HOW CAN anyone continue to support a war that cannot be won? Republicans complain that Democrats have no plan after troop withdrawal. But Republicans are unable to define what "success" or "winning" means when it comes to this war. Neither party has a plan, and there never will be one that is rational and protects this nation. We are way beyond the point of trying to protect the United States. We cannot even capture criminals in our states, so how we can protect all 50 states from terrorists? Let's focus our energies on protecting this nation on the inside and let other countries fend for themselves. We're in just as much risk when we pull out of the war as we are staying in it.

Not listening

PRESIDENT BUSH keeps saying we have to listen to the generals on the ground. The generals who disagree with Bush are given a new title: retired.

How many lives?

BOB DYLAN wrote a song called "Blowin' in the Wind." One of the lines is "How many deaths will it take till he knows that too many people have died?" How many lives is enough to placate President Bush? President Johnson took us into Vietnam with a lie. It took almost 60,000 deaths of American lives to satisfy him.

Just like Broadway

KUDOS TO Southeast Missouri State University for "42nd Street." I felt like I'd been on Broadway. It was professional, amazing and fabulous.

Grumpy and rude

WHAT HAS this world come to when people can't have a good get-together in their own backyard? Why should someone have to take a birthday party somewhere else? What's next? People mowing their yards are too noisy? Closing windows in your house before carrying on a conversation? Things are changing and not for the best. People are grumpy and rude.

Time to move on

IF YOU truly care about the well-being of the students, you will let the firing of the middle school principals drop so that the students and staff members can move on and begin the healing process. The board has made its decision and is not going to reverse it. To the people who continue to suggest that the board should be replaced: by all means, for next election get your name on the ballot. Thank goodness there are civic-minded people who care enough about the district to give of their precious free time and take constant abuse from whining, griping patrons. Thank you, Cape Girardeau School Board.

Sahara's story

KUDOS TO the newspaper for giving us such great insight to the Sahara Aldridge story. I know Sahara's father. He's a fighter, and from what I hear Sahara's a fighter too. Fight for life.

Who pays?

THERE WAS a comment that everybody should have health care, every child should be given a chance to grow up healthy, every senior should not have to worry about food or medicine, everyone should have the same chance for equal justice and all high school graduates should have a chance to go to college if they qualify. Who's going to pay for this? Are these people willing to work to get these things, or are they going to wait until somebody gives it to them?

Coveted jobs

CORPORATIONS PAY fair wages. My spouse is a Procter & Gamble employee. Anyone knows that a P&G job is a coveted job to have in the community. You work hard, but you're well paid. It's the same for other corporations.

Senseless tragedies

THE TERM "senseless tragedy" seems to be in our vocabulary today. With every school shooting, drug- and alcohol-induced death or teen suicide, the headline reads "Senseless tragedy." But what about the other senseless tragedies our society has embraced like rap music, a form of brainwashing that promotes a gangster terrorist lifestyle? It provides no redeeming value. Another senseless tragedy is to prostitute our daughters' bodies to fulfill our own sexual desires through provocative dress and advertisements, pornography and strip clubs. At the same time we are teaching our sons to fulfill their sexual gratification through sexual objects instead of a long-term, loving husband-and-wife relationship. Then there's the senseless tragedy of our nation killing its own unborn children by the millions. How sad. Yes, we have many senseless tragedies in America. But the good news is, there is an answer.