Speak Out 5/7/09

Not swine flu

WHEN you print stories about the H1N1 flu, please call it just that. Do not call it swine flu because there haven't been any swine affected by this flu. It hurts sales of pork products because people think that this flu has something to do with pork. It doesn't. Maybe you ought to call it Mexican flu.

Census space

I'M very glad to see your editorial about the Census Bureau office space. I hope you follow up on this and stir up a stink. Put some pressure on our federal legislators. If there's a building empty in town, by golly, use it.

No excuse

YOU had a story about a soldier charged with raping and killing Iraqis while serving there. He's on trial in Paducah. The conclusion statement by defense attorney was, "You've got to understand the context, soldiers have lost so many friends and leaders they can no longer perform their duties." Context? What about Vietnam? What about World War II? A few of the soldiers there committed atrocities against the people, but that is not acceptable. That is not what our country is about. Even in war, there is no excuse for deliberate actions of that sort.

A good world

ONE can only feel resignation from others who believe they know better than you. The U.S. Constitution ensures the pursuit of happiness to all. People who can't even run their own lives try to dictate how your should live yours. The authoritarian gets his power by knocking others down. Someday the world will be a place where the word "yes" is spoken and one is helped up instead of knocked down. We need to understand that everyone has potential to be good. We must allow this to happen.

No credit for Bush

I haven't heard the press giving President Bush any credit for his plan to store Tamiflu in case there's an epidemic. But I shouldn't be surprised. President Bush never gets credit for anything by the press.

OSHA fines

I work with my employees on every job. In 30 years, I have never had an accident. My employees are like family. I would never put them in harm's way. OSHA is fining everyone to justify opening an office in the new federal building. There is not one business in this town that is not in violation of some minute OSHA regulation. If OSHA inspects your business, it is going to fine you for something. Their agents are not interested in a safe workplace. They are only interested in producing revenue for the government. OSHA is just another example of a government agency created with good intentions that is out of control. Employees of small businesses better wake up and realize who the enemy is if you value your jobs.

Regional library

A big thank you to Jim Maevers and all of the work of the Riverside Regional Library board and director and all the employees for the wonderful, new library in Jackson. If you haven't visited, you should. People are kind, courteous, the building is wonderful. It's spacious, it's just what the community needed. A big thanks to everyone who helped make this possible.

Balancing the budget

I read about all the money that the company leasing the building space at the airport owes the city. Why is it that taxpayers have to pay higher taxes and fees because of the budget deficit when we would already have taken care of the deficit, plus added back into the surplus, if the company had paid its rent?

Poor management

IT'S hard for ordinary people to understand what is going on with Cape Girardeau. I'm reading about Capaha Pool, what bad shape it is in and how much it's going to cost to fix it and about the financial condition the city is in. We've been hearing that the surplus has almost disappeared because of what's happened down at the airport and other things. The city is replacing the lights and put in pedestrian signals at Mount Auburn Road where it intersects with Independence Street, and then the city turned around and came in with jackhammers and concrete saws to put some walkways. All of that could have been figured out in advance. That is poor management.

Campus preaching

I am a student at Southeast Missouri State University. Recently I noticed many prospective students and their families taking campus tours. I wonder why no tours were scheduled when there was a crowd in front of Kent Library listening to a group of people shouting that God hates us and that we are all going to hell if we don't repent. Parents should be aware of this special event that happens every semester right around crunch time.

Relay for Life

I would just like to thank the committee and volunteers of the Cape Girardeau County Relay for Life. My family and I so enjoyed the special treatment we received from the survivor brunch, which is a wonderful chance to visit with friends and relatives who are also survivors, to all the events that were planned throughout the day. The teams do a great job of raising money to support the programs of the American Cancer Society. We look forward each year to attending the event, and we deeply appreciate all the kindness shown to us by all the volunteers and the people who put on the event. They do a wonderful job.

Ready to enroll

I think a community college in Cape Girardeau is a wonderful idea. If they did that, I would attend in a heartbeat.

Piano lounge

CAPE Girardeau has bars and clubs for young people to frequent. What is needed is a piano lounge. The sophistication of jazz and easy listening music would offer a deeper, more rich experience for older clientele.

Biking in Cape

IN response to the story "Man taken to hospital after car, bike collide in Cape Girardeau": The cyclist was obeying all traffic laws when the motorist failed to yield the right of way. I saw the whole thing. In traffic, bicyclists should ride single file as far to the right as is safe. The bike rider is fortunate he wasn't more seriously injured. There must have been an angel on his shoulder. Motorists need to look more carefully at the lane they're about to cross and wait until it's clear. A former Cape Girardeau resident living in Fayetteville, Ark., said compared to there, Cape Girardeau is many times more dangerous a place to ride. That has to be because many Cape Girardeau drivers don't respect diversity in mode of travel.

Be cool

PLEASE, motorists be more careful. Put down the phone and drive alertly. Being courteous is not uncool. It shows that you respect yourself and others. That's the most manly behavior ever.

Influence on views

CLIFF Rudesill says President Obama is a good speaker but his ideas are lousy. I say Rudesill is a good writer but his ideas are based on pure fantasy and likely promulgated from listening to too much Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and Michael Savage.

Worthless money

IN response to Cliff Rudesill's opinion on the increasing socialism in this country: It all started with the progressives around the start of the 1900s. We are just now noticing it again, and with louder voices. The comment about "Remember the words printed on our money" is not quite true. Our real money is minted. That printed, worthless paper is our central bank's money, not the country's. Paper money says "Federal Reserve note," and nowhere will it say "Federal Reserve of the United States," because it's not a government-run institution. Please call your federal legislators and ask them to support HR 1207 so an audit of this illegal central bank can take place and we can know what's been going on behind closed doors at the Fed.