Speak Out 6/10/08

Positive about Rush

DITTOS on the positive remarks about Rush Limbaugh in Speak Out. Dittos. Go, Rush.

Game disparity

WE RECENTLY moved here from another town. We have a son who plays in the Cal Ripken baseball league and a daughter who plays in the softball league. Our son got a nice uniform shirt and cap. Our daughter got a T-shirt. The boys' games have time limits, but the girls' games go on forever.

Keeping secrets

THE HEADLINE says "County wants Purcell charged." My question or questions is why? What do Prosecuting Attorney Morley Swingle, Presiding Commissioner Gerald Jones and the rest of the commissioners want kept secret? Is this the county's Watergate? Several constituents are not pleased with the commissioners.

A certain sadness

THIS FATHER's Day hype is good for people with fathers. But for people who have lost their fathers, it's very sad.

Served at armory

THE REASON people are trying to get the Jackson National Guard armory named for Brad Skelton isn't a matter of where he lived. It's simply a fact that Skelton served in the 1140th in Jackson for over 20 years. It's not a matter of anyone's death being more important than any other. Both Skelton and Jeremy Shank paid the ultimate price. The guys who knew Skelton and served with him at that armory are trying to do right by him, nothing more.

Like a house afire

I WISH Bingo World would ban smoking. I stood at the open door to the smoking section, and it was like standing in a house that was on fire. Have you had your chest X-rayed lately?

Transit spending

SO WE spend $4 million in one year to fix Independence Street. In the same year we'll spend $89,000 on public transit, and that's it. Wonderful, government of Cape Girardeau.

Officer's complaints

I AM a police officer and frankly am getting bored with everyone seeming to know how to do my job. I have been reading comments from people telling me what I need to do and how. How do you know what's going on, much less how to fix it, if you have never spent even one day in my boots? I hear a lot of people talking about quotas. We do not have them. You are given a ticket because you violated a traffic law. If you do not want a ticket, obey the laws. Don't get upset when I do not give you a warning. You have already received plenty of warnings. If I am stopping you, I saw you do something illegal, so why argue? If you disagree, go to court. On the subject of take-home cars: How many corporations have company cars? Do you complain about them? Why does everyone want to single out law enforcement? The vehicles are not supposed to be for personal use. If you are seeing that, the officer is violating policy. However, you cannot know for sure what the situation is unless you ask the officer. I do not come to your place of employment and tell you how to do your job. Please do not do it to me.

Drugged soldiers

ACCORDING TO Time magazine, a startlingly significant portion of our recycled fighting forces in Afghanistan and Iraq are being prescribed and given antidepressants and sleeping pills. This may well be what they need, but is it what we want?

High prices

SAUDI ARABIA is doing nothing to help with gas prices. Maybe we should do the same with what we sell to them and make prices extremely high.