Speak Out 6/12/08

Great weekly guide

I THINK the SE Live weekly guide in Thursday's Southeast Missourian is great. The editor, Chris Harris, and her staff produce an informative, interesting review of what is happening in Southeast Missouri. Our family wouldn't know a third of what is taking place in our area without this guide. Kudos to SE Live.

Noticeable contrast

THE PEOPLE holding signs on the sidewalks is temporary. The horrible condition of the front of the Esquire Theater seems to be permanent.

Payback time

WHEN YOU get your rebate check, please be sure to hold some back. After all, we borrowed it from China, and we're going to have to pay it back with interest.

Money for food

I KEEP hearing about people not having enough to eat and running out of money. I bet I could go to their home and follow them around when they go out shopping and see where they spend their money. And they've got enough money to buy something to eat. It's the other things they buy that takes their money. They have all kinds of things they want to do before buying food.

More important

IT WOULD be a nice thing to plant flowers and shrubs on the interstate exit and entrance ramps. However, I think it would be even prettier to see all the food pantry shelves filled up. I'd like to see people who have places to live. I'd like to see electricity on instead of people using candles. I'm sorry, but I don't think flowers are that important right now.

School lunches

I THINK it's wonderful that a couple of the schools are going to have free meals for children all summer. I don't know that Blanchard Elementary School is the easiest place for children to get to. A lot of the people who have trouble buying groceries also don't have a car. Maybe school officials should have chosen a school in the neighborhoods where children could walk there instead of needing a ride.

Not running red lights

I TRAVEL all the time through the intersections at Cape Rock Road and Kings¿highway and William Street and Kingshighway, and I don't see people running red lights. I'm sure if the police see someone doing something grossly wrong, they're going to stop them.

Still driving

A MAN has had nine DWIs and got off on this last one. Why is someone like that allowed to drive? I've known people who have had three DWIs who are in jail.

Library stop sign

I VISIT the Cape Girardeau Public Library a couple times a week. I've noticed the driveway that comes out of the temporary location onto Broadview Street doesn't have a stop sign, and the traffic on Broadview does not stop. I have seen on several occasions near misses where people think they have the right of way because there's no stop sign. I know it's a temporary location, but we need to get a stop sign put up.

Finding Osama

I'VE BEEN told that since the 1970s we have had satellites that have cameras with enough magnification to pick up license-plate numbers on automobiles. Last August we launched a space vehicle to one of the poles of Mars in search of ice. As this space vehicle parachuted to its target, our satellite circling Mars photographed its descent. It was an awesome picture. It's been almost seven years since the horrors of 9-11. Does the U.S. government really think we believe our troops can't find Osama bin Laden? What an insult.