Speak Out 6/18/07

Tall grass

I CAN'T understand why the city puts signs in people's yards because the grass is too high when the grass and weeds on the city's property is waist high. If you don't believe me, drive down Country Club Drive and Aquamsi Street.

Bodily functions

THOSE WHO are grossed out by the television ads for women's toiletries are immature. These are natural and completely normal bodily functions. Women have a right to know the options that are available to them.

Costs add up

I CAN give you a few reasons for a community college in Cape Girardeau. Southeast Missouri State University requires all unmarried, non-military first- and second-year students under 21 years of age and living within 50 miles of the university to live on campus unless they live with their parent or guardian. They must submit a notarized letter stating that they will be living with said parent or guardian throughout this time or they will automatically be billed for a room in the dorms, about $2,800. It costs about another $3,000 per semester to attend Southeast and live off campus. All incoming students must attend an all-day orientation class and pay an additional $50. Anyone else care to add on?

Apartment repairs

IT IS not always the landlord's fault if an apartment is torn up. Many people do not take care of things. When we got married, we lived in an apartment for seven years. We painted and made repairs as needed and paid for it without calling the landlord. When we moved out, the landlord said it was in better shape than when we moved in.

Better education

I THINK a community college in Cape Girardeau is a great idea. Some employers look at the education you have and where you received it and say its not good enough or someone else has better qualities. Most of the vocational schools around here don't transfer credits.

Show Me health

ACCORDING TO a just-released report, Missouri ranks 37th out of 50 states in overall health care and 45th in healthy lifestyles. One thing is for sure: The Show Me State is one sick state.

Flying the flag

HERE IT is Flag Day, and I am the only person in my neighborhood with my flag flying. I'm beginning to think I'm the only American in my neighborhood. How many of you remembered to put your flag out?

Bargaining hypocrisy

STATE REP. Bruce Darrough's accurate view that the Missouri Constitution never prevented collective bargaining rights for public employees in the first place will likely produce deafening silence from those who claim to adhere to original intent as a guideline for interpreting the constitution, since it clearly doesn't. Let's hear it for daring Bruce Darrough's devastating deconstruction of the establishmentarian hypocrisy on this one.

More police needed

MORLEY, MO., needs to hire a full-time police chief. Nothing against the part-time chief we have, but we need more coverage. At least hire another part-timer. The Scott County Sheriff's Department can't continue to cover us all the time.

Can't please everyone

I AM amazed at the people in this area. You cannot win at pleasing them. You see comments about the police not doing their jobs when they see someone breaking the law. Then when they arrest someone, they did the wrong thing.

Thanks to troops

EVERYONE DEALS with stress or traumatic events in their lives differently. Just because some people can handle the war better than others does not make any soldiers less brave or proud. And they don't know how they will handle this until they get over there. God bless all our troops, and thank you for doing it for us.

Test school staff

THERE NEEDS to be random drug screens for staff members in all schools. It would set an example for the children. It's time that people stand up and let school officials know where they stand on this problem.

No-alcohol parties

OUR FAMILY has hosted many teen parties at our home, and not once did we serve alcohol. Nor did the teens ever expect it. What a shame some parents teach teens they can't party without alcohol. Focus on the good things rather than helping them learn at a young age to break the law. Hillary's deal

THE DEMOCRATIC race is settled: Hillary Clinton for president, Barack Obama for vice president. Doesn't everyone know this is a cut-and-dried deal now? Clinton has been humiliated and shamed and has blamed everyone else for what her husband did.

Bedrock values

THE LATE book, magazine and newspaper column writer Jean Bell Mosley's autobiography, "And God Answered," is an accurate portrayal of rural life and rural values in days past. One can only hope that the strong spiritual bedrock upon which her values were based will continue into the future and not be lost to seeming ever-increasing preoccupation with life on this earth.