Speak Out 6/24/06

Going green

IT'S AMAZING how many one-time anti-enviromentalists have turned green and are embracing ethanol. I think these folks are sincere in their conversion to environmentalism in the field of energy and are in no way influenced by the money to be made from ethanol.

Student perspective

Year-round School is not a good idea at all for Cape Girardeau schools. As a high school student, it is already long enough to go nine months. Going a few weeks and having a week off is going to cause major conflicts with extended family vacations and even more unnecessary stress in many ways. The plan isn't going to be for the better and it will cause a burden on most students' daily lives, teachers' paychecks and definitely school finances.

Good about Bush

A RECENT caller asked us to name one good thing the president has done. Well, I can't. I mean I can't just name one thing. Bush has successfully led us in a two-front war, stopped another 9-11, instituted accountability in our public schools, returned Christianity to the White House, nominated Supreme Court judges that represent middle America, restored the military's faith and pride in their commander in chief, passed tax breaks, and on and on. A better question would be, "What will the Democrats do if returned to power?" For the life of me, I can't figure out what their plan or platform is other to criticize.

Doctor shopping

I AM a patient and I have no problem with drug reps competing for their share of the local drug market. It is a free enterprise system at its best. But if we could just get the doctors to compete for our business things would be perfect. Just imagine having prices posted where you could shop around. Just imagine doctors dropping their charges just for walking into their "store."

Ugly disease

I THINK it is great that Shawn Bridges is doing all he can to get his story out. The person who said he is a thief and a liar needs an education on what addiction does to people. Having been there, done that myself, I have done things I am appalled at. However, sometimes addicts do make a change in their lives and that change is very difficult to make. I wish Shawn and his family the best of everything and he has delivered the message God wants him to share. It is only with the help of God that we overcome addiction. It is an ugly disease.

Mercury is poison

VERY INTERESTING article regarding fish/mercury/pregnant women. The mercury is bad for their unborn child, yet the FDA says it is OK to inject it into our newborn children -- and continually over the course of their formative years. Does it cause autism? No. Is it a trigger in those susceptible? You bet. Ask the families of the autistic children who work 24/7 to bring their children back. Ask this mother of a beautiful daughter and it will be difficult to make me stop talking. We must get all thimerosal out of immunizations.

Redraw boundaries

WHY IS it so hard to determine whether a particular address is in a school district or not? If the district boundaries are so horribly complicated, then it's time to redraw them.

Go Cards

T.J. GREANEY'S article about pharmaceutical reps was wonderfully written. Personally, I have mixed feelings about the drug reps. My knee-jerk attitude is opposition to Big Pharma, though this evaporates when I get sick and need their meds. As far as the docs receiving perks from them goes, I am also in general strongly opposed to this. However, my view has on occasion shifted 180 degrees when a doc gets from a drug rep a couple of Cards tickets and asks me to go.

Defending the PD

TO THE person in Scott City who seems to have a problem with police officers taking a break and eating dinner at Burger King: As an employee of Burger King, I can honestly say the police department is never in there "hanging out." Are they not allowed a break from a 12-hour shift like the rest of us? There have been plenty of times when they are there eating and we had to bag their dinner up because they had to leave due to an emergency call. I think we all need to appreciate them a little bit more. You might need their help someday.

Sex goddess

I DON'T usually remember lines from movies. However, one that has stuck is when the character portrayed by Woody Allen in "Annie Hall" picks up a copy of National Review in the apartment of a rock 'n' roll artist and asks, in amazement, "A right-wing rock star?" It just doesn't seem to fit, does it? In a similar fashion, Ann Coulter's attempt to portray herself as a right-wing extremist sex goddess seems most incongruous.

Concerned citizen

I WOULD like to respond to "a concerned resident of Morley" who submitted a letter to the Missourian regarding whether Scott County Central school board member Eric Kesler is a resident of the district. There are people in the city limits of Morley, on the same street where I grew up, that have Oran addresses. It is possible to have a rural Oran address and live in the SCC district. In light of other issues going on at this time in the school district, I find it appalling that someone would draw more unnecessary attention to the school. This sounds like the backstabbing they do to one another in a neighboring district down the road, not what "a concerned resident of Morley" would do.

Not overpaid

IN RESPONSE to the individual who thinks the deputy pay is right: As a former law enforcement officer, I disagree. The deputies of the sheriff department work long, tiring hours protecting the people of Cape Girardeau County with little pay. If you think they are overpaid, maybe you should put your life on the line every day and deal with unappreciative individuals. Maybe you would change your opinion.