Speak Out 6/8/06

Bless the Guard

THE NATIONAL Guard has done more for this country than any other branch of the military. Additionally, these citizen-soldiers are an active, positive force in our communities. At a time when it's becoming increasingly apparent that the active-duty forces cannot accomplish their mission without the National Guard, it's a shame that a few soldiers' wives are pandering for sympathy. I applaud the National Guard for all it has done, is doing and will do in the future. God bless you all.

New meaning

IT USED to be that a "trial balloon" was when a politician or political entity floated an idea to see if the public was receptive to it. If it was, the government would likely pass it into law. However, as Cape Girardeau's city council prepares to take back the ordinance repealing the sales-tax holiday, the phrase "trial balloon" as used by the mayor has taken on new meaning. Now a "trial balloon" means to go to the time and expense of passing a law and then, if the public doesn't like it, repealing it forthwith.

Sounds impressive

BECAUSE THERE weren't any substantive achievements by the Missouri General Assembly, kudos go to state Sen. Jason Crowell and state Rep. Nathan Cooper for going to great lengths to try to convince the public that there were some. That they failed to do so should in no way lessen the heroism of their effort.

Neighborly complaint

LAST FALL we upset our three children by giving away our dog. He barked occasionally, and we did not want to disturb our neighbors. We live at the entrance to an upscale neighborhood of Cape Girardeau. And every Tuesday morning I haul the trash to the end of my driveway and then spend 10 minutes picking up trash the neighbors have thrown out their car windows. I've done this for three years and have not complained. Today a teenage boy we hired to mow our grass blew some grass clippings into the street. We were not home. We arrived home to find out that our neighbor had already complained to the lawn guy (who immediately fixed the problem), had called the police to file a complaint about us and was waiting on our doorstep to give us an earful when we arrived home. I hope other folks in Cape have better things to do with their time and can behave a little more neighborly.

Tax concerns

I SEE the Cape Girardeau county commissioners want a half-cent sales tax increase. But if the county needs more money, why would the commission reduce other taxes if the sales tax is increased? This appears to be an effort to shift the tax burden, and I would like to hear from our commissioners who would benefit from this. I would rather the commissioner I voted for work to reduce taxes, not raise them.

Sidewalk etiquette

I AM an avid walker about town and recently had the experience of two boys passing me on their bikes as I walked on the sidewalk along Lexington Avenue. The first was right at my shoulder and yelled "Excuse me!" which nearly made me jump out of my skin. A few minutes later a second boy yelled "Coming on your left" when he was probably 20 feet back. The second young man did the right thing without scaring me, and it was greatly appreciated. I hope parents will pass this simple courtesy on to their young bike riders/joggers as well as doing this themselves.

Culture of death

WE HAVE to admit that as Christians we do not understand militant Muslims. Muslim terrorists in Iraq recently killed a local men's tennis team because the players were wearing tennis shorts. But they do not kill soccer players wearing soccer shorts. Muslims are incensed that anyone might touch a Koran, but they blow up a mosque full of Korans from a different sect. This is a culture of death that we do not understand.

Recess penalty

MY PUBLIC-school kindergarten grandson was denied recess as punishment for being tardy. He is driven to school by his parents. It is cruel and inappropriate to deny recess to elementary students for any reason, especially if the reason for the punishment is not in their control. Parents, we need to push to abolish this practice in the next school year.

Working together

THE FAMILIES of the National Guard members should start a support group. I was in the Navy for 20 years. When I left my family behind there was a support group led by an ombudsman. The group could share problems and ideas for solving them. If a family is in dire straights, it could contact the American Red Cross and go through the Army Relief Society for assistance. They could also start a message board on the Internet for the families whose loved ones are away. It's better to work together and share the problems.

Customers in line

I GET frustrated every time I get behind an irate and unreasonable person in a checkout lane at a retail store. They yell and complain about prices or complain they can't use an expired coupon. Cashiers are there to get your total together as fast as possible to get you on your way. Stop wasting the time of the people behind you in line.

Picking up trash

IT'S SUNDAY morning, and I'm heading home after church. There are two guys and a girl picking up trash along Big Bend Road. I want them to know their efforts were noticed. Thank you for picking up someone else's trash. There's a place in heaven for them.

Be thankful

SOME OF us are getting tired of hearing disaster victims complain about the help they have been getting from the government. If your home burns down, no one but your insurance company, friends, relatives and possibly the Red Cross will help you. You pick up the pieces and go on. If a natural disaster hits and you have little or no insurance, the government assists, even though it was your decision not to have coverage. And then you complain about free housing? You might consider thanking the government and taxpayers for the aid you are receiving.

Higher taxation

ALTHOUGH I do not live in Cape Girardeau County, I do most of my shopping there. The comment in your recent editorial about the proposed sales-tax increase -- "Uninformed voters are likely to vote no" -- brought a smile, even though it could be true. However uninformed the voters are, if they are halfway intelligent they would realize we are already taxed up to our chests and that our governments all seem to find new ways to spend tax increases and windfalls to the max. If a government agency ever spent within its income and saved a percentage of any new funds, there would be no need for new or higher taxation.

They're murderers

WITH THE sectarian violence going on in Iraq, how dare anyone call our soldiers murderers before an inquiry is held? How dare you speak without knowledge of what happened? The true murderers have been called "freedom fighters" and "insurgents" rather then calling them what they are: "murderers." They kill to kill. They kill to oppress. They kill to destroy. I pray our resolve becomes stronger in ridding the world of these murderers before they succeed in destroying innocent people who want to live in freedom.

Doing good in Iraq

HOW WONDERFUL to read about the good things happening with firefighting in Iraq. My hat is off to David Kieltsch and the job he is doing there and to the Jackson Fire Department for donating equipment. No matter what the news constantly bombards us with, stories like this remind us that there is good happening in Iraq, and we are a part of it.

Thanks for caring

I WANT to thank a couple of kids I don't even know as they helped my granddaughter the other night by taking her to the hospital and sitting with her until her parents arrived.