Speak Out 7/13/05

Renter responsibility

THIS IS to the individual who thinks landlords should accept some responsibility for their tenants. If individuals are old enough to rent property, they are also old enough to accept full responsibility for their own actions. Too many people try to blame others for their actions. Individuals around me had fireworks, but I didn't have to call the police on them. They were responsible. Let's keep the focus on where it belongs: individuals who have no self-control and prove they are irresponsible adults from families who are irresponsible.

Misplaced blame

I JUST read the comment in which the 9-11 attacks are blamed on the Supreme Court and Bill Clinton. This is one of the most ridiculous comments I have ever read. I wonder how that worked. Let's see, the terrorists were all sitting around one day, and one of them said, "Hey, the Supreme Court passed Roe v. Wade back in 1973 and Bill Clinton fooled around while president. That tears it! Let's bomb the World Trade Center!" I don't think that is how things work. You can't blame everything on Hillary, Bill and the Supreme Court.

Unnecessary laws

JUST WHAT we need: more laws for business owners to struggle under, fair or not. Why should a landlord be any more responsible for his tenants' actions than a retail business would be for the actions of their customers? Requiring landlords to get references is still another infringement on their rights, even though most landlords do require references of one sort or another. How many assorted problems are we willing to try and solve by making new laws that actually oppress our freedoms more?

Spending at home

IF YOU think about it, you might wonder why the U.S. spends money on fighting AIDS overseas when the government is fighting also to cut health services to our own citizens. How on earth could anyone disagree with the concept of abstinence and monogamy to fight AIDS, when it is basically the most-preventable of diseases? What we all should be doing is petitioning our government to take care of us first -- our health, education, Social Security. Then if there's any money left, perhaps we could send the surplus overseas.

Counterproductive

I UNDERSTAND why Mayor Jay Knudtson and Cape Girardeau officials, along with Sears, want to beautify the northwestern corner of the I-55 and William Street interchange. But, if I recall correctly, the Missouri Department of Transportation has been considering upgrading the intersection into a streamlined cloverleaf-type interchange. So, if Cape Girardeau citizens were to invest $30,000 to $40,000 in the interchange, MoDOT might eventually destroy the beautification progress.

Civil disobedience

HOW SAD the accusations of a few about the police and their actions. People who are taught hate don't care what reality is, because that is their reality. If a child is taught to distrust the police and that they are above obeying them, it will continue. When families get involved in civil disobedience, it shows the whole family is out of touch and needs to be dealt with. The police haven't taught them civil disobedience. Every time a situation like this happens here, there is a national organization that gets involved because people want to have their way. This is not racism. This is civil disobedience pure and simple.

Confederate history

FACTUAL HISTORY has no indication that the Confederate States were an enemy of the United States. That country may have been an embarrassment to the U.S., having seceded from the Union, but never an enemy. The U.S. wanted that country back, just as it wanted the countries which once belonged to the Indians and Mexicans. If we had not had the Civil War, it's possible we would be sending foreign aid to the Confederacy, isn't it? Or perhaps they would be sending it to us.

Strong recruitments

THE LOCAL National Guard's recruiting numbers are back up. The Cape Girardeau recruiting office covers from St. Louis down to Arkansas and over to West Plains, Mo. Currently, these fine recruiters are at 150 percent of their mission. Their success can most likely be attributed to the return of the 1140th Engineer Battalion from Iraq. The 1140th's brave soldiers are out in the communities telling the true story of the war in Iraq, and many men and women are willing to serve and defend our country contrary to the doom and gloom being reported by a liberal, lie-based media.

Double standard

THE MORE I think about it, the more I believe that people on the south side of Cape Girardeau want a double standard. They want the police when someone is violating their rights but not when they are violating someone else's rights. They want laws followed unless they are the ones breaking them. They want people arrested but only if it isn't them. They want the police around but not to trouble them. There is one law for all. If you break the law, you pay the price -- unless, of course, you live on the south side.

Not foreign

SOMEONE SAID the Confederate States of America was a foreign country, "albeit briefly." Using fancy words like "albeit" will not detract from the truth that the Confederacy never had legal standing as a foreign country.

Atrocity perspective

THE HEADLINE on Mona Charen's column said it best: "Stupid enemies: Atrocities stiffen resolve of the targets." As the civilian death toll in Iraq approaches 25,000, the insurgents' resolve no doubt stiffens a lot. Remember that these people too have been "blown to bits" in buses, not to mention schools, hospitals, homes and so on in a country that had no WMDs and never attacked or threatened to attack us nor had any real connection to 9-11. Charen hasn't the wisdom to understand that point of view in part dictates perspective. One side always sees the other side as "infidel" and "stupid enemy." No doubt a few Afghani and Iraqi moms would find the term "atrocity" appropriate to their situations and perspectives. No doubt some young Muslim thought about atrocities as he blew himself and some British innocents to bits. Charen, and a shrinking minority of like-minded folks, begin to swallow their own tails as their rhetoric in defense of President Bush's war reveals itself more and more clearly as devoid of wisdom.

Medicaid spending

LET'S HOPE we remember some of this by the next election: Missouri spent less on Medicaid, dollar-wise and percentage-wise (before the Republican cuts), than the majority of states. Gov. Matt Blunt et al did the politicians' spin when claiming Missouri was the second highest in spending on Medicaid. He neglected to factor into his figures the federal government's share of 60 percent. And according to survey by Kaiser Family Foundation, 80 percent of Americans want the federal government to keep or increase spending levels.