Speak Out 7/27/04

Thanks to parks workers

I WANT to give a big thanks and pat on the back to the Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation Department. It does a great job taking care of the parks. It's hard to work in this heat, and people need to start showing a little bit more appreciation.

Goes extra mile

CATHERINE DUNLAP, director of Old Town Cape, will be greatly missed by many who have seen a sense of excitement and new life in Cape Girardeau's downtown area. We send our words of appreciation to Catherine who goes the second mile to make sure events run smoothly. Thanks, Catherine.

Thanks for the help

I WANT to commend the Department Health and Senior Services for having such a pleasant, courteous and patient receptionist. She is certainly an asset to that department. When I called to ask for information about my grandmother's Alzheimer's, the receptionist was very helpful and had someone get back with me right away. She also gave me a list of other places and resources I could call for help. I want to thank the Department of Health and Senior Services, and I want to thank Helen.

Put a stop to it

EXACTLY WHAT some people predicted would happen has happened. A lesbian couple who got married in Massachusetts is suing the federal government to have their marriage recognized everywhere else. They live in Florida and went to Massachusetts to married. Missouri could be next. This needs to stop.

Name suggestions

I WONDER why Jackson was named after Andrew Jackson. After all, he's from clear down in Tennessee. His home is in Nashville, so it seems like it's a rather faraway place to be honoring him. If the name were to be changed, I would want to take a lesson from the Quakers and call it Tranquility because of the beautiful parks and the peace I would always hope that Jackson has. Or a religious name like Zion. Being from the Jackson area, it wouldn't bother me to change the name. I would rather see that change than the Indians at school. There is a lot of Indian heritage here.

Keeping schools cool

THE CAPE Girardeau School District says it will have to pay $240,000 to get the heating and air conditioning fixed at Central High School, which is only 2 years old. What happened to the warranty on that? The Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center, which is 4 years old, has had all kinds of problems with heating and air conditioning too, but nobody bothers to fix that.

Taking a stand

THE PHILIPPINES is pulling its troops out of Iraq due to a capture of one of their people by the terrorists. My father served in the Navy during World War II and was stationed at the Philippines. He fought alongside our American soldiers who lived and died to free the Filipino people. If such a threat had sent our American soldiers home, who would be in control of the Filipino people today? My heart aches for any captives and their families during this time. I just feel like we have to take a stand.

Vendors responsibility

I WAS wondering why the taxpayers are being stuck with the bill to repair the heating and cooling system of a school that's only 2 years old. Whoever put the heating and cooling system in should be responsible to come back and fix that at no charge.

Models for marriage

CHILDREN IN preschool just are learning about the world around them. The last thing they need to be learning is about sex. The issue of sex is always very tricky when taught in school, and it's always best on a middle school level or even junior high. Basically, kids' best examples of marriage are their own parents. If parents aren't providing a role model, then there's little the schools can do.

Upsetting cartoon

I WAS upset with a recent editorial cartoon in the paper. It was very stereotypical people. Its message was that Christians can't enjoy an anti-war, anti-Bush movie, which is simply not true.

No free repairs?

I AM appalled to see an article on the front page of the Southeast Missourian that we are having to pay $240,000 to get the air conditioning and heating system fixed at a 2-year-old building. And I'm even more appalled when Dr. Mike Cowan says it never worked right since it opened in 2002. Why are we paying another company $240,000 to fix something? Why aren't we expecting the company that didn't put it in right or didn't install it correctly to correct the problems for free? Maybe this is a sign of the leadership we have.

Report the abuse

I JUST read about the mistreated pets in Speak Out. The person who says he sees it every day should be reporting this to animal control or the Humane Society. This is certainly uncalled for. All creatures deserve food and water.

Park liability

I'M CALLING about the skateboard park that the Jackson Optimists are putting in the Jackson City Park. The Jackson Optimists Club has done so much for the youth of Jackson for years like sponsoring basketball, football and buying things for the park. But I kind of have second thoughts about the skateboard deal due to liability. The park director had the merry-go-round, sliding board, seesaws, jungle gyms and all of those things removed from the park due to the city's liability. They were afraid the city would get sued. It looks to me like the skateboard park would be a lot more dangerous. I wonder if the Optimists couldn't spend that $60,000 on something that would be more safer and more people would get benefit out of it.

No accountability

I AM very disgusted with the Cape Girardeau School District. No one is being held accountable for the heating and air-conditioning systems not working properly in our two-year-old high school. Why aren't the architect, the heating and cooling contractor or the engineer being held accountable and being required to make things work correctly? Our school board goes ahead and hires another firm to fix the problems for $240,000 like money doesn't matter. How do they know this firm can even fix it?

Worse than children

I WAS reading the headline, "County, Jackson squabble over new rest room." Is this not stupid? What is wrong with our city and county leaders that they can't get along and can't do what's right? It's worse than child's play. These people should be ashamed of themselves. They should try to work together for the best of all the taxpaying citizens. We're not getting the best out of our city leaders in Jackson or the county commission.

It's all about freedom

WHAT A typical Kerry supporter might believe is that it's time for a change. Supposedly Republicans are about getting off individuals' backs, but David Limbaugh starts by having government right there telling you what you can and can't do. Freedom is what America should be about, individual freedom and choice, yet Limbaugh is proposing taking away some of our freedoms.

Serving justice

NINETY-FIVE PERCENT of all people have some type of mental disorder. That means all victims of these mentally disordered people have no justice. Please, make people responsible for their actions. Justice needs to be served.

Money-making idea

IF CAPE Girardeau is having a problem with revenue, put police at the intersection of Independence Street and Kingshighway. The city could take in $1,000 a day from people running red lights. That is the worst intersection I have ever seen for people running red lights.

Take your time

THE Sept. 11 commission has offered some great ideas, but let's not get in a hurry and pass things that we will later doubt what we did. Let's stop, think it over, talk it through before anything is done. Otherwise, we will end up with another Patriot Act on our hands.

Please mow grass

IT WOULD be great if the highway department could mow Route W from Lexington Avenue down to Kenneth Street and on down that way. It hasn't been mowed for no telling how long. The Johnson grass is at least six feet tall right now. It's very dangerous. You can't see either way because of the Johnson grass being so high.

Faith above politics

REGARDING THE person who is going to change his church because his pastor mentioned politics: Shouldn't you mention a political view if it rejects the Bible and God's teachings? It's a shame many people put their political party above their Bible and faith. You can't have it both ways.

Bitter divisiveness

THE MISSOURIAN is obviously making an effort to present various points of view on political issues. I appreciate this, especially in a time when election rhetoric is increasingly polarized. But in any political climate, allowing David Limbaugh to outline the views of a typical Kerry supporter is a waste of paper and ink. His mind is closed so tightly that I doubt he could even present accurately the views of a typical Bush supporter. His polemics serve only to increase the bitterness and misunderstanding that make it difficult for reasonable people to work together to solve the problems facing this country.