Speak Out 7/3/05

Grabbing churches

CHURCHES SHOULD take notice of the recent Supreme Court decision regarding eminent domain. If cities can take private property to sell to a developer to generate more taxes, they will surely take a church that pays no taxes.

The Commandments

ISN'T IT slightly more reasonable to understand the Ten Commandments as a set of precepts -- like similar ones from many other cultures -- originating in a particular Bronze Age culture than to understand them as handed down directly from a god for whose existence there is nary a shred of evidence outside of priestly authority and faith? Should not our Baptist governor and other self-styled Christians extol the beatitudes and Jesus' other recorded admonitions about "doing unto others"? So-called biblical authority holds little water precisely because exponents cherry-pick their absolute truths from it. Great Christian thinkers have always asked us to take the Bible into our own hearts and minds as a collection stories and poems that come from the history of a particular people in a particular place and in a particular time. The Ten Commandments have, thus, earthly and pragmatic value that must be tempered by personal and social and cultural wisdom.

No more roosters

WHOEVER IS dumping off roosters in Egypt Mills, stop. I hate seeing unwanted animals abandoned on county roads so they can be ran over. If you don't want the roosters, don't hatch any more eggs. I cannot believe a person could do such a thing.

Missouri's law

THE PERSON who said Missouri needs to pass a law outlawing the ability of the government to seize your home must not read this newspaper. Missouri already has a law which favors taking private property for economic development. This so-called conservative state didn't have a problem taking your property well before the Supreme Court took an interest in the issue. The Supreme Court has only strengthened Missouri's ability to take your property.

Destination blues

BLAMING LOW military recruitment numbers on a possible presidency by Hillary Rodham Clinton is probably the single stupidest idea I have heard all year. Most 18-year-olds who would consider military service would have a hard time naming the current president, let alone knowing or caring who pundits speculate could possibly be president by 2009. Maybe it's just that kids don't feel like going into the military because they know exactly where they'll be headed after they sign up.

Muscle for thieves

PRESIDENT LINCOLN once said that if this country were to fall, it would be due to internal conflict, not external threat. Maybe he was right about at least one thing. The Supreme Court, through "due process," has stripped American property owners from having a sense of security in what is theirs. The funny thing is that the great protector government of this unalienable right has become the strong arm of the thief. Our trustees at the national level have disgraced themselves and endangered the life, liberty and pursuit of happiness of millions of Americans. I hope we will wake up before the government turns us to the streets.

Need speed bumps

I BELIEVE the city should create speed bumps on Ranchito Drive, which would eliminate all the "running late to where I am going" drivers who ignore the speed limit there and use the street as a shortcut.

Tired of agendas

DAVID LIMBAUGH just doesn't get it. Whether Karl Rove or Howard Dean or other overly partisan attack dogs of either party are correct or incorrect in their intentionally divisive and inflammatory statements is beside the point. The American public in general is sick and tired of attempts at polarizing propaganda whether it comes from Democrats or Republicans.

Specific withdrawals

I ALSO think it is time to bring our troops home -- from Japan, Germany, France and Bosnia. We need to stay in Iraq for a few years to help the new government succeed. Let's support our troops and our president.

Advice for Cairo

I AGREE with the person who cares about Cairo. My grandfather lived in Cairo for 80 years. The only time he ever left Cairo was for World War II. Listening to him, Cairo used to be a booming town. It still could be if people were to put a little faith into Cairo. Bring back some industry. Get some people into office that will actually try to make a difference. The No. 1 thing to help Cairo: Get the drug problem under control. It might grow into a successful city again.

Funding the airwaves

THE HOUSE vote to restore funding to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting didn't just benefit "Sesame Street." "Sesame Street" is just one component of an assortment of programs available on television and radio. We can't forget that this doesn't just benefit PBS, but it also benefits public radio stations like our own Southeast public radio, something U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson seems to support by making frequent appearances on the station. Then she votes against it when KRCU really needs funding to keep quality programming on the air. I don't think I would be able to live without my local public radio and public television stations.

Town problems

IT IS good to know there is someone in our community who is perfect. We certainly need more opinionated perfect people. Marble Hill needs them on the city council or sitting in the mayor's chair. The city maintenance people work their tails off. And what thanks to they get? Moaning, groaning and complaints from people who don't have a clue about how difficult running two complete water systems can be, especially when you only have four people to handle it.

Spending our money

THE REASON we see our tax dollars spent on luxury projects is because those in government are spending our money the way they spend their own money. Most of those in charge of government have money and are used to spending it like they spend ours. Kudos to any official who will spend our tax money like we spend our money.