OpinionJuly 3, 2007
Speak Out 7/3/07
Defining clutter; Deadbeat dads; Paving roads; Coulter embarrasses; Phone over e-mail; Learning to love; Showing dissatisfaction; Baptists are Baptists; What girls know; MoDOT doing well; Pathetic preaching; Hollow victory; Getting a permit; Jesus died for all; Making breakfast; Worth pursuing; The way we were; Mopping up; Hairline break; If we build it; Taking on arthritis; Techno slaves
Defining clutter
TO THE caller who doesn't want another memorial cluttering up the park at the Common Pleas Courthouse building, do all the flags at Cape County Park on Flag Day clutter up the beautiful park? Do all the vets at the Missouri Veterans Home clutter up that beautiful building? I think you need to think about what you're saying.
Deadbeat dads
I SAW on TV where, over Father's Day in Illinois, they arrested hundreds of deadbeat fathers who weren't paying for their children. So much of that goes on in Cape County and so many children are not being paid for. I was just wondering why Cape County does not do something like this where they go after these deadbeat dads.
Paving roads
I THOUGHT the new sales tax was for deputies and road paving. If NARS is going to hire 500 local people, they would be paying sales tax already since they live here. If we have more money than we need for this year's roads, just pave more this year. It will just be a matter of time until asphalt will go up, and we'll have to have more tax or pave fewer roads.
Coulter embarrasses
ANN COULTER does not reflect the Republican Party. In fact, she's very much a loose cannon and an embarrassment for anyone who's conservative, as far as I'm concerned. I have confidence that any Republican president will do better than most Democrats that are running, if not all of them.
Phone over e-mail
FOR THE caller who's worried about his computerized message, don't give out the e-mail. No. 2, don't even have e-mail. No doctor can get hold of me by Internet. He'd better use the phone or I won't be hearing from him.
Learning to love
FRANKLY I'M surprised that people on disability would have to pay any taxes. However, I don't think it's a good thing to exclude school taxes. The person pointed out no longer having children in school. How about grandchildren? Responsibility reaches beyond just yourself and what your latest function in life is. There's thinking beyond yourself. That's what grandparents learn, to think beyond your own immediate family. You learn to love others who are brought into the family.
Showing dissatisfaction
I THOUGHT the county commissioners were elected to help take care of the county, not the city of Cape Gir-ardeau. The only way we can show our dissatisfaction is to vote these people out of office as soon as possible. They do as they please and seem to get re-elected every time. We need new people in office.
Baptists are Baptists
I JUST finished reading the article in Speak Out about the black Baptists. I think what they're doing is great, but I'm a Baptist but we don't consider ourselves "white Baptists." Our church sign says "Everyone welcome" and that means black or white. We don't say we're a "white" Baptist church. We're just Baptists and everybody's welcome.
What girls know
There are people who think that "girls" do not know about birth control and the consequences if you don't use it because no one teaches them about it. That is ludicrous. Most if not all girls have always pretty much known, by at least the age of 12 or 13, that if they have sex they might get pregnant. They know about condoms and birth control pills. Because we have made it acceptable to have sex, and even to have babies before marriage (and let the taxpayers foot the bills for that baby), it is going to continue happening.
MoDOT doing well
Kudos to the workers on I-55. I drive from Cape to Fruitland every weekday, and I have been thoroughly impressed with the organization and speed of the work being done. Thank you for a job well done!
Pathetic preaching
How dare someone use a murder of a woman and her unborn child as a reason to preach about abortion? First, the child was at full term. An abortion at nine months? No. Second, it was not the woman's choice for the "father" of the unborn child to kill her and her baby. He deserves full punishment for stealing away two lives. Abortion has nothing whatsoever to do with this murder, and using it as a forum to preach your own opinions about abortion is both sickening and pathetic.
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Hollow victory
I looked up the phrase "hollow victory" on the Internet to see what it meant. It didn't really define the phrase but gave as an example the recent defeat of the immigration bill.
Getting a permit
The "man who defied the law for a year," Dennis McDonald, has tried for more than a year to get a permit for a permanent sign without success. "No reasons given, just call me back next week" has been the answer from city officials. The U.S. Supreme Court has already ruled that unbridled discretion cannot be placed in the hands of a permitting official, that permits must be granted or denied in a timely manner. The last story carried by semissourian.com on this issue stated that Ty Metzer, the nuisance abatement officer, previously known as the dog catcher, has the discretion to issue summons. This is why you will see banners displayed at some businesses while others are hammered, as demonstrated in the case of The Mattress Guy.
Jesus died for all
I'm sure I won't be the only person who responds to the caller who claimed that Jesus died for the poor, not the rich. Jesus died for all people, not just people of one socioeconomic class. It's comments like the ones made by this caller that turn people away from God.
Making breakfast
MY FIRST reaction to schools providing breakfast for students was "Why?" My parents ate breakfast before they left for school. I did the same. My children ate breakfast at home. All the political justifications years ago about children "needing" a nutritional breakfast so it should be provided by schools do not explain how generations of Americans who were responsible for their own breakfasts managed to get their educations.
Worth pursuing
THE IDEA of a transparent flood wall for Cape recently surfaced again. The unparalleled success of the downtown golf tournament may have provided the motivation to again begin a public discussion of a transparent flood wall. A few days ago, I read a Speak Out comment in favor of such a wall. However, a few days later, someone seemed to throw water on the proposal by stating he would oppose such a structure. He assumed the wall would be made of plastic and would presumably be easily scratched, ugly and not very transparent. Well, I've heard there is a new material that would be immune to scratching, defacing and so forth. I am not an expert on this matter but I do believe it is an idea worth pursuing.
The way we were
Esicar's Meat Shop epitomized the essence of Cape for decades. Its closing represents another nail in the coffin of the way things used to be in Cape, and we are the worse for it.
Mopping up
Hillary Clinton is cleverly trying to appeal to women voters, commenting, "If there was ever a time for a woman president it's now because we're going to have to do a lot of cleaning." Some of us women might view this as less clever than offensive to women. Some of us might also remember the "cleaning" that was done as the Clinton's were leaving office. Anyway, how many of us can form a mental picture of Hillary with the mop and bucket she mentioned?
Hairline break
i have often wondered why it's so hard to get help with medical care in this country. I recently had to take my child to the doctor because of a broken leg. I had no insurance and was told to just let him stay off of it and it would be fine, that it was only a hairline break. They were all gung-ho to set it and X-ray it until they found out I had no way to pay.
If we build it
I just completed reading the column about Cape Girardeau talking about and attempting to secure a minor league baseball team. This is outstanding and something this area needs, as we currently have no place around here to take our families for any entertainment during the spring, summer and fall. We must travel to St Louis, Memphis, Kentucky Lake, or points beyond and we much rather support our local entertainment industry. I commend the mayor for all of his efforts and his attempt to make this dream come true for all of us. If we build it they will come.
Taking on arthritis
The Arthritis Prevention, Control, and Cure Act (not sure why "Cure" is part of the title, since there is no cure for any of the many forms of arthritis) is a good thing. Saying that it might help ensure early diagnosis to prevent future disability is correct. If my own rheumatoid Arthritis had been diagnosed and treated in a timely manner (as my osteoarthritis was), I would not now be crippled to the point of disability. Please support this act.
Techno slaves
Long lines of people anxious to purchase Apple's iPhone reflect the degree to which we have become slaves to technology. Bruce Willis's new movie, "Live Free or Die Hard," illustrates the potential consequences.
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