Speak Out 7/6/07

Kudos to police

If all 106 black drivers that were searched were subsequently arrested, that means 106 black drivers had done something illegal to warrant being arrested. Kudos to the Cape Girardeau Police Department for doing their job. Perhaps the Rev. Bird could make more of a difference if he opened a discussion within the black community about how drugs, absent fathers, gangs, hip-hop music, black-on-black violence, the lack of emphasis on education, and teen promiscuity are destroying the moral, intellectual and economic fabric of the African-American community. Don't get me wrong, all of these vices and shortcomings are present in the white community as well, but the Rev. Bird should seek to address real problems in the African-American community, not imagined ones.

Getting what you want

And the lies continue. President Bush commutes a lackey's prison sentence. Of course I expected such from someone who was going to fire anyone associated with the leak of the CIA officer's name. Then he wasn't going to get involved in the case because he trusted the system of justice we have. That is if the system goes along with what he wants.

Where is the justice?

What is wrong with out perception of justice? How is it that Morley Swingle recommends a suspended imposition of sentence for an illegal immigrant, a person who has taken the life of another human being, while Dennis McDonald is put in jail for a sign violation? How is it that Scooter Libby can be tried and convicted of lying to a grand jury and George Bush, the president of the United States, commutes his sentence? How is it that the city of Cape Girardeau can take the property of Global Trading through eminent domain and give it to Hardee's, who then sells it? What is wrong with "We the People"?

Shredding Constitution

Republicans across the nation are whooping, hollering and dancing in the streets with the president's commuting of Scooter Libby's prison time. Although I agree with the president's right to do this under the Constitution, I find it ironic he uses the Constitution as his friend when he has shredded it at other times. I find it almost incomprehensible to hear almost every Republican say "Well, Clinton did this or that." It has been 7 1/2 years since Clinton was in office. Get over it.

Ban fireworks

Please BAN fireworks in the city of Cape Girardeau. I live on the south side of Cape Girardeau, and these children and even adults have "wars" where my vehicles and house are being hit. The police patrol but that's all. They leave the area and the wars start back up. These things were made to shoot in the air, not at one another.

Beyond words

As a Cape Girardeau County resident and mother of two teenagers, I am shocked and angry at the message being sent by Morley Swingle and other members of the judicial system in our area. An illegal immigrant who drives drunk and kills someone will likely go free, but a man who violates the banner law gets five days in jail. This is a disgrace and beyond words.

Bashing the rich

I am so sick of people bashing "The Rich." I should say rich conservatives. Liberals can be rich and be perfect, I guess. I am not rich and probably never will be, but my family gets by and I hope my children manage to be financially well off. The rich, statistically conservatives to a greater extent, give huge amounts to charities of all types. They pay the majority of taxes -- to the tune of more than 80 percent -- to support all those neat little government programs that pay the way for those who cannot or will not work. It is the rich who own the companies that provide the jobs that pay your wages. Ever get a job that paid from a poor man? Stop being jealous of those who have been successful and try to be successful yourself instead.