Speak Out 8/1/06

Playing in streets

KIDS SHOULD not be playing in the streets, especially toddlers. They usually have no adult supervision. There have been a couple of scares with toddlers almost getting hit for being in the street. It is not only the toddlers. Teenagers roam in the streets day and night looking like gangs, daring someone to hit them.

Whose interests?

DAVID LIMBAUGH argued that John Bolton should be confirmed as U.N. ambassador because he represents U.S. interests in the U.N. To me, Bolton does a good job of representing the Bush administration's interest in the U.N. It will take future historians to determine whether or not the Bush administration's interests coincided with the best interests of the U.S.

Preserve countryside

TAKE A look around the county where the preservation of historic landscapes should be given consideration. Besides the history and beauty of the old farm homes and barns, there is value in maintaining our historic countryside. Every time the county paves another gravel road, it cuts away the hillsides and clears the trees. This wipes away the historic character of country roads and results in what looks like the path for a future superhighway. Communities in states as close as Illinois and Tennessee and as far away as New England have recognized the value in their historic roadsides. They allow the historic landscape and farms to coexist with paved roads without obliterating trees, fences and barns.

Tax the producers

EXXON/MOBIL reported second-quarter profit of $10.36 billion, its second highest ever. Both record quarters were post-Hurricane Katrina. It's time the U.S. government transferred gasoline taxes from consumers to producers. The big oil companies are making unusually large sums of money for no apparent reason other than greed.

Child restraints

THE OTHER day I was sitting on my front porch when a woman pulled up with her baby on her lap while she was driving. She asked for directions and got back into her vehicle with the baby on her lap. Now I am blaming myself for not getting her license plate number and reporting her. I make sure my child is in his restraint and is comfy every time we get in the car. If people need restraints, there are always consignment shops, and the health department will help you get one.

Amazing art

IN RESPONSE to the story "Chihuly glass art amazes locals at botanical garden": It was unbelievably amazing. I would love to see it again and again. I enjoyed every minute. What a remarkable artist. It blends in perfectly with the gardens and is spectacular at night.

Using embryos

I AM a two-time cancer survivor. I would like to set straight the so-called moral, ethical citizens who do not approve of embryonic stem-cell research. Whether or not the embryos are used for research, they are destined for one place: the trash can. Researchers would like to use overproduced in vitro embryos that are destroyed anyway. The moral thing to do in this situation is to use these embryos to possibly better the life of the living. By banning embryonic stem-cell research, we aren't saving anyone.

Higher-ed testing

THE MISSOURI State Board of Education hasn't a clue regarding replacing the MAP with the ACT and how it would benefit high school students. Illinois schools have been giving higher education exams for years. It is evident that Illinois high schools are highly successful. Several of them made the best high schools list recently published and on MSN. Check it out and see how many Missouri high schools are on the list. I guarantee you will be able to count them on one hand.