Speak Out 8/12/08

Do-it-yourself statue

I THINK there should be a Rush Limbaugh statue in downtown Cape Girardeau. Love him or hate him, Limbaugh exemplifies the vast majority of the people in our community more than any other person. However, to be true to Limbaugh's views, the statue should not be funded by the taxpayers. If there is a true need for it, private interests will fund it. Perhaps Limbaugh could pay for it himself. He's got the money, and he enjoys self-promotion.

Changing leads

DAVID LIMBAUGH should know better than to quote presidential poll numbers. By the time his recent column claiming John McCain had wiped out Barack Obama's lead in the polls, Obama had re-established a comfortable one.

Prison origins

SIKESTON HAS a great idea by making it indecent exposure for those who decide to sag their britches. Sagging your pants originated in prison, inmates would sag their pants to show submission to other inmates.

NCLB is a mess

FOR THOSE of you who think teachers are giving out good grades to keep parents off their back only to have the children do poorly on the MAP test: No Child Left Behind is complicated, as is the definition of adequate yearly progress. A school can do better than the previous year and still not make adequate progress. Also, within each school there are subgroups of students, such as low-income and minorities. Let's say the larger group makes adequate progress, but one subgroup does not, the school will fail to make adequate yearly progress because of this one subgroup. No Child Left Behind has made a mess of our education system, and the learning of your children is suffering because of it. Think about that when you vote in November.

Grades come first

THE MAP test is a political football as well as being irrelevant. For that reason, it is not taken seriously by Jackson students who are (according to their grades) well above average.

Harassment policy

I AGREE that a sexual harassment policy needs to be established. I am a male and work with women. The things the women I work with talk about and the way they talk often crosses the line. But they laugh it up and dismiss any discomfort it may cause the few male co-workers they have. All too often sexual harassment is used to grind an ax with someone a person doesn't like at work.

Jackson rail service

I'M CALLING in regards to the sale of the railroad tracks from Jackson to Delta. I'm a business owner in Jackson, and I don't want to see the railroad tracks taken up. I would love to be able to ship by rail. I don't see any gain that could come to this community if these railroad tracks are pulled up. They need to be rehabilitated. We need our freight railroad back.

For term limits

TERM LIMITS are a good thing. It gives new ideas a chance when someone new comes in. It keeps someone from being held in office by political machinery that's more powerful than voters. The persons who are serving office are just doing that: serving. They can get a life and get a real job like the rest of us.

Parenting help

THANK YOU for your new parenting magazine, seParent, which came in my Sunday Southeast Missourian. It is chock full of interesting features, useful advice and great photographs. Kudos to everyone who was involved. I look forward to seeing more of seParent. Thanks.