Speak out 8/15/12

Waste of money

I'd like to comment about the space program landing on Mars. Now that we've landed on Mars and spent millions of dollars to do it, how do you explain to the people who don't have jobs, who don't have food to eat, don't have medical insurance, how do you explain that to those people who are trying to survive on this planet? Our government spends and wastes more money on everything but the working person of this country, and now we're getting ready to elect people to office and we don't know who's telling us the truth. It appears to me our Congress misspends most of the taxpayers' money, and no telling how much is going on behind our backs that we don't even know about. It's a shame to spend and waste so much money to land a spaceship on Mars when our country's in as sad a shape as it is.

Eagle Scouts

More than 55 years ago, I received my Eagle Scout award. From age 12 to 17 I worked hard to achieve my eagle. The Boy Scouts of America have helped many boys become great men. I, for one, will wear my eagle proudly. Thank you.

Records page

I would like to congratulate the Missourian on the new ways they do the obituaries and also the police report; it's so much easier to read. I thank them very much for changing that.

Amendment location

I just got through voting and one thing that I almost forgot to vote for was the amendment on the prayer issue because it was on the back of the ballot and I saw several other people there who were not voting and had to go back to the booth to vote when they realized they had not looked on the back of the ballot. A poor place to put that amendment. Everything else was on the front of the ballot, but the amendment was on the back and was easy to miss.

No diversity

Thirty years ago I was certainly around and not young. I was pretty youthful when Ronald Reagan was elected. But now I've come to realize he was probably overrated as a president. And the other two men that the caller refers to, well, Johnny Cash was in movies but I certainly didn't think he was a stalwart of morality. I was disappointed in his character but I'm glad that June Carter Cash was able to straighten him out and keep him kind of faithful. And Bob Hope was not faithful to Delores. So what the caller mentions is two cheaters and no diversity, he only mentions three white men. Actually, I have a great amount of hope. I am glad that Obama is elected, and I think people do have cash because I see the movie theater parking lot full except maybe when there's been a shooting.

Batman movie

I do think there's a difference between the Batman today and the one 70 years ago. And that would be that the Batman of today is a much darker movie that no one under 13 or 14 should be at because for a while it's almost hard to see who the good guy is. Batman gets kicked around so much that you think Batman's going to get defeated. In the older days it was always the good guy who was triumphant. I guess now they think that audiences are more sophisticated, but I'm not sure youths are. Certainly it would not be for a 10-year-old to see unless really good parents explain it.

Praising Clinton?

I just had to laugh at Cal Thomas' article in the paper recently. I couldn't believe how much he was praising Clinton. Just wondering, did he ever actually praise Clinton when he was president? Just wondering. Thank you.