Speak Out 8/16/10

Giving community

TO our Cape Girardeau business community: Thank you for being so kind and giving to us who ask for items for our schools and churches. While out seeking donations, both the giving and support of this community amaze me. I am proud to live in a community like Cape Girardeau. And I am so proud of the principal and staff at Alma Schrader Elementary School and of my church family at Cape Community Church for reaching out to all and giving when asked or needed. I thank the Lord for all of you and our PTA at Alma Schrader. I pray we all have a great year.

BP challenge

HOW many people buy British Petroleum's line that it will clean up the Gulf at its expense? Gas prices are already on the rise. BP has dropped its scat in our backyard, and we are supposed to feel sorry for it. Hogwash. If BP is seriously proposing it will clean up this mess at its expense, let's see its pump prices drop independent of other stations.

Speeding tax

I think it's sleazy for small-town police officers to hide near the interstate in hopes of catching speeders. Scott City and Miner, Mo., are the worst. When they do this, they become nothing more than tax collectors, not law enforcement officials. I don't care if their cities are running short on cash. Taking money from people who happen to be going a little too fast is a scummy way to use the police.

Terrible movie

I just watched the Showtime premier of "Killshot," which is the Hollywood film partially shot in Cape Girardeau. I had it recorded and could barely keep my hand off the delete button. If there is a worse movie ever made, I can't think of it. What a waste of good actors. Too bad that Johnny Knoxville was cut. At least he would have made it completely laughable. I watched the entire movie to see some scenes from Cape Girardeau. If anyone is planning on watching "Killshot" I suggest you put thumbtacks in your underwear and scoot on the floor. It will hurt less.

Misleading effort

I think our so-called Citizens for Quality of Life's efforts to get the casino issue on the ballot has been a big sham. They came to the city council with the premise that they were not against the casino but wanted a vote again only because it passed 17 years ago. I think we were deceived. Now that they achieved their goal of getting the issue on the ballot, the same persons are organizing an effort to vote against it based on a casino's perceived negative economic effect. Are we to believe them this time?

Update the info

I received the information about Family Weekend as I have a Southeast Missouri State University student who is a freshman. I looked at the SEMO website regarding the athletics page for the home football game that day and saw that everything said 2009. When I contacted the office, I found out the rates had gone up for reserved seats. When it gets to be this time of the year you should have your website updated for the 2010 season. With the poor economy and the team not winning, I'm surprised that the ticket prices have been increased.

Help the needy

IT'S just a shame that the Quality of Life in Cape Girardeau committee does not put its hard work and effort into helping the poor and the needy and leave the casino issue alone.

No scoreboard

I can't believe what I read. There still will not be a scoreboard for Southeast Missouri State University's first home football game. It has been two years that the university has known of the need to replace the scoreboard when it was torn down with construction of the new dorm. It's terrible to think of a Division I program not having a decent scoreboard at the start of another football season.

Lack of honesty

IT'S too bad that some church people can't be honest. The spokesperson who led the petition drive to vote on the casino issue just wanted the people who live in Cape Girardeau to have a say. Now the petition leaders want to lead a campaign to reject the casino. They will try to convince us this was not their intention all along. Shame on the leaders for not being honest to this community.

Cats in the street

I was reading about the trash on Bellevue Street. It looks terrible. Cats run all over the neighborhood. Every time you go down that street, there's a cat running in front of you. They're going to have to keep those cats up or else.

Not an issue

I received another survey in the mail today in which we're supposed to give our race. With so many Americans being of more than one race, I don't think it makes a whole lot of sense to keep asking people if they're Caucasian or Asian or black or whatever people happen to be. What difference does it make? That's what Martin Luther King Jr. said. That was his dream -- that someday it wouldn't make any difference.