Speak Out 8/19/11

Roadside manner

I would like to say that Cape Girardeau County deputy Frank has a great roadside manner and I appreciate him.

Palin not qualified

SARAH Palin isn't even qualified to think about running for president of the United States. That would be worse than who we've got in there now. And how could that be? She shows up where she's going to get the most attention. The lady is starved for attention.

Herman Cain

I'VE been watching the political debates. I see this Herman Cain on the Republican ticket. He is the first black politician or leader that I've seen brag on the United States of America since the 1960s. I've heard him, but I've never really heard the president of the United States do this.

Birth control

WITH teenage pregnancies an epidemic, I think that it's good that insurance companies will possibly allow teenagers to get birth control. Hopefully it will be confidential between the doctor and the teenager, and if she's practicing sex, it's a good idea to be on the pill.

Not incompetent

OBAMA is not incompetent. Incompetent rulers would have allowed the capture of bin Laden. Also, he's had four years of White House education now. The question will be is there anyone who's worth unseating Obama for, because they're going to be getting their education if someone different takes his place. Obama has already had the schooling and knows better how to deal with Afghanistan and Iraq at this point. I would think hard about putting somebody else in for the next four years.

Watch children

DON'T we as responsible parents know by now there are too many perverts and child molesters and predators out here that we should not leave our young children out of our sight for one minute?

Kennel cough

ANYBODY going to adopt a dog from the Humane Society needs to look for kennel cough. Kennel cough is running rampant in the Humane Society. We adopted a dog. Now five of my dogs have kennel cough, and we have to pay to take all five of those dogs to our vet and have them all treated. If you're going to adopt a dog from the Humane Society, be sure you have that dog checked for kennel cough before you bring it home. The Humane Society is good, but kennel cough is bad.

Bring troops home

HOW many more families have to be destroyed? How many American soldiers have to lose their lives in Afghanistan and Pakistan before we see this war is not working? Bring our boys home. Let these infidels run their own countries. We need to be home running ours. There's plenty of work for our soldiers to do here right in the good old U.S. Bring them home now.

Blackmailing taxpayers

FROM Sunday's paper, I disagree about comments made about the water bill increase in Cape Girardeau. First, we were not encouraged to vote yes. We were blackmailed or we would get higher bills if we didn't. Second, we were told there would be no increase until July 2012. Another lie. So please don't act like city officials are saints, because they're wasteful with taxpayer money, they're dishonest and they're extortionists, too.

Forgiving Clinton

TO the person who said "praise the Lord for reconnecting Rod Jetton with his Christian roots," that is very much true. The Lord does forgive us all for our sins, but I wonder why our former president Bill Clinton was never forgiven. I hope that right along with Rod Jetton, that caller has also forgiven Clinton. Don't be a hypocrite and not forgive all sinners.

Funny cartoons

FROM the Aug. 14 Southeast Missourian there are two things that I think are really funny in the cartoon section. One is "Zits" and the other one is "Dennis the Menace." I think people should look at that.

My money

THIS is for the 20-year-old who recently wrote to Speak Out and those who think I am waiting on the government to support me: You're wrong. I've paid in to my Social Security since I was 16. That's my money that I expect to be there when I retire along with my other savings that I have prepared for my older years.

Social Security

I would just like to comment on the 20-year-old who made the comment about Social Security. I've got news for that 20-year-old. I'm 61 years old. I have paid in over 40 years of my money to the government to get it back for Social Security. They're not giving us anything. The young people in this country are not giving us anything. This person better start saving.

Tax assertions

I often hear assertions like 50 percent of Americans pay no taxes at all. While this may be true, it says nothing without further explanation of who this statistic includes. Most of the 50 percent could be made up of children and the elderly, and of course they don't pay income taxes. To suggest the working poor don't pay taxes is wrong. Ask anyone who works for minimum wage to show you their pay statements and you'll see taxes deducted.

Will column

THE inerrant conservative commentator George Will said a few weeks ago that the next president will be either Mitch Daniels, Tim Pawlenty or Barack Obama. As a result, I would like to be among the first to congratulate the president on his re-election.