Speak Out 8/2/05

Too much firepower

REGARDING ASSAULT rifles and why they are more dangerous than a deer rifle: If you have to ask that question, please stay out of the woods. Many sportsmen today find muzzleloaders adequate for deer hunting, and it's more sporting. I doubt Daniel Boone used an AK-47 to kill a deer. If a person's hunting skills and sense of sportsmanship are so inadequate that they need an assault rifle to hunt deer, why not just toss grenades? I wonder if those who insist on owning automatic weapons and assault rifles have a purpose in mind other than hunting Bambi?

Borderline atheism

GENERALLY, THE Founding Fathers weren't full-blown atheists. But they weren't theists in the way the ordinary American would think. Many were deists. Deists were non-sectarian and believed God had created the world and had withdrawn from it. Unfairly, most Americans today would consider this borderline atheism.

Making a problem

I THOUGHT I was permanently disabled from a physical disorder. Now instead of going online to renew my handicapped license plate, I have to stand in line for an hour to prove I'm still permanently disabled. How is this going to help? I'm not fooled. This is another bunch of hooey to make us think the government is correcting a problem, but instead it is making a new one.

Better buddy

IF YOU'VE been drinking, find a sober person to drive you home, not another buddy who's been drinking also.

Taking the punishment

PEOPLE, WHETHER they are criminals or terrorists, will always have guns, ammunition, fake passports and fake IDs, and they didn't buy them from any local gun shop or national chain store that sells weapons. Law-abiding citizens are being punished for criminals who don't live by the rules. We grew up with guns. They had a purpose. Anything can be a weapon in the hands of an angry person. If banning all items used to kill were adopted, we'd all be walking. Go to the root of the evil. In the meantime, don't punish the masses for a few demented people.

What a party

COLUMNIST TAD Bartimus' assault on improper attire when visiting the White House demonstrates that Bartimus would have gone ballistic when Andrew Jackson (the common folks' first president) invited one and all to come to the White House after his inauguration and did so with no prissy requirements for proper dress.

Where's the justice?

I'M DRIVING in the rain, and a young woman has a cell phone to her ear driving a car that is going above the speed limit. She whips in front of me, and I hit her car in the rear. I get the ticket. She goes on down the highway. An 18-year-old had wreck that killed another teenager. She gets 120 days in the county jail. My boy had a wreck that hurt a couple of people. He got 16 months in prison.

Benton librarian

MRS. KERN at the Benton library is the best librarian you could ever want. She's always willing to help students with their various projects. She also has the interests of adults in mind. The Benton library has easy accessibility from anywhere in the county. The library has a super variety of books for all ages.

Using fire trucks

REGARDING THE no-parking and two-hour parking signs Jackson is putting up all over town in residential areas: If there are any other residents who are unhappy about this, please call your alderman and call city hall. The excuse they gave me was that fire trucks can't get through. The fire trucks are used to go get sodas, go to grocery store and go eat lunch. Why doesn't the city keep the fire trucks where they belong instead of wearing them out running errands?

Heart-healthy dining

IT AMAZES me that in a town the size of Cape Girardeau with its many restaurants and drive-throughs that you can't find many heart-healthy menus. There are many residents who can't eat out because of this.

Reasons to consider

I'D LIKE to clear up some misconceptions about the Cape Girardeau School District considering a football stadium and auditorium at Central High School. If the district asks for a no-tax-increase bond issue, that money cannot be used for teachers' salaries or supplies. It can only be used for building. It would not affect the money spent on teachers' salaries or school supplies in any way. It would not cost the taxpayers any more money than what they're spending now. Sharing the stadium with Southeast Missouri State University has become a problem. The district is no longer able to use Houck Stadium on Friday nights. Thursday-night home games are not good when you have students who have to play football on Thursday night and then go to class on Friday morning. Building a home football stadium would save money because we would not have to pay rent to use Houck Stadium, plus we would get concessions and would be able to play on Friday nights, which would bring in a larger crowd and get more ticket revenue.

Proof is needed

I'M READING about the requirement for proof of a disability to get or renew a handicapped license plate or tag. This is long overdue. I'm glad to see this happen.

Lingering trash

THERE HAS been trash on a traffic island at Route W and Lexington Avenue. It's been there more than two years. I thought it might be cleaned up when the sidewalks were put in, but the stuff is still there as well as the weeds around it.

Safety inspections

I DON'T think the state should stop car inspections. That's the only way we know we've got safe cars on the highway. If we stop the inspections, people will be driving cars without brakes and who knows what else. It would be too dangerous to drive.

Phones in restaurants

I DON'T see anyone being killed by drivers who use cell phones. Everyone seems to be using good sense. There is a problem with cell phones, however, and that is in restaurants. Restaurants should ban cell-phone use unless you're a doctor or police officer. Otherwise, step outdoors.

Coming to pieces

SOMEBODY PLEASE help. Route W is falling apart.

Police revenue

IF THE Cape Girardeau police really cares about people breaking the law instead of producing revenue for the city, then why can you have a speeding ticket reduced to failure to use a turn signal if you pay double. This is obvious. That is why police target certain areas instead of patrolling where they really need to patrol.