Speak Out 8/2/10

Bad lessons

I worry about what we are teaching our children. I have watched as mothers and fathers opened sealed packages and boxes in front of their children in stores to see if it's what they want to buy, then leave the open package on the shelf and purchase one that has not been opened. And now I watched as a mother pulled up in front of a busy department store, took her little boy out to urinate on a bush, put him back in the car and left. It looks like we are raising a new generation of destructive flashers. Please think of what you are teaching you children.

Bill of goods

FOR all the people who are concerned about a casino, I want everybody to remember one thing: When Missouri voted for the lottery, proponents said schools and roads would never want for anything. People of Jackson, have your taxes gone up to pay for the new high school? People of Cape Girardeau, have your taxes gone up to pay for the new high school? Casino supporters are selling you a bill of goods.

Not too late

AS we witness yet another embarrassment by the United States, the leaking of information about one of our wars, it saddens me. I hear people say they don't care what the rest of the world thinks. That's an escape from reality. We haven't been attacked within our borders since Sept. 11? Well, I've heard said, "Never bother the enemy when the enemy is in the process of destroying itself." There's no world law that there has to be a United States of America. I hope it's not too late.

Patches Avenue

WE live on Lexington Avenue. We have decided that instead of being called Lexington, which is a beautiful name, it should be called Patches.

Funeral respect

WE are grateful for all the people who pulled over during my father's funeral procession. When my mother passed away in December 2006, every car pulled over. This time, unfortunately, there was a woman in a van who passed us up. Everybody in the funeral procession noticed it. I hope she was from out of town and not aware of our customs here. I want to thank all who did pull over. It was appreciated by the family.

Great entertainment

PARKVIEW School had a wonderful treat on Wednesday when Jefferson School principal Mark Cook, along with teachers Janice Frederich, Susan Ayres and Diane Meyer, provided us with musical entertainment. Accompanied by Mr. Cook on the guitar, everyone joined in singing. We appreciate the entertainment you provided. It was great.

Dangerous drivers

WHY does America allow elderly people to drive an automobile? I have almost been hit several times because of elderly persons driving over the line. This is stressful and upsetting. It endangers their life and mine.

Helping the poor

COMMENTING on Michael Jensen's fine essay about helping the truly needy: First, I was just enlightened about a federal program that gives new cell phones and minutes to the poor. They are called "Obama Phones." Look it up, but you may need to brush up on your Spanish once you find the website. Then you see the uber-rich like Sen. John Kerry trying to avoid his own state taxes by hiding his new yacht in tax-free Rhode Island. It has become my belief that there are two categories of liberals. Those who want something for nothing, and those in power who want to do everything for them as long as it is paid for with someone else's money.

Wrong argument

FRANCIS Fukuyama's piece on immigration and crime would have been a valuable addition to the debate. Unfortunately, Fukuyama was a leading neoconservative whose book, "The End of History," wrongly argued that democracy was on the verge of spreading all over the world and led neocons like Dick Cheney and David Limbaugh to erroneously push for military force to make it happen.

TV viewership

MY faith in mankind has been restored. In the last year, viewership of the History Channel has increased more than 30 percent and the Discovery Channel more than 20 percent. However, the real encouraging new is that there has been an 11 percent decline in the viewership of Fox News.

Make them pay

THE Cape Girardeau School District should compile a list of students from families who have not paid their property tax for the past two years and require that these families pay tuition. It is not right that these property owners' children are going to school in the district for free when the rest of us either pay our taxes as homeowners or pay rent to a landlord who in turn pays the property tax. This is yet another example of freeloading. With our district in dire financial straits, it needs to stop.