Speak Out 8/20/05

Good school libraries

MY HOPE is that the library board will keep the library in Benton, where it is centrally located. But if the board chooses to move it, the children in Kelly School District will still benefit from top-notch libraries at Kelly School. Both the elementary and high school libraries are outstanding and staffed by the best. I still hope the library will stay where all can enjoy.

Great open house

AS GRANDPARENTS of an elementary student at Scott City, we were impressed with the open house. It was well-organized, and we found the whole experience enjoyable. The staff and volunteers were all pleasant, and the school building looked fresh and clean. We really appreciate the effort put into this event. Great job.

Unsung heroes

I WOULD like to commend the Cape Girardeau Police Department for their vigilance in domestic disputes. They are unsung heroes.

God's gift: your brain

I DON'T get my science from the Bible, and I don't get my faith from science books. I use my own brain to figure out the connections. It was a gift from God, and he probably wanted me to use it instead of blindly following people who don't have the sense to know the difference between the two.

Political roads

REGARDING THE comment to "deal with it" referring to county roads: When we moved here 30 years ago, there were no subdivisions around us, nor were there 100-plus cars a day going down the road stirring up dust. The previous county road administration oiled the road to keep down the dust when it got to be a problem. The current folks bladed it back up and turned it to dusty gravel again because they weren't "going to patch any holes in the blacktop." I think it was more political.

Transit leadership

CAPE GIRARDEAU: Stop your cars, drop your gas nozzles, step out of your 4x4s. It is time to eliminate your dependence on the automobile and embrace alternative modes of transportation. Ride a bike. Walk. Move downtown. Demand new sidewalks, bike lanes and a light rail or bus system. Light rail lines on West End Boulevard, Kingshighway, Mount Auburn Road, Lexington Avenue, William Street, Independence Street, Broadway and Perryville Road would reduce the need for a car in Cape, would modernize our city and would place us in the forefront of all small cities in America. Cape Girardeau could lead the way.

Avoiding drugs, booze

THE JACKSON Board of Aldermen has decided to ban all non-tennis activities from the upper courts. I know plenty of people who play dodgeball there. This is nonsense. By doing this, the board potentially has made the choice for some kids to use drugs, and alcohol. We spend our Friday nights there instead of doing drugs or alcohol. Nice job, Jackson.

Control of oil fields?

ONE OF the most common criticisms of extreme leftists was that the war in Iraq was an imperialistic adventure to take control of the oil fields. With the price of gasoline rising to record heights, it seems that these critics were woefully wrong. We surely could have the oil fields well under control by now, and oil and gas would be plentiful.

Looks like greed

EXXON'S PROFITS are up 41 percent to $47 billion for this year. Don't tell me about storms in the Gulf, demand in China, refinery problems or any of that other silliness. Can you spell greed?

Oil's still the same

GASOLINE PRICES are based on futures and have little to do with reality. OPEC and various consortiums take a wild guess at what oil prices will be, add a percentage and release prices. Additionally, don't you think it's odd that while gas prices continue to rise that the price for a quart of oil for your car or lawn mower remains virtually unchanged?

Unsightly interchange

THE SCOTT City interchange has got to be the ugliest thing in Missouri. The Johnson grass is 10 feet tall, and there is trash all over the place. If I were the Scott City Chamber of Commerce, I would be on the Missouri Department of Transportation every day of the week.

Culture for Cape

WE NEED a water park, an amphitheater and things for families to do. You would think in this Christian-oriented family environment there would be something to do other than go to church. Let's get some culture in Cape Girardeau.

Plenty of gas

EXPERTS SAY supply and demand make gasoline prices rise, but at these prices I don't see any shortages. You can buy all you want anywhere. No one's out of gas.

Freedom of nudity

NUDITY IS a freedom of expression, and it's a part of our rights like freedom of speech. I don't think lawmakers have any business sticking their noses into it. If they don't like it, they don't have to go to strip clubs. Let people who like it go. That's what makes America what it is.

Cartoon was cheap shot

YOUR CARTOON in Thursday's paper is about the cheapest shot I've seen in the Missourian. This woman gave up her son. You don't know what's going through her mind. Shame on you, Missourian.

They truly don't care

A FEW days ago it was reported that counter-protestors in Crawford, Texas, were shouting at Cindy Sheehan, "We don't care!" I applaud them for their honesty. In their every action, statement and belief, they have demonstrated to us that they truly do not care. How is "I don't care!" a rallying cry? How emotionally and morally decrepit do you have to be to make a phrase like "I don't care" something to be shouted at a mother who has lost her son in this country's military? How is that a stance? If the right wing has ever shown its true colors, it is with the phrase "I don't care!"

Meager profits

RECENT COMMENTS have shown that the national media's campaign of misinformation still works with some weak-minded people. Yes, it is true that Chevron reported $5 billion in profits. What the media doesn't tell you is that to obtain those profits the company risked over $170 billion of its assets. That is a profit margin of less than 3 percent. I would call that meager profits, not obscene. The real culprit behind high gasoline prices is excessive taxation. Gas is taxed at a higher rate than cigarettes. Add to this environmental regulations that prevent us from using our own oil or building or expanding refineries and settling on a standard blend of gas for the whole nation and you get high gas prices.

More information

YOUR ARTICLE, "Aldermen ban dodgeballers from Jackson's upper tennis court," failed to mention a number of things. Speaking as a member of the Jackson Underground Dodgeball League, I know we did not cause any of the mentioned cracks in the court's surface. Chalk that one up to old age and harsh winters. A majority of the damage had already occurred prior to the league's inception in March 2002. The story also failed to mention that we aren't the only non-tennis group that used the upper courts. Numerous times I have seen roller-hockey pickup games being played on the upper courts after school in the fall and spring.

Sounds familiar

IF MEMORY serves me correctly, the eventually huge anti-war movement against the Vietnam War began with a handful of folks protesting outside LBJ's Texas ranch.

Misinformation?

SO IT turns out that Central High School could play Friday-night games at Houck Stadium. I wonder what other lies we are being told by supporters of an unneeded new football field.