Speak Out 8/22/09

Awesome musical

I went to see "Godspell," a musical based on the Gospel of St. Matthew, performed by local talent of high school and college students under the direction of Mike Dumey. It was awesome and inspiring. It was as good as the Muny with a tasty meal. Thanks again, Mike and Starz on the Rise.

Better learning

TEST scores show many of our schools are not up to snuff. It can't be the fault of the administrators, teachers, parents or students, because all these groups are doing a great job. It's the system. Hundreds of years ago, a French philosopher named Jean Jacques Rousseau wrote that children and teens were not developed enough to take education seriously and that, rather than being placed in a formal educational setting, youths should be allowed to frisk, play, commune with nature and so forth. Rousseau said that by the time people got to be in their late teens or early 20s they would have matured to the point that they were ready for formal schooling, would take it seriously and would succeed. Modern research seems to be reinforcing Rousseau's claim in the sense that we now know that even the teen brain is not fully developed. Missouri could show off its Show Me State credentials by leading the way in abolishing mandatory school attendance until about age 20 or 21.

Program comparison

IF Joe Sullivan is wondering why people don't like the government controlling Medicare, he should do a little research on Social Security and find out what the predicted cost of Social Security was in the beginning and what it covered. Then look at it today what the cost is and what it covers. When government passes a program, it can't leave it alone. Government keeps adding on to it and there's no telling by anybody's imagination what the cost of a government health care program would end up costing the people. We'll only find out when it happens. That is a good enough reason to be against it. Government has too much waste.

Missing soap

I have watched "The Guiding Light" since I was young. My mother watched it on television and she listened to it on radio before it went to television. I've always felt it was a good show. I will miss it. I wish CBS would reconsider and continue to carry "The Guiding Light."

Livable city

WHAT makes Cape Girardeau so pleasant a place to be from is the fact that the police are not constantly writing tickets. You want to enjoy freedom and leisure, and that's what Cape Girardeau affords. Instead of writing tickets, the police are helping someone in real danger and other things that are more pressing. I'm glad Cape Girardeau is a livable city.

Children in church

JESUS said that anyone who would harm a child should throw a millstone around his neck and drown himself. The apostles kept the children from coming to Jesus, and he said, "Bring them forth." That is a part of life. Get used to it. You're going to have crying babies in church.

Earning your keep

THE Bible says help the poor. The Bible also says (2 Thessalonians 3:10) if a person will not work, he won't eat.

Wasting tax money

TWO or three mornings every week as I come in on Kingshighway I can see all the big floodlights on the ball diamonds at Arena Park. They are left on all night. This is the kind of thing that upsets taxpayers because it's a waste of money. It seems as though our government officials aren't concerned about waste. I don't think I'm the only one that has this same complaint.

Confusing lanes

I'M calling about the intersection at Kingshighway and Independence Street. When you're coming to that intersection from west heading east, especially in the morning, no one can see the lines on the street. It's causing a lot of confusion because people don't get in the proper turn lane or straight lane there. Repainting the lines might make it a lot safer and a lot easier for everyone.

Wealth of talent

THE "Godspell" production put on by Mike Dumey and his performance troupe is phenomenal. The musical numbers are comparable to performances that I've seen at the Fox and the Muny. "Godspell" will grace our community the next couple of weekends. Don't miss the opportunity to experience the wealth of talent our local area has to offer.

Highway gratitude

MANY of us had our gripes about how long it took for Highway 72 to get completed through Jackson, but now I want to say thank you. We're so thankful to have the lines painted on the highway. The white lines on the outside of the road makes it so much easier to see at night.