Speak Out 8/23/06

Dress code

FOR THOSE who are excited about the school dress code, don't get your hopes up. And for those who are against it, I advise you not to get too worked up. There already was a dress code, and it wasn't enforced. This one will be enforced for a short time for appearances sake, then it will be forgotten. Students will talk to the principal in outfits that are in flagrant violation of the code, and he will say nothing just as he has done in the past. How do I know this? I teach in this school and have seen it.

Say it isn't so

WELL, SHOOT. First Heidi and now Bob and Callie. What will I read now?

Not for pet-sitting

I HAVE never known that my Humane Society donations go to pet-sitting. I expect my Humane Society donations to go to helping the thousands of homeless animals in this area that come to the shelter every year due to the lack of knowledge of pet ownership, which is a huge problem in this area. The staff at the Humane Society has an incredibly big heart but doesn't have enough hours in the day to do what it has to do because of the severe problem in this area with overpopulation and unwanted pets. I do not think a pet-sitting service should ever be pushed off on them when you can day board at almost any vet clinic in this area. Be a responsible pet owner. Give the staff at the Humane Society a much-needed deserved break from all the heartache they have to endure every day.

Parent-OK lunch

DON'T LET the youngsters see the teachers drinking coffee and soda, eating doughnuts and coffee cake or smoking. Who is going to inspect the lunch bags of the school staff? Who is going to keep the overweight teachers in line when it comes to eating healthier? If I send something in a lunch for my child to eat, they will get to eat it if I have to sit with them to make sure they do.

Withering description

IN VINDICATING the foreign-policy views of John Kerry, conservative columnist George Will wrote yet another of his always quotable pieces. In referring to the utter failure of the Bush administration's Iraqi policy and now-doomed-to-fail approach to solve the Israel-Hezbollah conflict, Will wrote the following withering description of the president's Mideast foreign policy: "This farrago of caricature and non sequitur makes the administration eager to repeal all but the delusional. But perhaps such rhetoric reflects the intellectual contortions required to sustain the illusion that the war in Iraq is central to the war on terrorism." You get the picture. Thanks to the Southeast Missourian for printing Will's piece.

No city socialism

CAPE GIRARDEAU'S city council should not concern itself with the economy of the community. The so-called invisible hand of the free market will take care of Cape's economy just fine. We need no central planning, fine tuning or rules and regulations from the city attempting to control or regulate it. Socialism is dying at the national level. It should not rear its ugly head at the local level.

Food police

ALL THESE rules about what children can and cannot eat or drink at school will, of course, succumb to the law of unintended consequences with the children easily being able to find ways to get their hands on even more junk food and drink. I never thought the food police would permeate Southeast Missouri schools.

Rate increase

THE WEATHER gods and the hapless ways of dealing with the before- and after-effects are speaking to citizens all over Missouri as to what they think of the proposed rate increase by AmernUE. Let the Missouri Public Service Commission know your views.

School benefits

EVEN THOUGH you may not have children to educate, you should understand that you also receive benefits from the public school system into which you pay your taxes. Taxes for the public schools of our country are a shared or collective burden that attempts to ensure an educated population, and that is one of the benefits we all receive whether we are parents or not.

Falling apart

IT NEVER ceases to amaze me how a simple rainstorm in Cape Girardeau can cause such havoc and disrupt daily life to such a great extent. Trees falling down, power lines strewn everywhere and the sight of stranded motorists makes you think a hurricane had hit us. Why is it that every other city I've lived in does not fall apart in bad weather?

Exaggerated smoke

AS A smoker, I never throw a cigarette butt on the ground or out the car window, realizing the dangers of fire and knowing that cigarette filters last forever. It is a shame that all smokers do not exercise more consideration. However, if we ban smoking because of littering, shall we also ban plastic and foam cups, fast-food containers, plastic shopping bags, soda and beer cans and bottles? I laughed at the comment about the "huge billow of smoke" blown out the car window. The smoking debate is truly full of many exaggerations.

Infringing government

THE HEALTHY food plan instituted in Oran points out what is happening to our country: Our governments are infringing on our rights in the name of protecting us from ourselves and forcing us to treat our children as they dictate. While it is sad that many parents do not use much common sense in allowing their children to become obese, it is downright scary that any governmental agency has the power to take away parental rights. Think about where this kind of thing can lead. Maybe someday the government will place a ban on teenage pregnancies, so there could be some good to come of it.

Subsidies and markets

CROP SUBSIDIES are a complicated system that during times of low prices is supposed to make up part of the difference between a target price and the local market price. I hope this will automatically go to zero in the near future. The price of wheat is way above target because of a drought in the Western wheat belt. This will draw some production out of corn and beans into wheat. As the ethanol boom comes online, corn prices will rise and take production out of wheat and beans. This should eliminate subsides in the next few years. Then some people will complain about the high price of corn.

Dressing lawyers

KUDOS TO the judges for requiring appropriate attire in the courtroom. And it's good to know that the lawyers didn't need to be told to wear shoes.