Speak Out 8/29/06

Refreshing story

Thank you, Jennifer Freeze and Southeast Missourian, for openly discussing Cape Girardeau's growing gay and lesbian community. It was refreshing to read something positive about an active group of people who find it difficult to gain acceptance in this area. Thank you to Randy Heckman, who will be leading church services that are geared towards gays and lesbians, a group most often ignored by religion.

Should not complain

Our reservists might garner some sympathy from us because their lives and livelihoods will be affected when they are called upon to active service. However, we still must realize these service people are being paid, and they also have a retirement plan. When they sign up for the service, they expect to spend perhaps a weekend a month and two weeks a year giving their time to the service. They are important to our country, but they must realize that sometimes the pay they receive might entail a change in their personal and business lives. While we admire our service people, we also should expect them not to complain when they are called to active duty.

Trim those trees

People plant trees under or near power lines, then expect the electric companies to keep up with all the trimming in order to keep the lines secure. It should be the responsibility of the owner do that trimming, if the power lines were in place before the trees were planted. And how perfectly ugly the trees are after they are topped or trimmed on one side.

Good point

I saw this bumper sticker: "Why don't they keep drugs out of the school like they do the Bible?" I love this sticker. It makes a wonderful point.

Religious bloodshed

Who are Christians trying to fool? Their religion may not have the publicity or sheer number of terrorist acts that Islam has, but you better believe they have killed in the name of God. The IRA and abortion-clinic bombers are just two that come immediately to mind. I'm sure there will be responses to this comment defending abortion-clinic bombers. These fanatics are dismissed as being "outside the mainstream" just as the Islamic terrorists are. Don't pretend like Christianity has never caused blood to be shed.

Did the right thing

What hypocrites you are, Joe Sullivan and Jon Rust. You speak out of both sides of your mouth. You smear one of your own reporters on the front page of your newspaper and call his actions unethical. To publicly discipline this reporter is the epitome of being unethical. Your action on this matter disgusts me. You pat yourselves on the back by giving information on the number of child-neglect cases your paper exposed as a result of reporting done on the Ethan Williams story, but at the same time you cut Mark Bliss off at the knees for doing what any law-abiding citizen should do. Perhaps had the spineless school board and administration of that district acted responsibly and ethically, Bliss would not have felt compelled to file the complaint with the attorney general. I applaud and admire Bliss for caring enough to report a crime. Doctors, nurses, teachers and others can lose their professional license for not reporting suspicion of child abuse. What is the difference? Crime is crime, and you are wrong to discipline any reporter for reporting it to proper authorities.

Following the rules

Please don't blame teachers for everything. We are subject to following the rules and regulations that come from above just like the students, no matter how ridiculous we think they are. If you have a problem with the new lunch guidelines, call the central office or board members and complain to them. Better yet, drive to the board office or board members' places of business at lunch and check out their lunches.

Not afraid of death

Fear of death? I'm not afraid to die. Death is a natural part of life. To claim that a reason for churches to be against the embryonic stem-cell research is for this reason shows a lack of knowledge. These days you'd be hard-pressed to walk into a church and hear about hell.

Close to the door

I'M CALLING in regard to Saint Francis Medical Center's policy on smoking. The medical center allows smoking on sidewalks as long as it's 50 feet from an entrance. I had my wife at the emergency room there. To get to the door, I had to go through a cloud of smoke. It was certainly not 50 feet from the door. It was more like 20 or 25 feet.

Offensive posters

I WAS wondering if Southeast Missouri State University has a phone number where concerned parents could call prior to driving in front of the University Center with small children. I'm a student attending SEMO. To my dismay, as I approached the University Center on Thursday there were posters over 4 feet high outside on the sidewalk of two teen girls, barely dressed, making out with each other. I was offended and would prefer the vendors take their exhibits elsewhere.

In time of need

COMPASSION AND generosity are alive in downtown Cape Girardeau. My friend of 25 years had to endure a life-changing situation July 7. She had a fire that wiped out everything she had treasured and collected for the past 40-something years. Her friends, co-workers and neighbors allowed her a jump start on getting on with her life. Had she had to do it on her own, I think it would have been insurmountable and overwhelming. Kudos to you all. You know who you are.

Vote no on amendment

THE MISSOURI Stem Cell Research and Cure Initiatives will be voted on in the general election on Nov. 7 of this year. Vote no. Instead of focusing on morally acceptable and effective research with adult stem cells, the amendment pushes Missouri into embryonic stem-cell research and human cloning.