OpinionAugust 29, 2007
Speak Out 8/29/07
Special accommodation; Not slacking off; Pansies with the media; Parking on courts; Future climate; Bus safety; School security; Sacrificing liberty; Getting the money; With icing, please; AC at middle school; Great story, photo; Low-income housing; Oran drinking; Finding a loophole; Fair list of supplies; Heave-ho to column; Helping the farmers
Special accommodation
IF OBESITY is such a growing problem and has been on the rise for decades, why don't they make larger bathroom stalls, especially for women? Why don't they make a more fat-friendly turnstile? Or theater and stadium seats? Fast-food restaurant booths? Longer bathroom scales with bigger numbers? Think about it, we accommodate every race, nationality and disability. Why not the obese? And when you enlarge the bathroom stalls, hang the toilet-paper dispenser at least three feet off the floor.
Not slacking off
I AM a player on the Jackson High School football team. We have busted our tails trying to get better. We run every day and do not slack off at all. If you think it is easy, come out and see. We are not slacking off.
Pansies with the media
THE TOUGH Democratic presidential candidates are claiming they will stand up to our enemies and will negotiate in a firm manner with the leaders of Iran, North Korean and other adversarial countries. Yet they are not tough enough to stand up to the reporters and commentators on Fox News. If a Republican candidate refused to sit down with Bill Moyers, what do you think the media would be saying about that individual?
Parking on courts
WE LIVE in the Franklin Elementary School area, and my children have waited all summer for the school district to complete the repair of the tennis courts at Central Junior High School. Now I see a bunch of teachers are parking their cars on the courts. Don't tell me they are turning the courts in a parking lot. I have tried unsuccessfully to get some answers from the school. Where will they teach tennis? I cannot believe the school would take away and exercise facility when it supposedly is encouraging students to exercise more and eat better.
Future climate
SO YOU don't give a hoot about global warming and climate change. When the temperature climbs another seven to 10 degrees in the next 50 years and area is much drier, drought is the norm and the heat index in Cape Girardeau is 120-plus, I bet it will sound like the Missouri woods at night with hoots everywhere. Maybe we could relocate Cape Girardeau to Canada, where it is cooler.
Bus safety
CONCERNING JACKSON school buses that stop frequently: Life is too short to worry about a couple of extra minutes of your day spent on the safety of someone's child. Sometimes it seems the buses stop too often, but when I see little children getting off those big yellow machines I think at least they are safe. It could be your child. Be patient. Things can only get better.
School security
THIS IS in response to the parent complaining about school security. I am willing to bet that this same person would be first to complain if an angry parent were allowed in and committed some act of violence. It isn't the school's fault that society has led to this degree of security. Give the schools a break.
Sacrificing liberty
OF COURSE we have to sacrifice some liberty in order to maintain security. Thus, contrary to a recent complaint, if security for students dictates that Central High School establish a mini-police state, then so be it.
Getting the money
ALTHOUGH PROPERTY taxes to support public schools are shamefully low, schools have wisely learned to get around property-owning scrooges by requiring parents of students to fork over their own money for this, that and the other.
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With icing, please
PRESIDENT BUSH wanted to limit farm-welfare payments to those farmers with incomes of $200,000 or less. However, the House of Representatives raised eligibility for farm subsidies to those farmers with incomes of $1 million or less. If the area peasantry doesn't like it, then -- in the words perhaps wrongly attributed to Queen Marie Antoinette of France -- "Let them eat cake."
AC at middle school
IF THE Cape Girardeau School District has a budget surplus, why doesn't it air-condition the gym at Central Middle School? It is the only place the entire student body can convene together. As a parent of a fifth-grade student, I believe this should be a priority for our middle-school children.
Great story, photo
THAT WAS a great story and picture of the dog with the Vick card in his mouth. It was the best story that has been done in your newspaper in the last few years.
Low-income housing
IF POPULAR sovereignty dictates that the public must pay for repairs on the new federal building, Then as part of that public I want the part I pay for turned into housing for the low-income families of the entire 8th District.
Oran drinking
I WOULD like to know why the school board at Oran does not stop the underage drinking on the school parking lot. Is it because if you get caught drinking you cannot play any sport that school year?
Finding a loophole
LOOPHOLE: THE city allows a business that cannot get a liquor license on its own to serve alcohol using someone else's liquor license. This is ridiculous.
Fair list of supplies
JACKSON'S LIST of required school supplies was fair. I appreciated the opportunity to spend some time with my child preparing him for school and also supporting my local economy.
Heave-ho to column
MAX BOOT'S diatribe drawing parallels between Vietnam and Iraq was almost poisoned by his failure to mention that the rationale upon which the Vietnam War was based, the domino theory, proved to be baseless, just as did the rationale for attacking Iraq (WMDs etc.). Besides, Boot is part of a dying breed, a hawk's hawk, and that is why I cut out his column and gave it the heave-ho.
Helping the farmers
YES, ETHANOL will drive fuel prices higher, but it is a price we must be willing to pay in order to help our poor corn farmers.
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