Speak Out 9/11/07

Consignment shopping

PARENTS WHO are looking for a way to buy quality clothing and toys for their children should look into local consignment sales. Cape Girardeau has some great shops. Most kids outgrow their clothing before they wear it out, so consigning is also a great way to recover some money and buy the next size. Grab a bargain where you can find it.

Cell phone danger

WHEN IS Missouri going to wake up to the fact that talking on a cell phone while driving is more impairing than a 0.08 percent blood alcohol level. This has been proven in many studies. It needs to be against the law to talk on a phone in a car.

Animal rights

PLEASE TAKE the time to read philosopher Peter Singer. If you do so, you will be convinced that animal rights deserve to be on a par with those of humans.

Driving with guns

OVER THE weekend a felon was arrested for driving with a loaded gun, an extra magazine of ammunition and a stun gun but was let go on Monday. Can the average person with no police record drive around Cape Girardeau with those weapons and not be arrested if stopped by police?

Rain at last

HURRAH FOR the SEMO District Fair and rain dance. It worked.

Driving rules

THE 12 Commandments of Driving: 1. Thou shalt not butt out in front of others. 2. Thou shalt not gas it at red lights. 3. Thou shalt keep thy front bumper off my trailer hitch. 4. Thou shalt not do 15 in a 45 mph zone. 5. Thou shalt make left-handed turns from the turning lane, not the right lane. 6. Thou shalt use only one parking place. 7. Thou shalt not smash my door whilst I shop. 8. Thou shalt not toss fast-food wrappers out of the window. 9. Thou shalt not park in the middle of the street and chat. 10. Thou shalt pay attention to the road, not the cell phone. 11. Thou shalt leave the wine alone while driving. 12. Thou art not in Chicago. Please stop driving like thou art.

Marquee signs

JACKSON, USE your marquee signs to tell people to turn lights on when it's raining or on a cloudy day. Use them to tell slower drivers to move to the right lane. But to use them to tell drivers how to use turning lanes? I have to laugh. With all the vehicles at rush hour, the only way across a street is to pull out into the turning lane. It keeps traffic flowing. There's not real statistic showing this has caused more accidents than driving with no lights on in rain or hindering traffic by blocking both lanes. Turning into the turn lane is a nonenforceable law that shouldn't exist. The police department has better things to do like give tickets to drivers at 1 a.m. in the morning, driving through Jackson with a headlight out. Let's get real.

Behind the scenes

AS THE wife of a Scott City city worker who -- along with the water department, city administrator, fire chief and police chief -- worked well over 24 hours in conditions may you never have to experience, I was dismayed to read the "Not a priority" comment. These guys weren't even stopping to eat meals, and only once was I asked to bring them cold water to drink. Due to it being a holiday weekend and acquiring parts being a real obstacle in this situation, all that could be done by anyone was done. Often there is much going on behind the scenes that must be considered in the drawing of the conclusion for it to be an accurate one.

Average weather

THE WEATHER has a way of averaging out. It was abnormally warm in March. It became abnormally cold in April. It was abnormally dry in August. Now it might turn abnormally wet in September.