Speak Out 9/14/08

Making good sense

THE REPUBLICAN vice presidential nominee, Sarah Palin, reminds me of Ronald Reagan with her logic and her good sense. I'll tell you, I am going to watch her debate Joe Biden. We're going to find out, as she said, what a pit bull is, and she'll have her lipstick on.

School access

DROPPING OFF your children at Jackson South Elementary School can make them tardy because it takes 15 minutes to get into the parking lot. Picking up your children in the afternoon takes another 25 minutes. This needs to be addressed. Maybe there should be a turning lane to get in, or possibly a stoplight could work during the school year.

Child safety

I WOULD like to comment on the fire at the elementary school in Poplar Bluff. We live in a world where we try to protect our children and keep them safe. Why are we putting children in trailers as classrooms when we can see how fast a trailer burns? It's a wonder there wasn't a serious injury or a death resulting from this. I know we try to skimp by, but which is more important: the safety of our children or spending a little extra for a good place for them to have an education and a safe place?

Paranormal classes

SOUTHEAST MISSOURI State University surprised me when I received the schedule of continuing-education classes for the fall and noticed the ghost search and practical magic class. These classes boast instructors who have visions and out-of-body experiences and are veterans to the paranormal and deal with demonic spirits. I hope the community will check it out for themselves. I'm disappointed that our university would promote paranormal activity. I doubt that the majority of Cape Girardeau would support the decision to offer these classes.

Wasted space

IT'S A little silly when "Killshot" gets that much space on the front page of the paper. I'm sure there are more important things happening. Most movies these days are forgettable. I think who might earn more of a spot on the front page is Styx for their longevity and timeless music. We could have paid a nice tribute to them for showing up in our town.

A kind deed

A KIND deed is like water for a flower, it makes the heart bloom. Thanks to the young couple at Bob Evans Thursday evening who kept me from falling. May you be blessed for the kindness you showed me. The world needs more people like you.

Meatier pizzas

IT'S AMAZING to find out that there is more meat on a regular hamburger than on a large pepperoni pizza. Put something on your pizzas.

Phenomenal night

SOMETIMES HISTORIC events happen without us really knowing about them. I witnessed one of them. I went to the Big Larry Williams benefit given by Doug and Danny Rees and Bruce Zimmerman and the Water Street Band and Big Larry and his band. It was truly phenomenal. We will probably never see that combination of talent again in the area. It was a benefit and tribute for Big Larry, who has been facing many health concerns and challenges. At 81 years old, he showed the rest of us what it was like to be young and energetic. For those of you who did not find the time to go to this event, you missed something that was phenomenal. Thank you, Doug and Danny, for putting it on. Thank you, Big Larry, for being who you are. Thank you, Bruce Zimmerman and all the Water Street guys and everyone else was involved. It was truly a wonderful night.

Over-the-top salaries

I SAW where the CEOs of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac combined get annual salaries that are going to be a little over $30 million. Are taxpayers stupid enough to let our Congress get by with this kind of expenditure?

Off the trail

PLEASE KEEP the fair shuttle tractors off our recreational trail. They're too heavy for the asphalt and pose hazards to walkers, runners, cyclists and roller-bladers when they leave chunks of mud on the trail.

Thanks for the roses

I'D LIKE to publicly thank the young couple who brings roses to the veterans at the Missouri Veterans Home. They've done it twice to my knowledge. They prefer to remain anonymous, but we wanted to tell them how gratifying it is. Thank you again.

Too much homework

WHAT ARE the administrators in our schools thinking? My teenager has had to call work on two occasions since school started this year because he has had too much homework. We are not a fortunate family where my wife and I can pay for our child's auto insurance, so our child has to get a job to help out with the increases. My child also participates in some after-school activities. When a child comes home with four or five hours of homework, that is a little over the top. Most of these children have lives outside of work and school, but when the load is this demanding the first thing to sacrifice is the family life. I am not suggesting no homework, but please lighten the load. These children need opportunities to be children. When school is over, the world will take away their youth.

All in the water

THE WATER situation in Chaffee lends us an air of the exotic. Think about it. Lots of vacation hot spots have unsafe drinking water. Mexico comes to mind. And we have our own body of water, Lake Tywappity. This place is just a few strategic marketing steps away from being a tropical paradise.

Gasoline prices

TSK, TSK, tsk. Gasoline prices are rising rapidly, but a barrel of oil is $100. See something wrong?

Science experiments

THANK YOU, Jason Lindsey. My son saw you doing your science experiments at the fair last week and had a blast. I think it is great how you are wonderful with the children and getting children interested in science. Keep up the good work.

Before the storm

HERE WE go again with the talk of hurricanes, and gasoline prices are going up before the storm has even hit. Why is it that the prices go up just with the thought that there is going to be a hurricane, yet it takes forever for gas prices to go down when the oil prices are reduced? What makes it worse is how the news is always painting a gloom-and-doom situation with talk of how bad gas prices are going to be.

Cell monitoring

I AM outraged at the lack of competence and professionalism in our jails and prisons. Can't we use cameras and have cells monitored to prevent suicides?

Buying oil

IN HER recent stump speech in Alaska, Sarah Palin suggested we take the $700 billion currently spent on oil from "countries that don't like us very much" and spend it on resources at home. Anyone who agrees with this needs to look up the word "fungibility" in the dictionary. Like it or not, Middle Eastern oil-producing countries can get massive quantities of oil to the market cheaper than anyone in our neighborhood. Not buying oil on the world market will only drive our own prices higher while allowing the rest of the world to gain an economic advantage over us.

Crowded school

JACKSON SOUTH Elementary School is overcrowded. The school has had to give up its computers and computer rooms to make room for more than 700 children. We are working to have our schools to meet No Child Left Behind standards, yet we cannot provide the proper tools to keep the students from falling behind in their studies. Don't our children deserve better?

Paper tiger

I READ where the Russians are going to violate the Monroe Doctrine by carrying out some military exercises in Venezuela. So far, our tepid response to the antics of Putin's Russia ironically exposes President Bush as the ultimate paper tiger.

Gas-hog vehicle

WITH GASOLINE prices being what they are, why on earth would the county commission consider buying a gas-hog pickup for a county commissioner? Why not something a little more reasonable?

Obscure future

SOUTHEAST Missourian publisher Jon Rust recently sang of the praises of Sarah Palin. Rust wrongly concluded that even if John McCain loses the election, Palin will be a major GOP player in the future. I predict that if Palin-McCain loses, Palin will return to obscurity in Alaska.

Flag reminder

THANK YOU, Grace United Methodist Church, for placing the flags out on Sept. 11. I woke up remembering what the day was, but so many people have forgotten. Thank you for reminding all of us to remember those lost and to be thankful for our country.

Wrong impression

YOUR RECENT subheadline about advanced-placement courses at Central High School was substandard. It could have been construed to mean that students who took AP courses still receive AP college credit, even if they don't take the AP exam. This was misleading and just one more example of the Southeast Missourian trying to pull a fast one on public education by creating the impression that the local school system is somehow wrongly pulling strings to get college credit for students who don't earn it via the AP exam. A retraction and public apology are required.