Speak Out 9/2/09

Wrong again

IT'S amazing. All of the right-wing columnists whose propaganda permeates the pages of the Southeast Missourian Opinion page consistently write that the President Obama is a socialist, a Marxist, is losing his appeal, has polling numbers in free fall, is already a failed president and on and on. A cursory examination of the right-wing press in an earlier time finds the same things were being written in 1932, 1936, 1940 and 1944. It seems as if the right-wing press was woefully wrong then as it is now and will be in the future.

My gratitude

IN response to the obituary for George Roussell: On behalf of all those past sailors whom Chief Roussell helped as they started their careers in the U.S. Navy, I wanted to express my gratitude to George and his family in their time of sorrow.

Night and day

THE city said it may investigate the idea for more paving projects to be done at night instead of during the day. Take a look at the difference between the nighttime blacktop work done on William Street and the daytime work done on Mount Auburn Road. I don't think the workers could really see what a poor job they were doing on the William Street project. It is rough and will need repairs within a few months. Mount Auburn Road is as smooth as a baby's behind. The difference is like night and day.

Getting the mail

HELLO. I am your mail carrier. Take a look from the road toward your house. Are there bicycles and toys at the bottom of the steps that lead to your mailbox? Please ask your children not to block the steps. If there are bushes right in front of your box, please move your box or remove the bushes so that I can put mail in your box. If you have holes in your yard, please fill them so that I don't step in them, fall down and break a bone. If your mailbox has been sitting on the porch, please reapply it to your wall. Bending over to put mail in your box can lead to hurting a back when a bag is full of mail. Do you have dogs in your yard? Please chain them somewhere other than at your mailbox entrance. If you have a rural box, please don't park by the box or put trash cans by the box. Also, please make sure there is a safe roadway for the approach to the box. Your attention to these matters will create a much safer environment for your letter carrier. Thank you.

Annual profit

THE Democrats have taken to demonizing insurance companies instead of hospitals and use huge profits as fuel for the fire. Some interesting facts to ponder: Health insurance firms operate at an average of 3.9 percent profit margin while hospitals operate 3.1 percent margin (according to Yahoo Finance industry overview). Nominal inflation for 2008 was 3.8 percent. It appears hospitals lost 0.7 percent of purchasing power while insurance gained 0.1 percent. Would you make that investment?

Civilian security

THE liberals have been complaining about military expenditures for several years now; suggesting we should scrap them in favor of more social programs. If these liberals were intellectually honest, they'd be critical of President Obama wanting a "civilian security force as well-trained and well-funded as the military." This is outright frightening.

Fading amendments

IT seems odd that nobody cares about the Constitution these days. Few bring up the constitutionality of a government health option and are quickly shouted down with remarks that we have Social Security and Medicare, so surely government health care is constitutional too. Neither Social Security nor Medicare is constitutional at the federal level. If we let the 10th Amendment fade away, the rest are sure to follow.

Adopted dog

THANK you so much for having the foresight to drop your dog off at the Humane Society. I adopted him about two weeks ago, and he is the sweetest little fella ever. I know you probably wonder what happened to him. Now he has a wonderful home with treats and chews and lots and lots of love. He's my little buddy. You did a good thing.

Real Alinskyites

THANKS to Gary Rust for reprinting some of the highlights of Saul Alinsky's 1971 classic, "Rules for Radicals." I read that book and needed a refresher. Although Rust opined that President Obama was somewhat of an Alinskyite, if you read Rust's summary of Alinsky's points and think about it, you will inevitably come to the conclusion that the real Alinskyites are adherents of the one-time fringe, now mainstream, members of the Republican Party.

Bus safety

ON my way to work I got behind a school bus. During my entire time behind this bus, the children were standing up. Listen up, bus driver. Those are our children you are driving around. Do your job and make them sit down.

Older texters

THE new law that went into effect about texting while driving for people under 21 is crazy. The law should be for everyone no matter what age, I am constantly reminding my daughter not to do it, and by viewing her phone records I am sure she isn't. The majority of people I see texting while driving look well over 21.