Speak Out 9/26/05

Street work

PEACHTREE STREET has been closed all summer to through traffic for repairs, according to the sign. What is taking so long? When will the street repairs be completed and reopened to traffic? I never see any activity or work being done.

Live for today

I HAVE no problem with my great-grandchildren paying for the things that are going on today. I have been paying since World War II, and I am sure my grandparents couldn't have cared less. They lived for the present in their time, and I live for the present in my time. The future will take care of itself. It always has and always will.

Biblical meditation

AS A person who has been meditating for 25 years, I would like to comment that meditation makes a person become stronger in his faith. I believe it is in the Bible: "Be still and know I am God."

Future inheritance

LET THEM build sidewalks exclusively for the rich. In heaven, the streets are paved with gold and will be traveled exclusively by those who are considered the poorest among us.

False attempt

THE CONCEPT for a Peace Palace is an attempt to cloak eastern religions with credibility. Transcendental Meditation is incompatible with Christianity. It provides a false peace, not the true peace of Christianity. Let us not be fooled by this attempt to bring in Hinduism.

Popular carnival

I WOULD like to comment about the SEMO District Fair. I hope the fair board brings the Lowrey carnival back. It had more rides for the little kids, which is what the fair should be about. The carnival workers were much nicer and cleaner than they used to be.

Awesome experience

"SEE YOU at the Pole" was a huge success. For those of you who don't know what that is, it is where a group of kids gather around the flag pole to worship God. I went to the Jackson Junior High School and the senior high school. It was such an awesome experience. Thank God for this generation.

Need a degree

ANOTHER ARTICLE referred to Missouri Children's Division child abuse/neglect investigators as social workers. The Missouri Children's Division, formerly the Division of Family Services, hires workers for positions entitled children's services workers. Social workers have degrees in social work.

All in the upbringing

I USED to have chow chows. The breed has a bad reputation also. Mine were the most loving dogs I have had. It is in the way you raise them. If you teach them to hate and be mean they will. If you love them and respect them, they will do the same.

Plan has problems

THERE ARE a few problems with lengthening the school day. Teachers already stay at school until 4:30 or 5 p.m. or later doing parent conferences, lesson planning, tutoring and grading papers. A later school day would push athletic and academic clubs back, and those students would not get out until 7 p.m. or after. With school budget cuts, where would the extra money come from to raise salaries for teachers, administrators, secretaries, janitors and aides to compensate for their extra time? What about the extra expense of utilities and maintenance? What should we do about the attention span of the ADD and ADHD students? As a teacher, I want the best for my students, but I don't have time for my family as it is. Our day is not finished just because the bell rings at 3 p.m. My family comes first.

Wage information

I'M CURIOUS where the individual who claimed the majority of Americans are minimum-wage workers got his facts. The medium income for American workers is about $38,000.

Paying for education

I WISH parents would worry as much about their children getting a good education as they do about whether their children are allowed to play sports. Why should the school support all of the athletic programs? The music and drama programs are being cut, but let's not cut any athletic program? Come on, parents. An education is what will get your child through life.

Speed bumps needed

I LIVE just off Fairlane Road near Alma Schrader Elementary School. I think it may be time for some speed bumps to be installed on Fairlane due to the constant speeding. Children play here even after the school has let out for the day, and it is very hard to see over the hill just before you reach the school, I think this is just an accident waiting to happen and hope that it can be avoided in some way by a little forethought by the city.

Gasoline economics

GASOLINE IS so expensive. I make $8 an hour. I own a Geo Metro that gets 32 to 34 miles per gallon. That means it costs me $2.50 to $3.50 for gas one way to my job. The cost of a round trip each day is almost an hour's work. Day care is another $10 to $20 a day per child. After paying all of this plus lunch and wear and tear on my car, I have $36 a day in earnings left. Uncle Sam and other withholding take 20 percent, leaving $28.80 a day to live on. If gas goes up very much higher, I don't know if those of us who have entry-level jobs or unskilled laborers will be able to afford to drive to work.

Hiring the handicapped

I AM all for hiring the handicapped, if they are capable of doing the job. Unfortunately, being likable and trying hard is not all there is to doing a good job. A few years ago at a fast-food restaurant, I ordered my sandwich without onions. The handicapped woman taking my order insisted that onions made the sandwich good and I had to eat them. I tried politely for several minutes to tell her that I don't like onions and did not want them. I finally had to ask to see the manager to get my order placed correctly. This woman had no business working with the public. People today are tolerant. If an employer is getting more than an occasional complaint, chances are the handicapped worker is not capable of handling the job no matter how badly he wants them to succeed.

Hurricane lessons

TWO LESSONS I learned from Hurricane Katrina: 1. How fast so-called civilization can deteriorate into utter chaos. This was the scariest thing to see, much more than the devastation by the storm. 2. You can't rely on the kindness of strangers. No matter if the government is prepared or not, it may not be able to get to you for days. You'd better have a plan and be prepared to roll up your sleeves and take care of yourself and loved ones. Crying "Poor me!" doesn't help anyone.

Common sense now

THE NEW Madrid earthquake fault is many miles from Cape Girardeau County, and there hasn't been a major quake in almost 200 years. New Orleans is below sea level every day. We know we can save a lot of money in the future by using common sense now in New Orleans.

Can't handle it

A SPEAK Out caller says the reason for Hurricane Katrina's devastation is the destruction of wetlands. I assume the caller is ignoring the destruction elsewhere and is just looking at New Orleans. What a naive and gullible product of a liberal education. The Democratic governments of New Orleans and Louisiana have squandered billions of dollars over the years, and the people of the area were satisfied with that quality of government. It would be a huge mistake to pour more money into that area. They are not capable of dealing with the responsibility.

Can't change history

MY DAUGHTER missed the bus this morning. It came earlier than usual. It's funny to me, because I had just read Joe Sullivan's column. It's a nice story, Joe, but don't ask my 11-year-old daughter to walk seven miles to school. Don't get me wrong. She loves to walk. I have a hard enough time getting her ready to catch the bus at 7:25 a.m. I wonder what time she would have to get up to prepare for a seven-mile walk? People live farther from schools these days. In some areas, the kids have to catch the bus at 6:30 a.m. I can see why parents drive them to school. Some things are history, and they will just have to stay there.