Speak Out 9/29/06

Let government do it

GOOD OLD mother hen is ready to jump in and save her children with more drugs. Cervical cancer has been around for years. Officials are using scare tactics once again to get your daughter on more drugs. I say just turn your children over to the government so it can take better care of them and ensure each child gets his or her daily dose of vaccinations. Maybe the government will even e-mail you an official computer-generated postcard from the lab.

Not always reliable

WHOEVER MADE the comment about Ray McGovern based on Wikipedia needs to learn that Wikipedia isn't the most reliable of sources.

Not whole story

PEOPLE WHO keep saying that the conflict in Iraq serves no purpose except to promote terrorism need to do a little more research. The government isn't giving us all the details as to what is going on over there. I have friends who serve this great country to protect the freedom we value so much, and they can tell you that it is completely different in Iraq than what the media or government tell us.

Seeing the light

THE U.S. Army's glaring shortage of manpower may lead to talk of reinstituting the draft. If that happens, I expect a lot of enthusiastic supporters of the Iraq war who have draft-age children will suddenly see the light and become anti-war.

Media games

I HAVE noticed the media are liberal when they print or say something with which I disagree. Otherwise, they are telling it like it is. It is amazing how many games we play with ourselves.

Middle Eastern woes

I'LL AGREE that the police action (we haven't officially declared war on anyone, have we?) in the Middle East is over religion. There's no disputing that. Unfortunately, when a religion believes that murdering innocent people is a way to a good afterlife, we have a problem. Not only are some Middle Easterners killing each other, they have killed many Americans. The sad part is that the United States has to go against the U.N. charter to force a regime change in Middle Eastern countries like Iraq, because their governments are based on a crooked religion. We should have just gotten it all over with by turning the Middle East into a giant glass parking lot.

What about the water?

A CONCERN I have in regard to the Victorian Estates is water flowing down our streets, all of which are sizable hills, toward the cul-de-sacs which are planned. Is there a plan in place to deal with all that water?

More signs, please

Even though in-your-face political signs may cause hazards, the benefits outweigh the costs. The political-sign season is unsurpassed in promoting public passion, enthusiasm and excitement. Keep 'em coming.

Posting names

Recently I attended a school function at the Oran school cafeteria and noticed a bulletin board listing the students who were past due on their lunch bills. I doubt that any of these children control whether or not their lunch bills are paid. I can imagine the right student using this as ammunition to pick on those students whose names appeared on the list. Shame on you, Oran. With all the laws to protect our children and confidentiality, I would think this type of posting is questionable at best.

Sweet protest

Whoever thought the return of 1960s-style civil disobedience might return in a protest over school rules outlawing Skittles?

Avoiding smokers

The smoker getting a chuckle out of the snack food/candy ban at schools and comparing the two needs to quit living in denial about his gross addiction. I don't walk out of my way when entering or leaving a building to avoid some child eating Skittles. But I'll do it every time when I have to face a self-absorbed smoker who thinks he or she has the right to pollute my air or the air of my children just to get a fix.

Teaching authority

Teachers need to concentrate on teaching children, not preparing them for a test, so that they will know the subjects that the MAP test is covering. A lot of time is wasted on teaching children good choices. A teacher's job is to teach students math, social studies, science and how to read. Do I help my child with her schoolwork? You better believe I do. But there are some things parents can't help with, but we do our best. I better never hear of anybody taking food out of my child's lunch. Respect my authority as her parent, and I'll respect your authority as a teacher.

Memorial idea

I agree that our war veterans deserve the highest expressions of appreciation, but building war memorials in the Common Pleas Courthouse park would negatively impact the usage of that park. The park is too small, and the memorials would be jumbled with the other features there. Cape County Park has space to create an impressive constellation of memorials that would allow people to reflect and be inspired. But my suggestion is to put awe-inspiring memorials to the east or south of Old Lorimier Cemetery. This location is already hallowed ground, with veterans of some of our country's earliest wars buried there. And the location provides a stunning view of the river. With the proper street work, which could be lined with flags, processions could curl around the Old Lorimier Cemetery to the new memorial. If this also featured a large U.S. flag like at Cape County Park, it would also be seen from the river itself. Instead of squeezing memorials into the Common Pleas Courthouse area, wouldn't this honor our veterans much more?

Education funding

Jay Nixon is working hard to displace Bob Holden as the Democrat who has kept the most money away from higher education. Remember a time when Democrats stood up for our educational system?