Speak Out 9/3/03

Definite connection

A RECENT Speak Out caller said there are no links between Saddam Hussein and al-Qaida. Attacking Iraq was not about the Bush administration's corporate interests. If you follow the news, you would know that very solid evidence, including documents and pictures, have been found that prove beyond a doubt that ties existed between Hussein and al-Qaida. If we didn't attack when we did, we could have had another 9-11 on our hands.

Making it up

I WOULD like to comment on the guest column by Chief Justice Roy Moore in Alabama, who was relieved of his duties because of the Ten Commandments. The federal judge who order the removal of the Ten Commandments is making up his own Constitution as he sees fit. It's not as it's written, and that's the way the Supreme Court does a lot of times. The justices cite something as being constitutional, but it isn't. The Constitution is pretty specific.

God-fearing liberals

A COMMENT in Speak Out described Roosevelt, Truman and Wilson as liberals. I was a Democrat under two of these presidents. These were God-fearing men who didn't support abortion, homosexual lifestyles or think freedom of speech gives you the right to print filth and pornography as your civil right. Today's liberals are a different breed. They're socialists and want to get God's values out of government and country. Trying to identify these men as today's liberals is ludicrous.

Stoop to anything

YOU HAVE to be hateful and politically biased to continue to keep bringing up the old, irrelevant issues against Mayor Paul Sander of Jackson. It's nothing new. It's done everyday by those who hate their political opponents and will stoop to anything to get even for their own inept talent and lack of success.

Trivial allegations

REGARDING THE allegations against Mayor Paul Sander: It's amazing some of the dirt people can bring against an honest and loyal individual. Even if the allegations against Sander were true, that's very trivial. It should be discussed and settled in a private meeting and not splashed all over TV and the newspaper. I thought the sheriff's department had more important matters to take care of. Let's remember this at the next election.

You can have it

A RECENT Speak Out caller said he is proud to be a liberal and when he thought of liberalism he thought of Franklin Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson and Harry Truman. When I think of Franklin Roosevelt, I think about welfare and World War II. When I think of Woodrow Wilson, I think of World War I. When I think of Harry Truman, I think of the Korean War. So, if that's what you think liberalism is all about, you can have it.

Dangerous machinery

I UNDERSTAND that we live in a farming community and must share our roads with the farmers and their equipment. However, I've had a lot of close calls with farmers on their tractors up and down these hilly two-lane highways. When you're traveling 55 mph and come up a hill with a tractor on the other side, it's an accident waiting to happen. Tractors that must use the roads should only be allowed to travel certain times of the day.

Puzzling circle

IT HAPPENED again today. It's happened before, and the last time it happened I told myself I would never let it happen again. But I somehow ended up at that circle at Silver Springs Road and Gordonville Road. I had no choice but to yield and drive around. This is my fourth or fifth journey around that circle. And I'm still trying to figure it out. It won't happen again.

Back to the roses

SOMETIMES THE obvious is right in front of you: Cape Girardeau, the City of Roses. Take that $40,000 and spend it on rose bushes to line the roads like they did 50 years ago. Don't change the name. Let's just make it rosy again.

IF I were a dog that lived in an outside pen this hot summer and a genie appeared to grant me three wishes, I would ask for a tree to be planted near my cage to give me some shade, fresh water to be given to me more than once in the morning and evening, and for my owner to switch places with me for just one day. How does one know how it feels to live on a slab of concrete in a wired cage in 100-degree heat unless you walk in a dog's paws?

Keep pools open

INSTEAD OF public swimming pools closing after Labor Day, wouldn't it make more sense to have them remain open on weekends as long as it stays warm? Is it appropriate to mention that we might have an Indian summer? While we're on the subject, I am a 1980 alumnus of the SEMO Indians. With all the problems of the world, I think those who have time to fight over the SEMO Indian name change have entirely too much time on their hands. Forget about changing the name. If you truly have nothing else to do, come on over and I'll give you some yard work.

Too much whining

I LIVE in Jackson and was just thinking the other day how proud I am of the town where residents did a lot of whining but finally adapted to three bags of trash a week. Now I'm hearing a lot of whining about Homecomers being held uptown with the streets blocked. Perhaps our town sign should be changed from friendly to whining.

Seasonal confusion

SEPTEMBER IS almost here. Halloween must be right around the corner, because I saw Christmas decorations at the store today. As a child, I remember Christmas displays didn't go up till the week of Thanksgiving. No wonder the world is in a state of confusion today.

Bridal etiquette

SHAME the June brides who have still not sent out thank-you cards. Many of your guests are old-fashioned and still think thank-you cards are good etiquette. A personalized thank-you card shows appreciation and is the kind of thing that is remembered when the invitation for the baby shower comes. There are two kinds of guests: those who really want to be there, and those who share a branch on the family tree and feel obligated to be there. When no appreciation is shown, it makes it a lot easier for future invitations to be ignored.

News perspective

WOULD IT not be more appropriate to use valuable front-page newspaper space to report on our soldiers in Iraq who are over there defending our country rather than trying to report the battle between a few disgruntled businessmen in Jackson against the mayor? I think it's time to take perspective.

Jumping the gun

ONE WOULD think the law in Jackson is guilty until proven innocent. Shame on everyone who has implied Mayor Paul Sander's guilt before the mayor had an opportunity to rebuttal. There will always be a shaded area in small towns that have part-time mayors with full-time jobs. While I am new to this area and don't know Sander that well, my impression is that he does a good job in managing this little town that keeps getting bigger every day.

Feed our hungry mouths

I REALIZE there are hungry people in all parts of the world, and it is commendable the United States tries to help. But shouldn't we take care of our own 12 million hungry children first?

Rights for all

I THOUGHT the recent editorial cartoon lampooning Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore's hypocrisy was hilarious and absolutely appropriate. That so-called monument violates at least six of the Ten Commandments. Living in Cape Girardeau, it is difficult to remember that the vast majority of Christians do not want to be religious bullies. Moore's antics have absolutely nothing to do with biblical religion. Thanks for making this point clearly and with good humor. What Moore is really doing is repeating the same states' rights doctrines of interposition and nullification to undermine religious freedom that George Wallace used to attack civil freedoms. It's the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments which make Moore's interpretation of the First Amendment inaccurate. It is now established that the Bill of Rights applies to state governments just as much as the federal government. We fought the Civil War to establish this point. Moore's side lost.

Problems were foreseen

BRAVO TO the Southeast Missourian for its recent editorial on Chief Justice Roy Moore of Alabama. Clearly, the fundamentalists want a theocracy. Our forefathers were intelligent enough to see the problems such a form of government would bring about, as the waning of Puritanism clearly demonstrated.

No positive campaign

HELL IS likely to freeze over before any political campaign involving Peter Kinder ever becomes a positive discourse in the issues. This senator and sometime columnist seems only able to offer insults and sarcasm on critical issues. A positive campaign would be a first for him. I'm not holding my breath.

Band advice

HERE'S HOPING the SEMO Marching Band will pull out the stops this year. The band always has a great half-time show. However, its stadium entrance, pre-game show and sideline performance during the game are very uninspiring and monotonous. Come on, Golden Eagles, give us some beat.

The real Labor Day

LABOR DAY isn't about small business people creating jobs or happy "associates" working for mega-corporations. It's about the history of little kids working in mines, slaughter houses and mills. It's about folks literally laying their lives on the line just to get a decent wage, an eight-hour day, the weekend, safe working conditions and a little overtime pay. At the core, Labor Day is about standing up against exploitation. This is a real part of American history, and this is the real meaning of the day. We'd do well to cut through all of the propaganda and remember the truth.

A time for fun

IT SEEMS kind of sad when you read the paper nowadays. I hardly ever see any thing good. Somebody's doing this wrong. This city is bad. Why can't people set their eyes on the good things? People seem fixated on where the Jackson Homecomers is held. Why not just think on what is going on during it? People are getting along, having fun and spending money. It is part of our heritage.

Into the street

I FOUND the Speak Out comment regarding a neighbor who pushes his lawn clippings into the storm sewers interesting. It almost sounded like my neighbor, except he also throws limbs into the street, mows at 6 a.m. on Saturday and blows everything not still rooted into the street.

Matter of etiquette

I'D BE interested in knowing what the proper etiquette is in handling graduation cards and invitations to bridal showers, weddings and baby showers from distant branches of the family that you never hear from unless it's an opportunity for us to buy them a gift. My personal thoughts are that these are the same people who never send a thank you card for our gifts or take time to attend family reunions, so why should I respond just because we're family? Is it just today's generation, or just an inconsiderate branch on our family tree?

Buses for drinkers

THERE IS nothing we can do to stop college students from drinking at the bars. That's what the majority of college students do to socialize with their friends. A parent can only hope they will be responsible in their drinking. With so many on campus drinkers, what a great idea it would be to have shuttle-bus service to and from some of the watering holes. I do not make this suggestion to say that I encourage such partying, only that I acknowledge that college students are going to drink, and I'd like to keep them off our roads and safe.