Speak Out 9/4/05

Prompt action

THANK YOU to the Cape Girardeau Police Department and the officers who were involved in the prompt action taken to find and apprehend the person who broke into a few vehicles recently. Due to a quick response, all the items stolen from my vehicle were recovered and returned to me. Thank you for your courtesy and responsiveness.

Too much food

THE MAIN reason cited for the "unhealthy" food served in schools is that the kids won't eat the healthy menus. I believe it. Fortunately, most children today are not hungry. They do not have to eat anything they don't want or particularly like.

Taking our paychecks

I HEARD the president say we need to be patient about gasoline prices. We are supposed to conserve fuel. The rich are still gallivanting around in their expensive cars because they can afford it, while the poor have to conserve and stay home because what money that is not going toward bills is going into the gas tank just to get to work. I've been conserving fuel since gas was a $1.30 a gallon. I thought that was outrageous. Here is some food for thought: If gas goes up to $6 a gallon, people making $8 or less a hour will be putting their whole paychecks toward fuel. None of their paychecks will go for other expenses like house payments, car payments and utilities. And the president wants us to be patient while oil companies take our paychecks.

Refueling fires

WHILE STATIC discharge is a source of some refueling fires, it is not the top cause. The No. 1 cause is open ignition sources at the pump, namely cigarettes, matches and lighters. The No. 2 source is refueling a car while it is running. A recent Petroleum Equipment Institute study that is floating around the Internet only addresses those fires that do not have obvious ignition sources. Please, when you refuel turn off your car and do not smoke.

Lousy parking

WHAT IS going on with people and their parking? Every morning I drive to class at Southeast Missouri State University and notice a handful of cars taking up two, sometimes three, parking spaces. It's every morning. Why don't the cops start writing tickets for people who don't know how to park and take extra parking spaces?

Shotgun wedding

THE AUG. 26 issue of The Chronicle of Higher Education reports annual news in higher education for each state. The magazine reported name changes and positive news for most Missouri institutions. However, Southeast Missouri State University and Three Rivers Community College were described as being engaged in a "feud" in a "region of southeastern Missouri known as the Bootheel because it resembles one on the map." Like the Hatfields and McCoys, perhaps the best thing is for the leaders of the competing clans at Three Rivers and SEMO to kiss and make up. Maybe taxpayers should arrange a shotgun wedding and call the combined institution Bootheel U.

Properly dressed

A DRESS code at Southeast Missouri State University? College students have plenty more to worry about than what they are wearing. Those students walk in the heat up and down hills from one end of the campus to the other with 20 pounds of books. Under those conditions, who cares how much flesh they show?

Material possessions

I FEEL a great deal of empathy for the families that had no means to leave their homes in the face of Hurricane Katrina. But I'm mad as hell because lots of people felt the need to stay in their homes for fear of looters, and those people died guarding their property. Our material possessions are temporary and can be replaced, but you only get one life. In the end, the looters got their valued possessions anyway

Cuts both ways

REGARDING THE comment about ads that are too sexually oriented and shouldn't be shown on TV: Businesses would be wise to heed this comment. If they think they're going to gain sales by appealing to the young crowd, they should understand they will lose sales to older people who have some ethics.

Fairy circles

EVEN THOUGH there is a perfectly reasonable scientific explanation, the mushroom circles that have cropped up recently could lead the uninformed to believe in the magic of elves or some other equally fanciful explanation. Perhaps creationists should keep that in mind.

Driving choice

I AGREE with the people defending SUVs. We drive them out of necessity. I don't think it's anyone's business but ours what we drive.

Calm, not chaos

KUDOS the citizens of Cape Girardeau for not panicking over rumors. I took my girlfriend to Sikeston for a doctor's appointment Wednesday afternoon. You would not believe the madhouse at the filling stations there. Even the nurses could be heard spreading their rumors while I was in the waiting room: Gas stations were running out, there would be no more deliveries for over a month, people are assaulting each other at the pumps. I tried to inject a little calm by pointing out that stations carry a 10 day or less supply of gas and naturally are going to run out when descended on by a mob. They stared at me like I was an alien and continued with their gossip session. In contrast, when we returned to Cape the good citizens of our town were calmly going about their business, and stations had plenty of gas.

Ethanol price cut

ETHANOL IS better for the environment, better for the U.S. economy and better for consumers. But we need local businessmen to start selling ethanol at a price lower than regular gasoline. We all know it can be done. Now is the time to put a little pressure on our local retailers and get them to sell cheaper gasoline with ethanol.

Food, not cigarettes

I TRY to help panhandlers when I can. Most of them, though, are smoking a cigarette. The money spent on cigarettes would be enough to buy food.

Enough already

I AM fed up with our children being used as salesmen by the schools. School just started, and already I have seen several forms to buy something. Some of us are having hard times. We live in a two-parent home and both work. We are busy trying to buy gasoline, food, electricity and clothing. I don't mind having the occasional fund drive, but this goes on all year long. And the children feel bad when they sit next to the children of doctors and lawyers who are able to buy more for there kids than regular working folks. It's time to say enough already.