Speak Out A 02/01/03

Highway resurfacing

THIS IS in response to the comment about why Cape Girardeau County is scheduled for four miles of highway resurfacing when other counties are scheduled for more. The routes slated for new asphalt in Bollinger, Madison, Perry and St. Francois counties are in worse condition and are a higher priority. MoDOT spent $575,000 in Cape Girardeau County last fall on six miles of resurfacing on I-55. These are all improvements completed by contractors. MoDOT crews will continue to make additional pavement improvements in Cape Girardeau County and all other area counties throughout the year.

Our own faults

TO ALL of you who are saying "Where are the parents" and "Put these kids in jail where they belong," can you honestly say you or your angel child have never done anything wrong? Your child may have been at that party or one like it and didn't tell you. Let's think about our own faults before pointing the finger at others.

Appalachian ceiling

GERRY ROLL'S rhetoric about the residents of Appalachia was riveting. She was right in raking CBS over the coals for making "The Real Beverly Hillbillies" about Appalachian residents into some kind of comedy. But Roll failed to reveal one of the main problems with the residents of that area. Youngsters are continually encouraged not to get above their raising, meaning that going off to college, improving their lives or leaving the area is looked upon with disfavor by most residents in the Appalachian region.

Older and better

THERE ARE some laws that affect older drivers. As you get older, you have to take the test every year after a certain age. Please lay off the older people and their driving. They are a lot better then the 16 and 17-year-old group.

Poor timing

TELEMARKETING centers shouldn't call consumers when the president is live on TV. It is an invasion of privacy when they call me at home and I'm trying to listen to our president. Shame on the management and owners of these companies for such poor judgment.

Happy days

I HEARD President Bush tell us during the State of Union message that the economy is improving. Because I believe every word he utters, I am convinced that it is true. Don't you? There will soon be a chicken in every pot and a car in every garage. Happy days are here again. Almost.

Problem with mold

WHEN DID it become the parents' responsibility to look for mold in their children's schools? I think it's time for a higher state authority to step in and take charge of the Dongola, Ill., school situation. In the meantime, an alternate location should be arranged for these kids to attend school. How unfair it is for them to have to make this time up.

They were all wrong

DID YOU ever do something wrong when you was young and get away with it? I know I did. If my dad would have found out, he would have skinned me alive. The bonfire explosion was bad. Whoever kicked the gas can into the fire was wrong and will have to live with that. But to only blame one person is wrong. Everyone there was in the wrong.

The real crime

TO THE person who is against abortion but for the death penalty: You are not pro-life. You are pro-fetus. Killing is killing whether for revenge or to end an unwanted pregnancy. The real crime is not lack of respect for the rights of the unborn. It's the lack of respect for the rights of a woman to control her own reproduction. And if you think the word "abortion" should be changed to "murder," then you should change the word "war" to "murder."

City looks great

I'VE BEEN away from Cape Girardeau for a few years. I'm here for a visit, and the town looks great.

I'M TIRED of hearing people say that the underage drinking taking place is a part of the problem with the youths of today. It's not a "youths of today" thing. As long as teens have been able to get alcohol, there has been underage drinking, whether it be 1960 or 2003. If sitting around a bonfire and drinking is rowdy, then thank God for that. In other places, rowdy is fighting, vandalism or shooting. I'm not saying this to defend drinking, because I'm a junior at Jackson High School, and I don't drink. I'm not saying this to defend those at the bonfire, as I wasn't there. I'm saying this to defend my reckless generation. Yes, drinking is a problem but let he who is without sin cast the first stone.

Compassionate speech

I LISTENED to the president's speech. He understands about compassion. He wants to give medicine to AIDS patients in the Caribbean and Africa. He wants to pass a law that we can't do partial-birth abortions. He wants to pass tax reductions that will make working families pay less taxes. This is a man who understand compassion and wants to help people. I'm for him.

Can't wait and see

I SEE the Democrats are suggesting that we wait to see about biological weapons in Iraq. When Iraq surrendered in the Gulf War, it wasn't our job to go hunting for them. They were supposed to present facts that they had destroyed the weapons. What would happen if Bush didn't take steps to protect the American public and Iraq used biological weapons? The Democrats would say he knew beforehand. I just think this is hypocrisy.

Finding their wings

WHEN DO parents get to step back and let children try their wings? We give them a list of things not to do. We give them curfews. We sneak around to see who they are with. At some point, we have to trust them and pray they make good decisions. One day, they will reach that magical age of 21. Then all you have left is prayer.