Speak out A 02/20/02

Vouchers are dead

THOUGH THE U.S. Supreme Court may uphold the constitutionality of school vouchers (I have my doubts) as voucher advocates like state Sen. Peter Kinder hope, the victory will be an empty one. Though a favorable court ruling will lead the senator to proceed with zeal in attempting to make school vouchers a reality in the Show Me State, Missourians will remain unconvinced. In essence, the senator's efforts will be seen to be reminiscent of Don Quixote, since the school voucher movement is already dead.

Take a stand

TALK ABOUT getting out to vote. The mayoral candidate who is going to be worthy of my vote and many others is the one who will come out and declare that he will represent the people of Cape and not the university over the people's wishes. That candidate will get elected by a landslide. We don't need another mayor who uses our money to legally force an issue we voted against down our throats.

Need office space

IN REGARD to the new juvenile center: I believe there has been a big point that has been ignored in this debate. The center not only will be used to detain juveniles, but also to provide office space and meeting rooms for the juvenile officers and families. The present juvenile office is very embarrassing for a county as big as Cape Girardeau. There are 14 or 15 people jammed into the old Cape Public library. I think they all share one room to meet with their probation kids and attorneys. They have needed new office space for a long time. It's also embarrassing that our commissioners want to take our kids out of county and warehouse them away from their families and attorneys. I guess that's why we have elections.

Sinful comparison

AT LEAST one historian has written that St. Paul is among the top three most influential people in all of human history. The reason is that had it not been for his successful effort to spread Christianity, the new faith might have remained relatively small in its numbers of followers and faded from the scene. For the Southeast Missourian editorial staff to invoke the name of St. Paul to try to justify the appearance of feisty Jerry Falwell at the Show Me Center is shameful, if not downright sinful.

Building needs safety

IT IS mind-boggling that the Southeast Missourian would play down the importance of the barricades in front of the federal building in downtown Cape. In this time of heightened concern over terrorism, to seemingly favor sacrificing this mildly inconveniencing increase in public safety for business or any other purpose seems socially irresponsible at best and could, if your advice were followed, have cataclysmic consequences. Please retract your editorial.

Meaningless voting

I HEARD Mayor Spradling on the radio saying he was disappointed in the Cape voter turnout for the mayoral primary. I almost laughed. He is the one who has taught us that voting in Cape Girardeau means nothing. A prime example is the land grab that he is in bed with the university on: the River Campus.

Christian kindness

ANNETTE HORRELL, a junior at Notre Dame, is a hero for stopping at a recent automobile accident between Jackson and Cape where an 8-year-old child lost her life. Annette stood with the mother of the child physically supporting her and prayed with her for several minutes before medical help arrived. What a great show of Christian kindness and leadership. Notre Dame is proud of such students. Thank you, Annette. May God reward you and guide you upon your life's path to a bright future.

Holding up traffic

WHY ARE some truck drivers such morons? I know not all of them are. Most are kind and courteous drivers. I witnessed a truck driver purposely hold up traffic for 15 minutes because he got stuck in the left lane on the southbound on-ramp to I-55. Four different motorists tried to let him over.