Speak Out A 03/27/02

No guarantees

THIS IS in regard to the union vote at St. Francis Medical Center. The union cannot guarantee any more nurses. Why would any nurses come here if they have to pay initiation fees and monthly dues? Why would you go out and actively put a wall between staff and administration? Sounds like a vendetta to me.

Teachers' day off

IT'S NICE to see on the front page that the teachers get a day off to go shopping at the mall, but they were all at a regional teachers meeting. All the thousands of kids who were out of school and the parents who had to pay day-care for them should find a teacher and say thanks.

Teaching a theory

I AM a student at Jackson's junior high school. I have recently been reading many articles from various sources that say scientists now believe evolution to be false. My question: Why are we still teaching it in our public schools? Our public schools are supposed to give us information that will help in college and our life. Teaching us a theory that has been proven false doesn't help us. I think the Jackson school board needs to look at our current biology curriculum. I think we should start teaching creation in our public schools. It has never been proven false. If you think it has, I dare you to provide the evidence.

Lack of trust

WE CAN'T trust the politicians to stop using our money for pork-barrel spending. Why would we trust them to control campaign-finance reform?

It's adaptation

EVOLUTION IS nothing more than adaptation to changes in the environment over time. It doesn't mean your mother used to be a fish and your father was a monkey. Animals on the endangered species list are animals that lack the ability to change quickly to their environment, whether it be because of human intervention or natural causes. I am a Christian and believe every word of the Bible, but I also believe in what evolution really is: adaptation.

No middle man

I WORK in construction. When we have bad weather, I get laid off. Does that mean nurses are sent home because they have no patients? The union will do nothing for nurses that they can't do themselves. Think about it: Do nurses need to pay someone to speak for them?

Awesome pageant

I JUST want to praise First Baptist Church of Jackson for the awesome Easter pageant. That's the best one this year, and it's the best one the church has had. Their Jesus was so expressive and lively. He did an awesome job. The director should be praised a lot too. It really touched my heart. I'm going to start going to that church.

Check before selling

BEING A parent of teen-agers has to be the hardest job in the world. We try to teach our children to make good choices. Our children do not always do the right thing. When convenience stores sell tobacco products to underage kids, what can we do? Can they be accountable for allowing this to happen? I wonder if they are carding for other things? For the sake of parents who really care about what their children do, please card.

Big price to pay

IN REFERENCE to "Can't hold a candle," I am amazed the caller is unwilling to acknowledge the strong character of Tom Daschle, Joe Lieberman and others of our Democratic leadership. These fine gentlemen should be praised, not condemned. In startling contrast, our president prior to Sept. 11 was very low in the polls. However, as a result of the tragedies and the ongoing military operations, he is experiencing an amazing rise among the populace. The sad truth will be that as the terrorism operations continue and more and more lives are lost, President Bush's popularity will continue to propel him into the White House in 2004. What a price we pay to glorify and exalt such a man.

Scare tactics

THE LIBERAL Democrats shout that the Republicans have a secret plan to take away Social Security. Before every election the same lies come rolling out of the mouths of these liberals who are trying to scare older citizens out of their wits. We don't need campaign-finance reform. We need truth reform. How heartless can you get? They are using fear to get a vote. The Republicans tried to have a Social Security guarantee written into law. But who didn't agree? The Democrats.

Wrong priorities

I SAY sharing begins at home. Why is President Bush trying to bring more immigrants into this country, expand foreign aid and expand NAFTA to South America, which really means more of our already depleted manufacturing base moving down there, thus depriving American citizens of the chance to earn a decent living? All the while, Bush said we had to get tough on welfare recipients. So we're going to cut American welfare but expand foreign aid?