Speak Out A 06/16/03

Discipline options

I AM a teacher. I have many things I can do as a teacher that are what a recent comment called "on the spot" discipline. I can separate students. I can put a student in the hall or give him detention. I can contact his parents and have them come in for a conference. I can have him come in at lunch or send them to the office. I can do all kinds of things to students that are all legal and supported by the courts.

We won't forget

BILL AND HILLARY Clinton had better remember that the elephant is the Republican symbol. We'll never forget the disgrace they brought upon the White House and our country.

Tax-refund plan

THIS IS for all the people who think low-income families shouldn't get a tax refund. I am a single mother who has supported a child for the last two years because her biological deadbeat dad won't get off his butt and pay. I paid taxes last year and made less than $10,000. That means I don't get a refund. The rich and middle class do, and the welfare class doesn't. I think the welfare class should get the refund and the higher class should have to pay more.

Republican blinders

GOV. BOB Holden is a good governor. Most people in the St. Louis area seem to think so. He is for the benefit programs for the poor. The Republicans want to cut everything. Let's face it: Cape Girardeau County and a few other Republican counties wouldn't like any Democratic governor. They think the Republicans can do no wrong.

He used WMDs

THERE ARE people saying we never proved Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. What did Saddam Hussein use on the Kurds? There are almost 2 million Kurds dead. What did they die from? Didn't he have germ warfare then?

What Bush knew

SOME PEOPLE wonder what President Bush knew about Iraq. President Bush knew that America had been attacked, and that 3,000 American citizens were killed. He knew Saddam Hussein was a terrorist supporter and a torture tyrant. He knew Saddam Hussein financially supported suicide terrorist bombers who had killed thousands of innocent civilians. He knew Saddam Hussein had threatened mass destruction. He knew that terrorist supporters were a murderous threat to the world. He knew that all peace-loving people should not have to live in fear. President Bush knew plenty. He showed these terrorists that when they attack America, there will be ongoing retaliation.

Better use for money

INSTEAD OF rushing into war with Iraq, that money could have been used to help the states with their financial woes. A president who cared about his people would have chosen another time to save Iraq.

Doesn't make sense

GOV. BOB Holden says the budget cuts price education out of the market for many students. At the same time he is helping to break ground for a $36 million arts campus at SEMO. That makes about as much sense as asking already overburdened taxpayers to vote for more burdening taxes.

Honor the U.S. flag

THE AMERICAN flag is the nation's official symbol. Every loyal citizen receives inspiration when our flag is displayed, because we know that many brave men carried it into battle, and many gave their lives for the country that flag represents. We honor and respect our flag and all who fought to protect our country. All who show treason to our country by desecrating and burning our precious flag should be imprisoned as traitors. We have Flag Day on June 14 to celebrate the 226th birthday of our national historic American flag. Why is it not a national crime to violate our national flag? Traitors have no rights.

High school is hard work

THIS IS in response to the junior at Southeast Missouri State University who said didn't use study hall for study when he was in high school and not having study hall prepares students for college. My children are in class 35 hours a day. A college student is in class sometimes less than half of that. My high school student gets no breaks. On top of that, teachers are giving a minimum of 30 minutes of homework every night. My son had homework some nights that lasted four hours this past year.

A better idea

I AM calling about the Shawnee and Old Cape Road intersection. Jackson is going to cause a mess at the intersection, taking the stop signs away from Old Cape Road. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that all they would have to do is change the light on the hill on Jackson Boulevard to make it last longer. Only five cars can go through. If they just made the light a little longer, it would help the congestion.

Not the right feather

HOW CAN any governor in his right mind demand higher taxes in these lean economic times? Putting a feather in his political cap at the expense of taxpayers will most certainly end his political career.

It's mass destruction

TO THOSE who think Saddam Hussein did not have weapons of mass destruction: Do you not remember the mass grave that had thousands of bodies in it? It does not matter what you think a weapon of mass destruction is. Murdering that many people is mass destruction.

Holidays, but no raise

TO THE person who questioned why state employees get so many paid holidays despite the shape the budget is in: Do you realize how long it has been since state employees have received a raise? I believe they deserve some type of compensation for their hard work.

Sounds pretty good

SO WE'VE established that Bob Holden is power-hungry, Bill Clinton lied about an affair and George W. Bush duped several nations into going to war. Third-party candidates are sounding better by the minute.