Speak Out A 06/30/03

Preferential treatment

USING AFFIRMATIVE action as a tool is so hypocritical. It's using race to get preferential treatment or advancement. Those who preached all men are created equal with certain rights have been forgotten. Now it's "you owe me something."

Church attire

I CAN'T understand how these women can go half-naked to church. I was taught your body is supposed to be covered in church. How come it's so different today? I think it's a shame what these women are doing to their bodies when God didn't make us that way. God made us for a purpose, not to be showing off.

Appalling tale

I WAS appalled to read in the newspaper that the Cape Girardeau School Board woke up last week and discovered the district is $1.2 million short. I don't think I've ever heard such a tale.

Financial surprises

INTHE last few years, the Cape Girardeau School District keeps finding surprising deficits. Now it's on the front page that they've found another deficit. What's going on that we get all these surprises? There's no reason for this.

Costly pranks

HAVING GROWN up in Jackson, I realize there often seems to be a lack of entertainment. Pulling what seems to be harmless pranks like egging vehicles may seem fun and exciting to some teens, but it comes at others' expense. Being a full-time student and employee, my pennies are pinched, so my rotted paint on my vehicle from the dozens of eggs will just have to be an eyesore to other motorists as well as to me. Perhaps with more parental supervision, these pranks could be eliminated altogether.

Just about the same

I'VE BEEN told that politics is the second-oldest profession in the world. Looking at the Democrats and Republicans in office, I've come to realize there's a very close resemblance to the first.

A gift from God

TO MY friends who still believe freedom comes from government-sponsored violence: The United States is not ancient Israel. Indeed, modern Israel is not ancient Israel either. Unless you are an ancient Israelite living in ancient Israel, the Old Testament holy wars do not apply. By the way, you need to read your Bible more carefully. The Hebrew people received their freedom from Egypt as a gift of God's hand. They did not fight for it.

Acting like children

A MESSAGE to Democrats and Republicans in Jefferson City: You cannot win this political game you are playing. Neither party will come out on top. Both parties act like spoiled children. When election time comes, I will vote against every incumbent on the ballot. I encourage anyone else who is frustrated to do the same.

God-given right

RUSH LIMBAUGH recently railed against the idea that society has an obligation to assist those who cannot pay for prescription drugs themselves. He wanted to know where people who want that benefit think that right comes from. Well, it comes from God, is implied in the natural rights philosophy of the Founding Fathers and articulated in the U.S. Constitution's principle of promoting the general welfare. I'm surprised Limbaugh was wrong on this one since he claims to have talent on loan from God.

Do what Democrats do

THE BEST way for Republicans to stay in power is for them to essentially adopt the agenda of the Democratic Party. In fact, they are well on their way toward doing this, with their support for a Medicare prescription drug benefit, federalizing of public education and giving tax refunds to all people. These are very popular programs. By co-opting the Democrat ideas, continued Republican rule is assured.

Standing on sidelines

THE ABJECT failure of gubernatorial aspirants Matt Blunt and Claire McCaskill to offer a meaningful prescription for resolving the standoff between the Missouri General Assembly and Gov. Bob Holden destroys all of their credibility. Rather than take a stand on this critical issue, both seem to be waiting to see how it plays out politically before saying anything. A pox on both these pols.

Money in the coffers

THOUGH TEACHERS may not realize it, doubling the amount of dollars a public school receives from the state for its summer school program is not used to pay them a fair wage. In fact, teacher pay for summer school is less than what they receive during the regular school year. All the leftover money is used to enrich coffers that are, in some instances, already overflowing.

Head in the sand

DOES PETER Kinder read the paper he writes for? He stated that public school funding is the same as fiscal year 2003, but he doesn't mention the fact that large parts of that money are earmarked for specific expenses and can't be used arbitrarily by school districts. I believe that has been reported in this paper. Check with some teachers and administrators about why they are making these cuts before proclaiming all is well in the world of public education. Get your head out of the sand, Senator Kinder, and champion the cause of public education.

Drastic measures

CALL IT a scare tactic. Call it what you want. The fact of the matter is that schools across Missouri are letting teachers go and are not replacing teachers who retire. If that's a scare tactic, it must be based in reality. There is a budget crisis in public-school funding. If there weren't, schools across the state wouldn't be taking such drastic measures.

Tough prescription

I'M GLAD our local dynamic duo (state Sen. Peter Kinder and state Rep. Jason Crowell) are not medical doctors. If they were, they would suggest that the best way to solve being overweight is to cut off both legs at the knees.

Hypochondriac inquiry

HOW DO I tell my hypochondriac friend the next time she gets the urge to call me and go into detail about all her aches and pains to please call her doctor instead?

Trying to save jobs

GOV. BOB Holden wants to save jobs at the Ford Motor Co. plant in Hazelwood, Mo. That plant has been there since 1947. He just can't win. If he doesn't do anything, he's perceived as not caring about people's jobs. If he does something, he's blamed for more tax loopholes. I recall a lot of our grandfathers had to go to St. Louis to find work because they couldn't find livable jobs down this way. They were darn glad to have a job.

Immigration idea

YOU READ about all these terrorists. Most of them came here legally but stayed on visas that were expired for as long as 10 or 15 years. Compare that with a video store. If you're two days late with a video, those people are all over you. Let's put video stores in charge of immigration.

Turn it into parking

I SEE where the United Nations wants us to foot the bill for a facelift on its headquarters building. I think after its antics before the war in Iraq we ought to turn that building into a parking lot, something a whole lot more useful than the United Nations has been.

Internet isn't vital

A LIBRARY not being able to access every Web site does not bother me. It has nothing to do with family income. The only problem I've ever seen was that the Cape Girardeau Public Library wasn't good at enforcing the 30-minute rule for computer users. But I don't think the Internet is one of those things you have to have like food and water.