Speak Out A 09/13/03

They don't care

MISSOURI DEFEATED a proposition to allow the concealed carrying of weapons. Lawmakers then decided to not put the issue up for vote again and tried to circumvent us. The governor, though not well-liked, did the right thing by his veto. Area lawmakers are showing us they care little about what we've already decided.

It's a tragedy

ANYONE WHO knows Shakespeare's plays knows what will happen to President Bush and his people. The arrogant king who schemes and lies always ends up in tragedy. Such people are always undone by their own arrogance, excesses and miscalculations. It's called hubris by the Greeks. The real tragedy is how many of us they will take down with them.

Generous business

I WOULD like to say how much I appreciated the baby-changing station that Procter & Gamble had at the SEMO District Fair. Not only was this a convenient place to change your baby, but the bag of free samples was amazing. It is so nice for a business like this to give back to the community in such a generous manner.

Like an old joke

THE CLAIM that Iraq is the central front of the war on terror reminds me of the old joke about the drunk who loses his keys in a dark alley, but decides to look for them under a street lamp instead because the light is better there.

Wealthy pay the most

ALMOST EVERY conservative I know is concerned about the current level of federal spending. The wealthy still pay an unbelievably large share of all income tax.

Skirting the rules

I GUESS it is possible that the East Prairie lawyer chosen to be Cape Girardeau's municipal judge is so much better than the Cape Girardeau lawyers who applied that the mayor thought it was necessary to skirt the rules. Maybe if there was such a big difference in qualifications, the rules need to be changed. What I don't get is why the position announcement skirted the rules. How could you decide the local people were not qualified before you even knew who would apply?

Point of view

AS A general rule, school system spokespersons whose schools do well on MAP tests sing the tests praises. Talking heads from schools showing no improvement or regressing on MAP say it's messed up.

Rules protect property

THE REASON you can get a ticket for parking in your yard is that there is a city ordinance that states that you can't do it. The majority of your fellow citizens elected representatives who decided it was inappropriate for people too park in their yards like they live in Dogpatch. You also can't leave refrigerators on your porch, let your weeds grow too high and many other things that civilized people have determined make property look bad. If you want to do any of the above-mentioned things, feel free to move out to the county where there is no zoning.

School safety

I AGREE with the comment about Blanchard Elementary School and the drivers. I also pick up my son there every day. In the morning it's not as bad, but the afternoon people are in such a hurry. Please take the time and slow down so that our children will all be safe.

Judging questioned

I FIND that the SEMO District Fair baby contest is unfair to the minority children. Has there ever been an African American child win or even place? I believe there needs to be a variety of judges, not just older woman with views from the 20th century. I did not have a child there, but I spent time watching the judges, and they were totally unfair to the children. I believe that before the minority children even walk up, they already have their minds set that this child will not win.

Asking for billions

FORTY-TWO STATES are bankrupt. We are cutting every sort of program you can imagine, even education. But we've got a president who gives tax cuts to the wealthy and then asks for billions to occupy another country. Wow.