Speak Out A 11/08/09

Not compatible

I AM responding to the caller who suggested that being pro-life is consistent with being pro-war because innocent babies do not choose to be killed, but soldiers do. I agree with the basic premise, but the problem is that the United States has a horrible reputation around the world for killing non-combatants during our police operations. We slaughtered a wedding party in Afghanistan recently. This is something that is played up among Islamic militants and difficult for us to defend with our Muslim allies. Moreover, anyone who believes that ultimately God is the only one who should have the power to give or take away life would have to be against war. For a pro-life person to be pro-war is sheer hypocrisy.

Clear and concise

CONGRATULATIONS to Susan Bundy for her clear and concise presentation of some reasons for not invading Iraq. We need more sanity like this in Southeast Missouri -- and the nation.

They were supporters

All of THE SCHOOL KIDS WHO WENT TO THE JIM TALENT RALLY WERE TALENT SUPPORTERS. NO HARM, NO FOUL.

Not so strict

STRICT constructionists see quite clearly that the Missouri Constitution does not distinguish between private and public employees in determining who may collectively bargain for better wages and working conditions. Conservatives are strict constructionists. Therefore, conservatives support a strict constructionist interpretation of the Missouri Constitution in this instance. Right? Wrong. Conservatives rank as highly as others on the hypocrite-o-meter.

Matter of free will

THE VOLUNTEER who thinks it's OK to be pro-life and in the military seems to forget that while he or she may have the free will to decide to die fighting, the folks he or she kills may not have that free will. Besides, those in the opposing army may not be volunteers. War tends to result in the collateral damage of dead civilians.

Wrestling with the issue

WITH ALL due respect to the Marine who spoke out, an Iraqi child on the other end of one of our bombs has no more choice about the matter than an aborted baby. Either life is sacred, a gift from God, and you extend that stance to everyone or you're engaging in self-deception. At the very least, you should seriously wrestle with the issue.

A safer world

IF YOU really want to feel safer, the answer is simple: Stop exploiting the people and resources of other countries. Stop propping up dictators all over the world. Stop making huge arms sales to undemocratic governments. Stop acting unilaterally -- like an arrogant teenager with too much testosterone -- and start really listening to and applying Christian principles to the poor of the world. Then you'll be safer and moral too.

Exactly right

I THINK Susan Bundy's letter on Tuesday is exactly right. We don't have money for health care for millions of Americans, but we can somehow find billions of dollars to fight a very questionable war that's mostly about oil and controlling the region.

Neglect and abuse

I THINK it's terrible that our children aren't allowed to eat at school if they forget their ID cards or go over their limit in their account. Whatever happened to charge lunches? When you deny a child from eating, that's neglect and abuse. The schools act like the money is coming out of their pockets. I've got news for you: The taxpayers paid for that food.

Independent voting

IT WASN'T Democrats or the Republicans who decided this election. They vote the same way every time. It was independent voters. It was patriotism by those who don't vote a party line every election. Many got tired of the politicians dragging their feet, squabbling over homeland security and other matters. It's not a political football. It's our safety and our response and obligation.

Other culprits

THE SO-CALLED malpractice crisis is a bit like the old story of the king's new clothes. Before taking up the private practice of law, I spent 17 years handling medical, legal, architect and engineer malpractice claims for two different malpractice carriers. While there are certain lawyers out there who abuse the system and thus add to the problem, there are other culprits, namely the insurance industry and the health-care professions themselves. Take a hard look at the insurance system and study the changes and additions to the laws that have benefited these multimillion-dollar businesses. Look at the distrust HMOs and PPOs have created among patients. Should it surprise anyone that malpractice premiums are on the rise when the richest and most active lobbyist group is continually favored with legislative reform that benefits it? I favor tort reform that will reduce unfounded claims yet, at the same time, cause the malpractice carriers to deal honestly with claimants. While the legal profession has an obligation to litigate responsibly, the health-care profession must also work to clean up its own image.

Not fit for children

I WENT to see "Red Dragon" at the theater here in Cape Girardeau. Sitting near me was a group of children who could not possibly have been about 10 to 12 years old. As far as I could tell, they had no chaperone. Even with an adult, those children had no business at a film that deals graphically with serial killers and cannibals. More shocking to me was their familiarity with the entire Hannibal Lecter film series. No wonder our children grow up inured to violence. Shame on the adult who brought those children to that film.

Future enrollments

REGARDING THE stories that Jackson may remodel the high school instead of building a new one: If you'll look at the enrollment figures after the current junior-high class, you'll see enrollment figures are declining slightly. We're going to go through what we did with the junior high, and then the enrollment figures are going to go down. It's going to look like we have a big class, but look at the classes behind them. They're not as large as this one.

Public has spoken

I READ several major magazines, and I've noticed all they print are letters from people criticizing our actions against Iraq. However, the voters went to the polls and gave control of the White House and the Congress to the Republicans. That indicates there's a lot of support for the Republican agenda. It seems like once again the media are trying to sway us by printing what they want us to hear. It sounds like the American public has spoken. Way to go.

Taking responsibility

IT WAS sad to read about the caller who was having difficulty providing health insurance for his family with five children. While I support the existence of such programs as MC+, I found the caller's failure to take responsibility for his own situation troubling. Certainly at some point while his family was growing he should have realized that his family was outgrowing his potential to provide for them. I support affordable health care for all Americans, but it's just this kind of entitlement mentality that turns off many others and will make it an impossibility until people such as this are willing to take responsibility for their own situations.

Democratic changes

I USED to regularly vote Democratic in the days of Warren Hearnes, Albert Spradling and Marvin Proffer, and I would love to be able to vote Democratic again. However, the party has become so liberal that I have not voted for a Democrat in many years. If Democrats want to return to their glory days, they're going to have to make their decisions based on common sense, not based on polls or focus groups. They need to do what's right, not what's popular. Finally, the most important thing they need to do is get rid of the people who are currently calling the shots in the Democratic Party.

THANK YOU, Heidi Hall, for coming out and admitting that you are a Democrat. Sometimes I'm almost afraid to say that in front of a crowd. This is from an 80-year-old yellow-dog Democrat, and I expect to be one until I die.

Commercial outrage

AS A Chaffee resident and taxpayer, I was outraged to see a television commercial starring a Chaffee police officer while wearing his Chaffee uniform and driving a Chaffee police car. To add insult to injury, the commercial was to benefit a business from another city and county. This is just another example of our mayor, council and police department doing whatever they wish without regard to the taxpayers of this city.

So much beauty

MY NEIGHBOR on one side has a gigantic tree that is solid orange. A neighbor in back has a huge tree that is solid gold. I have a red maple, dark green magnolia and a burgundy dogwood. So much beauty makes for a happy heart.

Whose side?

IMMEDIATELY after the Sept. 11 attacks, the president said we were at war. Our government leaders gathered on the steps of the Capitol and sang "God Bless America" while citizens gave blood and money to the survivors. Then the leaders had the largest pork-barrel session in history. While promising to leave Social Security alone, our leaders have spent billions of it on other interests, passed out our tax dollars around the world trying to buy friends while the needs of these same taxpayers go unattended and opened our borders -- particularly our southern border -- to an influx of cheap labor while sending our jobs out of the country. We live in the greatest country in the world, but despite my fear of the terrorists, Saddam Hussein, North Korea and China, I'm beginning to fear my own government. I'm beginning to ask whose side are our leaders really on?