Speak Out A 12/19/01

Academic acoustics

I WAS so glad Southeast Missouri State University brought Sheryl Crow back this year. What an intimate setting at Academic Auditorium. I was in the last row and was still close. I've waited 30 years for Southeast to put Academic Auditorium to good use. Let's not stop with Sheryl Crow. Please continue to host contemporary concerts at Academic Auditorium. It has the best acoustics in town -- sure sounded better than the Show Me Center.

No Scrooges

NOT HAND out candy at the Christmas Parade of Lights? What are you, a Scrooge?

Avoiding pregnancy

CONCERNING UNCLE Sam's babies: My answer is neither abortion nor welfare. I have a solution. If the girl is single, abstain. If married, practice birth control. I'm sure even with birth control there will be some pregnancies, but not near as many if both methods mentioned above are used.

Wasted energy

ABOUT THIS Cracker Barrel deal: I'm a white guy. I've been at Cracker Barrel, and the service isn't always that great. It's the same at some other restaurants. What I do is just get up and walk out and don't go back. If we have a lot of energy to use, let's focus on fatherless kids so we don't have to build so many penitentiaries.

Spread the money

I READ that the county commission is worried about building a new juvenile center. Why don't the commissioners spend some of that money on county roads and bridges like they said they would? What happened to that?

Tailgaters' lights

I'M ANOTHER who wishes something could be done about the people who are tailgating. I cannot drive unless I turn my mirror around because their lights are so bright. You'd think they would dim their lights at least.

More lawsuits

I READ with much interest the article that said obesity deaths may eclipse the tobacco fatalities. The first thought I had was: I wonder who the lawyers will sue in this case?

Forgotten heroes

EVERYBODY TALKS about what happened at the Pentagon and the World Trade Center, but nobody remembers the people who went up against the terrorists on the plane that crashed near Somerset, Pa., just to make sure that others were safe.

More test ideas

HEAR, HEAR. I couldn't agree more with the Speak Out caller who suggests we make the roundabout part of the driving test for people in Cape Girardeau. While we're at it, let's see if we can teach people to drive up close enough to an automatic teller so all they have to do is roll their window down in order to reach the buttons. That would be another modern-day test of driver ability that could be used in everyday life.

Commuter parking

IT'S RIDICULOUS that SEMO is building a parking garage near the Towers complex. Parking for residents has never been an issue. It's the commuters who need parking. Can't they get that through their thick skulls?

Excellent show

CONGRATULATIONS TO the Cape LaCroix Methodist Church staff and musical teams. They put on an excellent show at the Arena Building for the whole community. They are to be congratulated for this.

Waste of money

IN SATURDAY'S paper there was an article about astronauts loading a giant trash can on shuttle. Are we that desperate for news and a waste of taxpayers' money? Our congressmen give themselves a $4,900-a-year raise. Some of our military are killed by friendly fire. You have millions of dollars going to firemen and policemen's families from the Sept. 11 tragedy. But other families who lost loved ones on that same day are struggling. I'm still proud to be an American, but I'm not proud of the selfishness of greedy people. God help us.