Speak Out A 12/30/02

Mixed messages

AS A taxpayer here in Cape Girardeau, I'm a little perplexed. I have a child at one of the schools. I've been to several activities at the school. Each time the principal gets up and talks about how he has the best school of his age group in Missouri and how proud he is of it. But I went to the seMissourian Christmas Tournament and learned that his child goes to a private school. How can we have an administrator who tells us he's the principal of the best school, yet he chooses not to send his children there? What kind of a mixed message is that? I think the administrators in this district should have their children in the public schools.

Doesn't make sense

I'M NOT a physician, nor am I a research person. But I don't believe what's being reported about a study of hormones and the effects that replacement hormones have on women after menopause. I do not believe this has been a real sound study involving family histories that brought this conclusion. If hormones cause those problems to increase, why don't premenopausal women, who produce these hormones naturally, have the same health problems as far as heart and bone disease as post-menopausal women? Medical researchers are saying if you replace what these women have lost naturally, they're going to increase those problems. I can't buy it.

Dumbing down

EVEN THE schools are trying to take Christ out of Christmas for fear of offending someone. Our Founding Fathers would be shocked at this betrayal of our Christian foundation. This dumbing down of America's values to accommodate foreigners is outrageous.

Work for peace

I RECEIVED Christmas cards this season with the message "Peace on Earth." Many of them were sent by folks who have no idea that if they really want peace, they must work for justice. Recent letters from Tara Miller and Rebecca Walker are examples of this work and are to be applauded as they demonstrate the true meaning of the phrase. "Peace on Earth" means peace on earth. Let's leave hypocrisy behind, educate ourselves through an array of resources whose biases we've studied, get involved and work for peace on earth.

Give war a chance

PROMOTING PEACE just doesn't do it for me as an indicator of patriotism. The prehistoric part of my brain, the dominant part, tells me that the only way I can be truly patriotic is to just give war a chance.

Hulshof likely winner

JOE SULLIVAN'S always interesting column recently made mention of a meeting with Missouri Secretary of State Matt Blunt, a Republican who wants to be Missouri's next governor. If I may be blunt, Blunt will not win the Republican nomination for governor. Though it's not a foregone conclusion, it's fairly safe to say that honor will go to a former Cape Girardeau County public defender and assistant prosecuting attorney and now a congressman, Kenny Hulshof.

Economic funk

YES, MICHAEL Moore exercised too much creative license in his documentary, "Bowling for Columbine." In addition, Moore's work always seems to focus too much on him at the expense of the topic he's exploring. Having said that, Moore chose an uncannily appropriate time to focus on corporate greed, hypocrisy and malfeasance. From Adelphia, through Arthur Andersen, a host of investment banks, Enron, WorldCom and many others, corporations have played a major role in undermining consumer confidence and keeping the American economy in an ongoing funk.

Fewer lights this year

WHILE DRIVING around to see the holiday lights this year, we thought it appeared fewer outdoor decorations had been put up. We appreciate the effort that went into some of the spectacular displays, but we wondered if the reduction in lights is an indication of the country's mood right now.