OpinionJanuary 8, 1999
SPEAKOUT
I'M CALLING in response to the editorial about superintendent openings mirroring trends. As a public school teacher, I feel the editorial is definitely on target with respect to these issues facing education and is to be commended for stating succinctly what these issues are and how they can be remedied. Keep up the good work...
Editorial on target
I'M CALLING in response to the editorial about superintendent openings mirroring trends. As a public school teacher, I feel the editorial is definitely on target with respect to these issues facing education and is to be commended for stating succinctly what these issues are and how they can be remedied. Keep up the good work.
Movie mirrors reality
I WANT to comment about something I saw the other night, a movie called "A Face in the Crowd" which starred Andy Griffith. It reminded me of Bill Clinton. He played a fellow from Arkansas named Lonesome Rhodes. He was so crooked. At the end, women problems got him in trouble. They was showing the credits, and he was saying, "Good night, you stupid suckers." It reminded me of Bill Clinton. If anybody really wants to get an idea of what Bill Clinton probably is really like, you ought to see it. It's called "A Face in the Crowd" with Andy Griffith.
Standards lowered again
FREEDOM OF speech is a supposedly high-minded battle cry of the ACLU. Give it a break. The only thing we have clogging up our court system is a smart-aleck brat kid, parents without the guts to discipline that brat and a political group whose whole goal is to undermine moral, religious and logical reasoning under the guise of freedom. The child's use of curse words at best show a sophomoric attempt at language rather than a mature, reasonable conversation. Having these feelings about school and teachers is nothing new. Even expressing them is common. What is new is the publishing of these gripes in the openly public Internet. Another new precedence being set is parents who not only accept the immoral writings by their son but support him in a court of law designed to set a new precedent of moral decline condoned in our youth. What used to be unacceptable and immoral proves he's deemed worthy of a trip to the wood shed, detention or both. Now it is elevated to morally acceptable and, with the backing of the court and ACLU, politically correct. Whether or not the statements are true does not matter, only that the boy has the right to publish on the Internet any vulgarity without reason he so chooses. I know not of any newspaper, radio station, TV or cable network where there is a total lack of moral standards, although some do seem to be coming awfully close. Yet the Internet does just this and with not only the parents and ACLU permission, but it would seem even the courts. If this is where we have come as a nation, if this is what we are allowing today, just think what the future will bring and what we will find acceptable. The wicked freely strut about when what is vile is honored among men. Psalms 12:8.
How good can it get?
THE AMERICAN way. The economy is so good women have to work two jobs to make ends meet and husbands work two jobs and a wife works one job. In all, three jobs to make ends meet.
Whom do they poll?
I HAD to call in after reading Paul Hennrich's Dec. 29 letter to the Missourian. He and others seem to think they should believe the poll. I would like to ask them how 499 or 600 people can express the opinions of over 250 million people? The news media are liberal and therefore want Clinton elected and want him to stay in office. If they had brought out all the things he had done before the 1992 election, he would have never been elected. So it stands to reason that they will call the areas where they know they support Clinton. Doesn't it seem strange that Clinton's approval rating is in the 60s? Sounds like they call the same people all the time. Jo Ann Emerson said 90 percent of her calls were for impeachment. KFVS-TV's call-in polls showed the majority was for impeachment. I have several relatives in several states and other people I know have talked to friends and relatives in other states, and they all ask where do they do these polls? Everyone they talk to is in favor of impeachment. Of course, it doesn't really matter what people think. He broke the law. Perjury is a felony. Stealing and murder are felonies. We should not have a president stay in office who breaks the law. They talk about other senators and congressmen having sex and committing adultery. It is not about sex but about breaking the law. If they break the law, they should be ousted too. It doesn't matter if the president's Democrat or Republican, if he commits perjury or breaks another law, he should be out.
T-shirts from Nicaragua
WE DONATED blood to the American Red Cross, and they were handing out T-shirts. Guess where they came from? Nicaragua. You would think the American Red Cross would at least hand out American-made T-shirts.
Check your personal oil level
I'D LIKE offer you something here besides politics for a change. I would like to call this "Arkansas, land of opportunity." As I traveled south on I-55 a while back, I came upon a truck parked on the side of the highway. It had such a load of furniture and personal belongings on it that with the flat tire, it looked like it could tip over. I just had to stop. The man said that they were on their way to Arkansas to live with his wife's mother as she was in bad health. He said the old house is in bad shape, "but I'm a pretty good carpenter, and I can fix it up." He was filthy from trying to remove the spare tire because it was covered in oil. When I commented on the leak, his wife said, "But that's no problem. We have plenty of oil." The man spoke up and said, "The old pickup is kind of rough, but I got a good deal on it for $700." Then their young son said, "Besides we have plenty of money." He pointed down to a pickle jar full of coins, mostly pennies. As they drove away on that slick spare tire, I thought, isn't life strange? I stopped to help them, and, in a most unusual way, they helped me. So if you feel like you're running a little low on oil right here after Christmas, maybe something got left out of the season. After all, some people seem to be happy with a $700 truck and pickle jar full of change. But maybe they have something that's missing from our lives.
Thanks to hospital staff
I WOULD like to take this opportunity to thank the staff members of 5 East at Southeast Missouri Hospital for their concern and care of our daughter during her stay at the hospital and wish to express a special thanks to Jimmy and Eric and the security department for their assistance. Your kindness and caring was greatly appreciated. Thanks again.
Once more, with feeling
NOW THAT Jan. 1, 1999, has passed, the so-called countdown to the new millennium has so-called begun. I would like to point out to all of you people who think the new millenium is going to begin at midnight one year from now, Jan. 1, 2000, you are all incorrect including the U.S. Post Office, New York City's Times Square and everybody else. The new millenium does not begin until one second past midnight Jan. 1, 2001. There was no year zero on the Christian or any other calendar. Therefore, century 1 was the year 1 through the year 100. Century 2 was the year 101 through the year 200 and so on. So for all of you people who think it's 364 more days before the millenium: wrong. It is two more years until the millennium. The year 2001 starts the third millennium of the so-called Christian or Roman calendar.
Mad about the Gore tax
I AM wondering how many people have contacted their representatives on this Gore tax on our telephone bills. It seems to me that people are just going to sit back and let Bill Clinton and Al Gore cram this phone tax down our throats without any resistance. I wonder how it would be if all these Clinton lovers that are out there hollering, "Drop it, drop it, don't go any farther, if you impeach this man, we're going to vote against you in the next election," would come out like that when our jobs are going overseas, prices are going up, and we get a 1.3 percent increase on our Social Security, which is ludicrous. Apparently the politicians don't ever go to the drug store or go to the doctor or go to the shopping center. They undoubtedly have other people to do this for them. I am mad every month when I get my phone bill to see what Al Gore has added to my phone bill, and this man wants to run for president in 2000. Not with my vote he won't. So it's time that you people, if you don't like this Gore tax, write your representatives and get it voted on. This was pushed through without a vote of Congress, and it needs to be voted on. Thank you very much.
Pretty icy warming trend
WITH A half-inch of ice on the ground, where's our global warming?
School issues
I HAVE a couple thoughts concerning the financial problem at the school system, especially concerning the two periods of preparation for the high school teachers. The high school has had these two prep periods forever, where the elementary schools have not. Elementary teachers teach every class, as a rule. There may be a couple they don't teach, but they do not have a specialty that they teach, whereas the high school teachers, although they teach more complicated subjects, possibly, they teach maybe the same class for three or four hours so the prep time can't be as much for them as a teacher teaching every class that has to prepare for every class. Secondly, if you wonder maybe why this hasn't been looked into before, you might need to look at the composition of the board in the past. The board has always had the spouses of teachers represented on the board. I never have thought this was a good idea. If you have someone who is talking about the raises and the compensation for teachers who get directly beneficial by that, there has to be a conflict of interest. I know in the past many of the board members who have spouses teaching have participated in voting and been in these discussions.
Thanks for returning purse
I WOULD really like to thank the nice lady who returned my purse that was in a shopping cart at Schnucks. I thank you so much.
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Nothing to worry about
NOT TO worry, says a chemical manufacturer that is liable. Not to worry, says the railroad car manufacturer that is liable. Not to worry, says the railroad company that is liable. Not to worry when you're newborn baby has an ear in the middle of his forehead because his mother drank water contaminated by the railroad derailment. Not to worry. Trust us.
Getting thanks in return
EVERY CHRISTMAS I try to give a small monetary gift to people who faithfully deliver my mail and deliver my newspapers. I get yours and St. Louis Post-Dispatch plus several others. I have been doing this for years. I'm not rich, but I feel like this is my way of thanking them. To date, the only one who has ever thanked me is the lady who delivers the paper to me. She never fails. Thank you, Peggy.
Best attorney, best results
IT'S NICE to see that the court in the tobacco case has reached the correct decision. Maybe now Peter Kinder will stop playing politics and recognize that having one of the best plaintiff firms in the state pushing for you will get you the best possible results.
Back to the crusades
I LOVE history. That's why I'm crazy about the letters of Christine Stevens. In my opinion, Ms. Stevens' letters not only give you the feeling of what it was like to live during, but also a sense of what it was like to fight in the medieval crusades.
No Utopia for teachers
A PROPOSED tax increase designed in any way to raise Cape Girardeau School District teacher salaries has as much chance of passing as I do of turning Cape Girardeau into a socialist Utopia or, for that matter, a democracy.
Republicans are poor losers
TO THOSE who just cannot understand why the majority of Americans are against impeachment, it is very simple. I did not vote for Clinton either time and would not vote for him. He got elected over my vote too. I have not heard one Democrat approve of his sexual conduct. The majority of Americans see this for what it has been all along: an all-out Republican poor loser effort to get rid of Clinton.
Mall movies will be missed
IT'S A shame. I read where they've closed the movie theaters at West Park Mall. I've been going there ever since it's been out there, and I do not see why they would want to close it down. Where are the people who can't really afford the new theater going to go to a movie? I have three children. I cannot afford to pay almost $5 a person to get in to see a movie. I enjoyed going to $1 to $1.50 movie. It's just a shame. Maybe somebody will open up the theater. I know if I could, I would.
More guns, more shootings
ROBERT CRON accuses the New England Journal of Medicine of being anti-government. Apparently this is because the journal publishes scientific studies showing the dangers posed by handguns. Where was the study cited by Mr. Cron published? Mr. Cron's Jan. 3 letter is full of red herrings. For instance, tougher prison sentences may reduce gun-related crime, but this argument doesn't mean tougher gun-control laws won't also help reduce such crime. How does Mr. Cron explain the falling crime rates in Missouri and the rest of the country in the absence of his beloved concealed-carry law? Simple fact of the matter is this: The more handguns that make it to the street, the more people will end up shot. Period.
Brave newspaper carrier
I'M CALLING from Perryville and I would just like to thank the Southeast Missourian paper person that delivers our newspaper for being so kind to drive it in our driveway during all this bad weather.
Another brave carrier
I WOULD like to say a big thank you to Ann Gooch of Whitewater who delivers the Southeast Missourian in our area. On three recent occasions, Mrs. Gooch has delivered our newspaper through ice and snow even when the U.S. mail didn't attempt delivery. I hope the Southeast Missourian appreciates her efforts as much as we do.
And brave street workers
I'M CALLING to thank the city street workers for the great job they did on the streets on Saturday.
No approval from me
YOU CAN quit dreaming. President Clinton approval rating will never reach 100 percent since it will include me.
Icy apartment sidewalks
THIS IS directed to most of the landlords in Cape Girardeau. My mother is elderly, has lived in the same apartment complex for 10 years, pays her rent on time and is a good, quiet renter. When the bad weather comes, the landlord can't be bothered to put even a small amount of salt on the ice-covered walks and driveways. I've noticed other apartment complexes have the same problem. Can this just be an oversight? I don't think so. I think they just don't care. Someone, even a young person, could fall and be badly injured. All because a landlord couldn't be bothered to put down a little salt.
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