SPEAKOUT

Can't leave demons behind

I WAS so sorry to read that the student who was the victim of the prank in Jackson moved across the state to attend a different school. The young man should stay in Jackson because that is where his friends are. These people need to see him. He needs to be home. We cannot move to leave our demons behind. He should stay and get the support and love that he needs from the community and from the people in this area. It is a very sad commentary, what has happened to this young man. I can only wish that God would bless him and his family and that God would bless America and give us back our families so our families can teach our children well.

Abortion is personal matter

IT'S A shame that others think abortion is murder. It's a personal thing within the person and has nothing whatsoever to do with what others think. They should quit forcing their beliefs on others in the name of God. That's sinful in the eyes of God. They believe in murder to stop abortion. That doesn't make sense.

Don't force use of pacifier

I HAVE noticed parents with babies use the pacifier to quiet the baby when it cries. If the baby doesn't want the pacifier in its mouth, the parents hold their hand over the pacifier to keep it in the mouth. This seems cruel to me and not healthy for the baby. It appears abusive to helpless infants. Doctors should warn against this practice.

Telemarketer's point of view

I'M NOT a telemarketer, but I have been in the past. Trust me, it is a real job that has to be done by someone. Telemarketers don't exactly have it easy. They have to deal with extremely rude people on a daily basis. The job requires patience and a good, friendly attitude along with computer skills. The work pays well and is usually flexible with good incentives. It may not be the most glamorous job, but I sure enjoyed it and would do it again. You might consider being a little nicer to telemarketers who call. If this Speak Out caller with a "real job" works with people, he or she can probably imagine how it would feel to get hung up on, get cussed out or get the door slammed in your face. Then again, this caller seems so rude and lacking in people skills that it might be best if he or she just stayed at home and turned the phone off so no one would have to deal with such a lack of personality. Do me a favor. Call the phone company. They'll give you a number to call to have your name removed from most telemarketing lists in the United States. See? You didn't know that, did you? Any of the telemarketers who have called you that could have told you that had you not hung up on them.

Story leaves reader numb

AFTER READING the story about the Venable boy, I'm numb. Everybody seems to take a "c'est la vie" attitude about what happened. If all this is true, if someone takes a "c'est la vie" attitude about you, you would be screaming. I wish I had the time to really say what I want to say, but shame on you, parents. Shame on the students who did this. Shame on Jackson.

Teach teens right from wrong

I'M CALLING in regard to this situation that's going in Jackson. I'm a parent of a teen-ager myself, and I know as a parent that we can't always control what our kids do and don't do. But when the kids talk about doing these pranks, it's our responsibility to teach them what kind of pranks are acceptable and what kind are not. Taking tires off of a brand new truck and propping it up on concrete blocks, that's not right. Where is the respect for the parents who bought this new truck? Where is the respect, period, for friends showing respect to their friends and parents? No one seems to know how to act with respect toward one another anymore. If my teen-ager took part in something like this, I would try my hardest to teach him what is right and what is wrong.