SPEAKOUT

Media to the dogs

IT'S A terrible shame that people would treat animals so inhumanely. It's also a terrible shame that people don't get as worked and concerned over abused and neglected children, the homeless, the forgotten residents in residential care centers and the human population in general. The media has just gone to the dogs.

Look at Autobahn

WE SEE much in the papers about speed limits and accident hazards with higher speed limits. Why not have some officials go to Germany, rent a car and drive on the Autobahn? The driving laws are very strict there. Headlights on full at sundown or on cloudy days. Never drive with parking lights on. No honking. Each accident must be reported even if only a small dent. No speed limit on the Autobahn, but you're recommended not driving over 125 mph in the left lane. Generally the right lane drives up to about 60 mph, the middle lane drive up about 100 mph. If you drive 100 miles per hour in the left lane, immediately motorists behind you are blinking their lights. Most of the cars in the left lane are capable of much more than 125 mph. There are never any signs of a wreck except very early one morning at the entrance near the airport, there was a car that had run into the back end of a truck trailer during the night. The driver was drunk and was killed instantly. The Autobahn is about two feet thick pavement and base. Check with the police and the highway engineers and get their opinions. With increased speed there comes very much increased awareness. You can't drive with mistakes.

School foundation

I WAS just calling in regard to the board foundation article from this morning's paper. This foundation sounds like just some old school board members who are upset still. I think it's just a replay of our old board just trying to get their fingers into the new board. I think actually it's a good idea had somebody else been in control of it. It's just asking for more trouble, especially not asking Superintendent Bollwerk there. I think it's a poor situation when you've got people in charge like this who really don't understand the community, and I don't think we want them in charge of our schools in any shape, way or form, raising money or anything.

Liberal extremists

GOOD GRIEF, these extremist liberal callers to Speak Out all sound like the same old brainwashed broken record. For example, their radical nonsense that all conservatives want to kick grandma to the curb and starve if not eat all little children. In fact, it looks as though it's the same moron calling or writing over and over. What's the matter with you tax-and-spend socialists? Can't you pull your snouts out of the money and power troughs long enough to see reality? Your garbage is no longer welcome on the farm, meaning mainstream America. As for your idolization of liars like the Clintons and their clones here in Missouri, Mel and Bartman, get your heads out of the toilet. The only history they've appreciated without trying to revise are the lying propaganda techniques of Hitler.

Parking frustration

I READ a lot of this controversy in the paper about the handicap parking. Some of it I agree with, but some of those people who have handicaps seem to have a real chip on their shoulder. I was sitting at the loading/unloading zone at my daughter's school when a woman came up to my car and thoroughly chewed me out for pulling up there to pick up my daughter because I was interfering with her in the handicapped parking spots. To begin with, those handicap parking spots were just added this year. That had always been a loading/unloading zone. This woman said that I was interfering and causing her to feel guilty, and she took out all of her frustrations on me. I was simply pulling up there picking up my daughter. They have plenty of room in their handicap parking spot to pull in there and load and unload. That's the only area that's allotted for them. Some of these parents, I understand, they're really going through a rough time, and it is really hard dealing with some of the extra frustrations of having a handicapped child, but please don't take those frustrations out on other people.

Spotlighting animals

I'M CALLING in reference to the new law that went into effect Jan. 1 that prohibits spotlighting any wildlife no matter if you're hunting, which is illegal anyway, or just viewing the animals. Someone needs to bring this to the attention of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Cape County Sheriff's Department and the city of Cape Girardeau. Since the first of January when this law go into effect, I have personally seen each department that I just mentioned spotlighting deer on county roads, in city areas and on the interstate and they're not spotlighting them due to a traffic hazard, they're just watching them out in the field. If our sheriff and city police and highway patrol can't obey the law, then why should to general public? I hope you can bring this to their attention. It is illegal to spotlight animals for viewing purposes also.