OpinionDecember 9, 1995
SPEAKOUT
IN A recent Opinion column from one described as "a corn farmer," the author said in part, "True educational reform would involve more local control, not less." Though that is a very popular political mantra, nothing could be further form the truth. ...
Tougher standards
IN A recent Opinion column from one described as "a corn farmer," the author said in part, "True educational reform would involve more local control, not less." Though that is a very popular political mantra, nothing could be further form the truth. True education reform would involve adopting rigorous academic standards at the national level and requiring students to pass exit exams based on them before graduation. Short of that, the states should make every effort to adopt challenging academic goals and test students over them before awarding diplomas. Political infighting (i.e. the ongoing Kinder vs. Bartman struggle) illustrates the difficulty of achieving any significant reform at the state level. Reform efforts at the national level have disintegrated as well. Clarion calls for more local control of education usually mask desires to continue business as usual with weak standards and weak schools but powerful local boards of education. Failure to achieve consensus on meaningful education reform is in the interests of many, including, of course, politicians and bureaucrats who thrive in large part on using public education as a "whipping boy" to advance their agenda. Whether their motives are pure or purely partisan will be left for the voters to decide.
Column balance
I ENJOYED the caller who talked about the different columnists being so far to the right. I had reached the place where I don't even read them any more. Wouldn't it be great if we could pick up the paper some day and find both sides represented or just have one that's in the middle of the road? I'm so tired of this stuff.
Cute hair, Heidi
I'M CALLING in regard to the Heidi Nieland column. I just wanted to say that I really, really love her a lot. I think her columns are very unique and her stories are very unique and interesting. Sometimes I sit there and I just say, "Whoa!" But anyway, I just wanted to say that I really love her and I hope you guys keep her and I look forward to every Saturday. I just wanted to say that I like her haircut. I think it's cute.
Buy the country
I WANT to comment about our brave president going to Ireland and getting the Irish OK for putting troops in Bosnia. The Irish prime minister thought it was a good idea. I wonder how many Irish troops are going to be going there? How much Irish money is going to be put in there? I can tell you: none. Why do you need guns if people are wanting to be peaceful? This is the first war we're sending troops in after peace has been signed. If you don't believe the peace is going to stay, don't send your men in. Besides, for $2 billion you can almost buy that whole country and separate those people.
Clinton's scheme
PRESIDENT CLINTON is scheming to make sure the U.S.A. is deeply involved in the Bosnian conflict come election time next fall. Remember the old saying: You don't change horses in the middle of the stream. He thinks he's got it all sewed up and victory is in the bag if he can just have a war going on at that time.
Time for support
WHETHER OR not we agree with the decision made concerning our troops going to Bosnia, it's a done deal. Now the important thing is to back our boys and girls and to remember that they didn't make the decision, they're only following orders and doing their jobs. Each troop member is a son, daughter, brother, sister, mom or dad of someone here, and they need our emotional support and our prayers.
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Jackson display
I WAS on my way home from work yesterday and saw all the lights in the Jackson City Park and drove through. I would just like to thank them for the lovely display. It was a nice bit of holiday spirit and quite a treat for the end of a long day.
Finance limits
LOOKS LIKE Colonial Cape Foundation borrowed the cart before the horse. They bought the building at St. Vincent's Seminary, but where is the funding coming from now that they've got it? I don't think the citizens of Cape Girardeau need to pay anymore. They've already announced an increase in water rates. We can't finance everything that everybody wants.
No fighting here
I JUST finished watching "This Week With David Brinkley" and Pat Buchanan and his opinions. Until today I had reserved some respect for Pat Buchanan, but after hearing his position on our actions in Bosnia, I have lost all respect for his opinions and anyone else who speaks against trying to halt troubles in foreign areas, no matter where. Our leaders, no matter who they are, should be allowed to act on their best judgment as to where outbreaks occur that could escalate into another world conflict as the world wars of the past have. I say stop them on foreign soil where they begin to avoid the war and death and destruction here in America as Asia and Europe has experienced. As far as risks are concerned, everyone, especially Dole, should know or remember that when the servicemen and women sign on the dotted line to enlist, that in itself was a risk. What follows after that is their responsibility. So let's hope these wars are stopped on foreign soil before the escalate into something that would reach this country.
No sports heroes
WHAT HAS become of the sports heroes? Who has taken the place of the Jackie Robinsons, Stan Musials, Joe DiMaggios, and Vince Lombardis? Have professional sports owners and players priced themselves out of heroes and created overpaid, violent monsters? The losers are the fans, especially the young people. The in-your-face and gyrating showoffs have created in our youth the disrespect toward their peers in youth sports, in the stadiums and on the playgrounds. This cocky behavior is carried in school and at home. Society deserves better.
No sportsmanship
SATURDAY NIGHT at the Show Me Center, I witnessed the sorriest sportsmanship I've ever seen. It should be renamed Show Me something else because Ron Shumate and most of the fans really showed their you know what. After Ron and the boys lost the tournament, they headed for the locker room, never to be seen again. The announcer asked the fans to please stay for the presentation of the trophies. 90 percent of the fans walked out. The two key Cape players who were supposed to be honored for the best players of the tournament weren't there to receive their honors. The team wasn't there for the second-place trophies. The sponsors and the honorary coaches were standing out on the court with these trophies with egg on their faces. If I were the Mississippi team, I wouldn't come back to defend my title. I would be afraid we might win. Is this what we're supposed to be teaching our young people in college?
Respect for flag
AT THE Christmas Parade in Jackson Saturday, the American Legion honor guard carried the flag highly and very visibly. I was at the intersection of High and Main Street and I noticed that as the flag came by all the people, and I could see in both directions. Two old-timers, obviously World War II generation, took their hats off. I stood at attention and put my hand over my heart. The police officer at the intersection saluted. We were the only four, out of as far as I could see in both directions down High Street and Main, that gave any respect at all toward Old Glory. And when the Scouts came by with their flag high and the VFW came by in the same way with its flag high, I was the only one who gave any indication, with my hand over my heart and standing at attention, that I respected that flag for which I fought in two wars to protect. There's no respect shown. There's no citizenship. When I was in school I was taught to stand at attention and salute anytime you saw the flag come by. We ought to come back once again to that respect.
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