SPEAKOUT

It pales by comparison

I SAW the photograph in the Southeast Missourian of the members of the Ohio State University rugby team members who had apparently had just bared their breasts in a photo near the Washington Monument. Apparently it caused quite an uproar on their campus. I'm not sure I understand why there was such an uproar. What could possibly be wrong with baring your breasts in public in a city where just a few miles away the president of the nation had engaged in an extramarital affair with a woman and then lied to the public about it? I think what those girls from Ohio State did pales in comparison.

Purpose for ticket is questioned

I SAW a motorist turn left off William Street onto West End Boulevard. I didn't observe the motorist pass a stop sign or speeding. I believe at the time the light was yellow. It was a legal turn. But for some reason or another a police officer pulled over the motorist. I'm just curious why. Was it another unjust ticket, a yellow light written down as a red light? I've seen too many tickets written here, and I'm beginning to wonder about the legitimacy of them.

Story on salaries is unnecessary

THIS IS a comment on the story about Southeast Missouri University professors and their salaries. I think the story is totally unnecessary. Whereas it may be public record what each and every professor or teacher makes, the purpose of the story is a mystery to me. These individuals teach our children and offer a huge community service by being in Cape Girardeau and offering the benefit of education to this area. The university in and of itself provides a huge and very necessary service and commitment to better our area. By putting such a story in the paper, the publishers of the paper obviously caused the potential for a rift between the community and the university. Specifically, those who don't understand that the salaries are well-deserved call Speak Out and complain among each other that the salaries are "too high." The individuals who are making these salaries have had many years of education, delaying their entry into the workforce. They studied long and hard hours and continue to do so in order to keep up with current events. As far as I'm concerned, they deserve every penny, and the publication of this information is damaging and unnecessary. I think it should be stopped.

Parents shirk their responsibilities

I CALLED to compliment Jodi Thompson of Jackson for her excellent letter, "A teacher's prayer." I am not a teacher, have never been a teacher and would never become one. Why? For the very reasons Ms. Thompson outlined in her prayer. This society has devalued teachers, policemen, firemen and a host of other professionals. We pay them next to nothing and demand everything from them. We have a society that doesn't want to raise its own children, doesn't attend PTA meetings, doesn't come to open houses at the schools but wants the teacher to do it all with the stipulation that if the teacher doesn't do it the way the parents want it done, the parents will sue them and at the very least cost them their jobs. They want the teachers to teach values that represent religious viewpoints, never mind that there's a mix of students from all religions in our classrooms today. Whatever happened to Sunday school? Why aren't these values taught there? Perhaps because the parents aren't taking their children to Sunday school, expecting the public schools to teach family values. Why don't families teach family values? And now, since Columbine, the teachers are also expected to do the jobs of the Division of Family Services and the judicial system, although neither of these entities have yet learned the difference between discipline and abuse. Teachers are supposed to find the troubled children who have parents and see to it that they get help or act as judge and jury when these students are in trouble and cause problems. Our society is lazy, doesn't want to raise its own children and has dumped all the responsibility on the teachers. Get real, folks. If you expect teachers to do all of these things, then get rid of the Department of Social Services and the judicial system and pay that money to the teachers. There's not much you can do about parents. They are, and will always be, much more interested in themselves.

Team parent is biased play-by-play announcer

I BELIEVE when there's a district rival football game, they shouldn't have a parent calling the plays in on the radio because they're very biased whether they win or lose.

City court system needs review

I THINK a review of the court system, particularly the city courts, is really needed. For one thing, we have an attorney with a practice of his own being hired as a judge for two days a week. There could be a lot of conflict of interest. Particularly in a small town, where as a judge he could recognize you from his own practice. Also, he gets paid by the same people who pay the city attorney and the police. That makes it three against one. No one informs motorists that they can have a jury trial. They don't tell you that you have this right unless you ask. Where were the armed citizens.

I'D LIKE to comment to all the people who want to ban guns and don't want you to be able to protect yourself. All I have to say is, where were you out in Los Angeles during the riots? Where were you.

Education levels and school violence

VICE PRESIDENT Al Gore said recently during the New Hampshire debates that the answer to school violence is more guidance counselors, psychologists, therapists and gun control. The number of guidance counselors in public schools, elementary and secondary, increased more than 500 percent between 1960 and 1998. I don't see how any more would help the situation. During that same period, the average verbal SAT scores dropped 49 points. And math scores dropped 10 points. Since 1983, more than 10 million Americans have reached the 12th grade without mastering the basics of reading. More than 20 million reach 12th grade unable to do basic math. And 25 million reach that point without knowing the basics of American history. Our educational system, under the auspices of the public and especially the federal influence, has gone to hell in a wheelbarrow. Greased.

More contest ideas for Scott City

I HAVE an idea for a new contest. The idea is "What can you do while you're waiting in line at the Scott City interchange." My first entry: Grow a mustache. Since the light is so long, this works equally well for men and women. My second entry: Have a baby. I'm not just talking about labor and delivery, I'm talking about the whole thing, from conception to birth. Anybody else got some ideas.

Go to school, work hard, succeed

THIS IS a comment about the person who sees red when reading the salaries of the SEMO professors. I'm sure that jealousy is at the root of this person's problems. What I suggest he do is go to school and get an education. Maybe he could become successful like these businessmen and professors in town. Also, if this person ever wants to be successful in a management position, he might want to change his attitude.

No check on medical malpractice

I'M READING in the Southeast Missourian how this Clayton doctor let these residents operate on this woman and she ends up with a horribly messed-up jaw, broken in three places. Well, in this state, doctors can get away with that crap because our legislators sold us out. There's a $500,000 cap on medical malpractice, and there's nothing there to keep the doctors in place. There are no checks and balances. What the heck. They can pay out $500,000 easily. It's kind of like our no-fault workmen's comp that we have going here. Everybody brags about how great it is. You just ask somebody who's been seriously hurt and has had his job taken from him. There's no payment for pain or suffering or anything. There are ridiculously low caps put on these things. A lot of people have been hurt and even ruined by this system, but, frankly, nobody gives a damn.

Political commentary always negative

I'D LIKE to know why all of the individuals who do the different editorial columns, like Dave Limbaugh and Kathleen Parker and Cal Thomas and the rest, why are they always so negative? Why is there nothing to honor or to look up to regarding politics? Politics is dirty, I guess, or they claim it is. It's always negative. Can't anything be right in the political arena? I'm getting tired. I almost don't read these columnists any more because they're so negative. They're always against somebody. You wonder why people don't vote? That's probably the reason.

Give farmers the aid they deserve

FARMERS SHOULD get assistance. They're our backbone, and there are fewer and fewer of them because of these land developers. Undeserving welfare recipients get assistance, and the unemployed get it. But what about these corporations with their capital gains? They get a big write-off on their income taxes every year. Remember how Lockheed aircraft got bailed out? We signed a big loan guarantee for them. Truth be told, Lockheed was on welfare. Same goes for Chrysler Corp.. The biggest welfare recipients are the millionaires. They get more write-offs than Carter's has pills.

There's plenty to be thankful for

I AM calling to challenge anyone who has ever called Speak Out with a complaint to hold off on their fault-finding for a while and use these weeks before Thanksgiving to call and give thanks for something. And, I challenge this paper to print at least one thankful call a day. May I begin, by saying how thankful I am for the beauty that surrounds me in the city of Cape Girardeau. Thank you.