MURAL SHOULD PROMOTE VALUES

Before any murals are painted on the Cape Girardeau floodwall, some thought needs to be given to the image the city wants to project to the world, not just "here is something to look at in Cape Girardeau." Any community that wants to grow needs to project the image of caring, sharing and values not only for today, but of the past and for the future.

What image does it project when gangsters are enshrined with their images on the wall? Does Cape Girardeau want to represent to the world that it is a community that worships criminals? I can at least say to the credit of enshrining deceased criminals that they can no longer cast any future embarrassment on the community.

I cannot say such things about enshrining the living though. They have every capacity, whether intentional or not, to at some point to cast disgrace and embarrassment on the community. One example would be the degrading of women and heavy people on national television night after night. Although successful, Rush Limbaugh reminds me of the class big mouth and school bully. Is that the image Cape Girardeau wants to promote?

In a couple of years there are supposed to be thousands of people a day visiting downtown Cape Girardeau. Do you want to be represented as a conservative town where those who care about the well-being of their neighbors are looked at with hatred and contempt?

You cannot put the face of every successful person on a wall. Every person has his or her unique qualities, whether a good doctor, a good teacher or a good mother. Don't put people on the level of a false god worthy of worship like Memphis did with Elvis. Although Elvis sang pretty-sounding songs and became wealthy and famous, many parents feel as I do: It is wrong to project the image to our youth that it is all right to worship a deceased drug addict as if he were God. Where are our morals? What are the standards to be taught to future generations?

If Cape Girardeau wants to promote the area with paintings on the wall, it should represent reasons to spend time in the area. The paintings should be scenes that show Cape Girardeau is proud of its history, its values and its faith in God. Paint pictures of the Glenn House, of Fort D as represented in a Civil War scene, of Old St. Vincent's Church, of Old McKendree Church, of the Burfordville Mill, of Trail of Tears State Park, of Lake Girardeau with a father and son fishing. Depict Riverfest with a child eating cotton candy against the backdrop of a riverboat or scenes from the Southeast Missouri District Fair or many of the other sites that won't disappear or go out of business.

These are scenes that represent our value of the past, our faith in God and our hope for the future. They give reasons to stay in the area a few days and explore. How does the picture of a man with a controversial talk show or a couple of deceased gangsters project a positive image of the community?

To those I may offend, I apologize, but pride and ego must be carefully weighed for what they may represent to others when an entire community is being represented. In a rapidly deteriorating world you must explore exactly what is being represented. Please give serious thought to these ideas. Such ideas may shape our future and help shape the quality of life for future generations by molding ideals of caring and good not only in this community, but in other community that visitors may go back home to.

David Seabaugh is a Cape Girardeau County resident.