LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: WE POSSESS THE RIGHT AND THE STRENGTH TO RECTIFY THE WRONGS IN OUR PUBLIC OFFICES

To the Editor:

How often do we hear the familiar maxim, "Actions speak louder than words," and wait anxiously for someone (else) to take action?

Lately, there has been an overwhelming flow of (ital) words by concerned voters -- the parents, teachers and students of Cape Girardeau voicing their opposition to the superintendent's and school board's decision to allow seniors who did not meet the academic criteria for graduation participate in the commencement exercises.

As a voter, as well as a member of the class of 1994, I urge us as a community to put our words into action. At the risk of sounding cliche, I would like to point out that in a democracy the people govern -- not a select few. At this point, we are allowing a select few to make the decisions that will affect our community. When "special favors" and "magic" begin to replace common sense and integrity, there is a serious flaw in the system. We possess the right and the strength to rectify the wrongs in our public offices. It is apparent that there is a veil of dissatisfaction hovering over Cape Girardeau, as well as one of disappointment and mistrust in our decision-makers at the Board office. These feelings are a result of the poor and ethically amiss decisions made by our superintendent and the school board. We must not allow this problem to become malignant. We must also remember that this is not the first bad incident that the people of Cape Girardeau have endured. Our remarks of outrage result from the culmination of past unpleasant encounters with the board office.

Only last year, a group of concerned students approached the board of education with some simple questions as to why an excellent history/psychology teacher was being forced to resign with no clear reason or prior warning. As a group and individually, we found ourselves being shoved aside, talked down to, and ignored. This is hardly the kind of rapport that a school board and its student body should have. Communication is essential in making a system work. If we, as a community, cannot be assured that our board will be up front in their actions, how can we trust them to make important decisions that will affect the students, teachers, and parents directly involved in the schools? We must either demand honest communication, or replace our current board members and superintendent with people who are willing to work with us -- not against us.

Mr. Milligan set the example by standing up for what he knew was right. We must now put our words into action, and do what is right by becoming involved in the matters at hand. We need to ask questions of our superintendent, as well as prospective superintendents, starting with: Why and under what circumstances were they terminated from their last position? What is the standard length of a superintendent's contract, and when will it be renewed?

Getting answers to these questions will help us make the decisions that we as a community need to make to solve the current grievous problems, as well as prevent others in the future. Let us allow our actions speak by demanding straight answers from our board.

JAMIE A. FILER

Cape Girardeau