Speak Out 03/04/03

Weather statistics

IN REGARD to your weather forecast, I really appreciate you listing the normal highs and lows, and it's also interesting to know what the record high and low were. I appreciate it. Thank you.

Wrong generation

I WASTED my time in watching the Grammy awards show. I never heard such awful noise they call music in all my life. Each singer would stick the mike in his mouth and had such a painful expression on his face. And they jumped up and down on stage like they had a burr under their saddle while singing. I'm definitely in the wrong generation. If this art form is called music, give me a break. What happened to Judy Garland, Peggy Lee and Rosemary Clooney?

Farewell to landmark

SNAKE HILL is going to be reconstructed a bit and some of the curves taken out. It's sad, because it's kind of a landmark. I accept change, but I don't think making the road straight will help with the accidents. People just need to know how to drive on it, plus they don't have to take Snake Hill. They can take Old Sprigg Street. You'd better take a last drive on it before it's gone.

Language abuse

I AM with Laura Bush when it comes to educating our children. Everybody in this country, especially in Missouri, needs to be educated. I'm so sick of hearing people on television -- people we look up to or our children look up to -- making total fools of themselves by abusing our language. I am so sick of ignorant people I could scream.

Good decisions

THIS IS to everyone involved in making decisions about snow days: Thank you for keeping our children safe. Ignore all the people who second-guess and criticize any decision made. You are responsible for the most precious cargo in the world, our children. Thank you for ensuring their safety.

Obscene objection

TO THE warmongers who like to scream obscenities at peace demonstrators: I'm not easily offended, but we have kids in our group. I was standing next to one while you vented your ugliness. Try to have some self-respect. A simple thumbs down would do.

Pushing prayer

I WISH the whole prayer-in-school issue would just go away already. If you don't like how the public schools are running things, go to a religious school where you can pray all day if you want. I think it is ridiculous that we have student-led, and obviously Christian, prayer at a public school graduation. No one is telling people they cannot pray to themselves, but they want to be able to push their religion on everyone else. It is pretentious to think that everyone else will just go along with it.

Conservative tradition

DAVID LIMBAUGH is going to have to do a lot more to convince me that President Bush's radical view to use American power and money to reconstruct Iraq into a representative democracy is in the true conservative tradition.

Principle of democracy

FOR FAR too many Americans, the principle of democracy is only that citizens have the right to agree. As soon as we start to voice opposition to maniacal White House foreign policy, they call us unpatriotic. They fail to realize that the essence of democracy is an informed electorate willing to challenge governments for views and actions that are wrong.

Tax protest

HOW ON Earth is this president planning to pay not just for his war, but also for all the bribes he is floating around the world to garner international support? I strenuously object to my tax dollars being used to fund tax breaks for dividend recipients and to persuade foreign nations to endorse unprovoked aggression by this country against Iraq. Is it time to withhold taxes again?

I BELIEVE the Constitution speaks against a state-established church and says the states should guarantee an individual's right to free practice of religion -- that is, without harassment from judges who want to ban the Pledge of Allegiance which represents our freedom of religion, not from religion. I must be one of those misguided, wrong-minded, conservative, right-wing, fanatic members of the silent majority who, maybe, should stop being silent.

Committing a crime?

"I WON'T pay any new taxes, and I don't think you should either," said a Speak Out caller. I call your attention to this only because it is somewhat unusual to read a Speak Out comment whereby the caller pledges to and encourages you to commit a crime.

Borrow and spend

MISSOURI REPUBLICANS had to make too many promises to special-interest groups in order to gain control of the legislature. Thus they, like the Democrats, had no option other than to borrow and spend.

Hands in our pockets

WHEN I think about the city's tax proposals, it brings to mind a picture of pure greed regarding those in public office. They can't wait to get their hands on more money. It is easy to spend other people's money and not your own. Get your hands out of our pockets and start showing responsible and sensible spending habits before you start asking to take more money from us hard-working Americans.

Taxing improvements

CAPE GIRARDEAU administrators and the mayor want property owners to vote to extend a property tax on themselves. At the same time, Prestwick Plantation wants $30 million to build infrastructure for its subdivision instead of paying property taxes. Does this mean when I make some improvements the city will let me use my money instead of paying property taxes? If others get to use their property taxes for improvements, then I should be able to use them also. And I certainly wouldn't vote for a tax on myself if that's not the case.

Culture war is lost

SAYING THAT Marge and Homer Simpson are among the best parental role models on TV confirms that the culture war is a lost cause.

Use the oil money

THERE IS no need to worry about the cost to our country of war to force Iraq's compliance with disarming or the cost of the aftermath. Iraq's oil production should be made to pay for the total cost due to Iraq's violation of the global nonproliferation policy. And Iraq should be forced to pay all damages to the free world for the violations and its threat of mass destruction to the world.

Paying our taxes

PEOPLE PAY all the taxes. Corporations don't pay taxes. Businesses don't pay taxes. They collect taxes and pass them on to the government. But they collect them from the people. One percent of the top earners pay a third of all U.S. income taxes. The top 5 percent pay over half. The top 10 percent pays two-thirds, and the top half pay 96 percent of the taxes. Now tell me where how poor people are paying most of the taxes.

Wasting money

I AM a taxpayer in the Jackson School District. I would never vote for another tax increase, because the district has wasted money time after time. The district built a practice gym that was worthless. The district should have built a new gym right then. I voted for the tax increase because we thought it was going to be a nice gym.

It's just worse

THE ECONOMY under President Clinton was not good. The only difference is that it is worse than previously.

Pull in to park

I AM from out of town and was visiting in Jackson, where I backed into an angle parking space. Backing into an angle parking space, I found out by way of a $50 ticket, is against the city ordinances. So be careful when you go to Jackson. Don't back into any parking spaces.

Sham interview

ANYBODY WHO believes anything that Saddam Hussein says hasn't be awake for a long time. The Dan Rather interview was nothing but a CBS promotion. It doesn't have a thing to do with what Saddam will say or do. It only shows you he'll anything to gain some position and time.

Gladly serving

THIS IS in response to the person who thinks we who serve proudly in the military were duped into it. When I graduated from SEMO in 1986, I had a number of options to pursue in business. I chose to serve my country proudly in the U.S. Army for 11 years. I continue to serve in the Missouri National Guard. In those 11 years of active duty, I served alongside many different kinds of people -- all except for one kind, the kind who were duped. Soldiers of today's military are part of the finest educated and most highly trained military the world has ever seen. It is the greatest military because it is an all-volunteer military, with people gladly serving to protect those who do nothing but degrade your military and your country.

Another world

I JUST watched the interview with Michael Jackson. Does anyone think he should have children or be alone with children? The real shame is that parents allow their children to praise and worship a freak created by plastic surgery. He's in another world.

The dumbest ever

I'VE READ some dumb things in Speak Out over the years, but the comment that suggested people are volunteering for the military without knowing there is always a possibility they might have to go to war is definitely the dumbest.

Choosing to serve

IN RESPONSE to the person who said children were duped into joining the military: I think they are not children if they have enough courage to defend the country. To say they were tricked into being there gives them no respect.