Cape's streets

IT looks like the city officials of Cape Girardeau are only interested in the casino boat. They are not interested in trying to fix the streets. I read in the paper recently where someone was irritated because they are doing a roundabout whenever most all the streets in Cape Girardeau are pathetic. There are pot holes everywhere. Broadway, Independence Street, William Street, Lexington Avenue, all the main streets in Cape Girardeau are pathetic, and it is sad.

Birth control

AS a practicing female Catholic, I understand that my personal beliefs are mine and should not be imposed on other Catholics when they go against our Catholic doctrine. Health insurance is a privilege, not a right. Birth control is a personal choice, not one that should be forced on a faith because some people want it. Government should never be able to tell the church what to believe and how to act, i.e. separation of church and state. It is that simple. The second this happens our rights as Christian Americans are taken away.

Deer study

BEFORE we kill deer in city limits, they should be tagged and counted to see if we are being invaded or if people just see the same deer over and over.

Cape roundabout

I have lived in cities with roundabouts. They work great in some places, and in others they promote many wrecks. Route W/Lexington Avenue will have many wrecks blocking traffic. First try a double left-turn lane at the Lexington Avenue/Kingshighway lights to keep traffic moving easier. That would also cost less for the taxpayers.

Gas prices

THE average price of gas in the U.S. is high. Should we blame President Obama? Perhaps. Was it President Bush's fault when prices were at even higher levels four years ago? Perhaps. Despite such lack of certainty, people love using high gas prices as a political weapon of attack.

Practicing Catholic?

A true practicing Catholic is faithful to the magisterium and all the Catholic teachings and lives his or her faith. One who picks and chooses which church teachings to follow is better known as a "Cafeteria Catholic." Which one do we want to be when we go before the Lord at the end of our lives? I'll be praying for you.

Jackson grant

HOW could a rich town like Jackson possibly qualify for a half-million-dollar grant that is designed for economically distressed areas? Jackson certainly is not an economically distressed area.

'Small, big city'

I have lived in Cape Girardeau for 89 years and I have really enjoyed watching it transform from a big small town into a small big city.

Worried president?

I saw President Obama on television recently and he looked worried. I wonder what's going on.

World population

THERE are 7 billion people on the planet now. I heard by the year 2050 there will be 9 billion. Won't that be a lot of fun.

Conservative leaders

SEAN Hannity, Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh are forming opinions in people's minds. They are our leaders.

U.S., China

IF the Republicans get in, this country will be like China in the future -- a land of pollution and no social justice.

Media circus

THE dress code fiasco became, as intended, a media circus.

Seabees plaque

YOUR article about the Seabees plaque being unveiled at the county park was for the most part hitting right on. However, those who provided the color guard, blue taps and the gun salute weren't Army Rangers. Those were the Seabees' friends, the U.S. Marines.

Misguided individual

I'M Catholic, and as such, I respect the opinions of others. But I can't stand to see people say they're Catholic in one sentence, then make blatantly un-Catholic statements in the next. Hopefully people don't fall for this tactic and think one misguided individual is truly representative of any group, merely because they claim a title.

Health issue?

THINK about it: It will be difficult for women to get access to birth control if they have to pay for it. What about my Type I diabetic 9-year-old? We pay thousands each year to keep medical insurance and hundreds each month for supplies this child has to have to survive. These bills are extremely difficult for us to pay. Is my child's life less important than a "woman's right to choose" birth control? What has Planned Parenthood accomplished? We give more attention to making sure that woman can kill innocent babies instead of dealing with real health issues.

Jensen column

MIKE Jensen recently asked when we got to the point that the F-bomb is being dropped on TV. It goes back to something you have harped on and favored forever; namely, government deregulation. In this instance, the hero or villain, depending on your perspective, is the FCC. And, ironically, it all started with a Republican who headed the FCC and was a native of your hometown. Isn't that coincidental?

Legislating immorality

WE may not have figured out how to legislate morality, but we certainly have fine tuned legislating immorality the past 20 years.

Gas prices

THEY tell us to use less gas. We have, but the price still keeps going up. Even when they can't store anymore, it still goes up. They keep making up excuses. It costs too much to make the blended summer grades. Oil is too high. But they say drill for more oil and run a pipeline. What good is that going to do? It will only put more money into the Congress members' pockets or waste more money on unelectable presidential candidates. We need to come up with something that will replace gas made from oil. Then we could get rid of all the greedy gougers.

White line

I am writing not to complain, but to inform. It is about the white line that is painted on the road at intersections with a traffic light. Motorists must drive their vehicle to the white line so the sensor can detect you. Too many times I have sat in line at an intersection waiting for the light to change when the lead vehicle is too far away from the white line. Please pull up to the white line, not 10 feet from it.

Capitalism vs. communism

UNDER capitalism, two-thirds of the country is happy. Under communism, nobody is happy.

Freedom of religion

I am sick and tired of everybody bashing our great president. Where do people get off thinking they have the right to control what a woman does with her body? Why do they think they can decide if two people who are in a committed relationship and in love cannot marry? Imposing your religious beliefs on people takes away our basic right -- freedom of religion. That means the freedom to not have a religion if you choose not to or to simply worship as you choose.

Great concert

CONGRATULATIONS to the cast and crew of "The Pajama Game," which closed recently at the River Campus. It was a great show -- the best one yet. Your shows are always terrific. Thank you for what you bring to this community. It sure is great to live in Cape!

Great umpires

WHEN it comes to high school referees and umpires, Southeast Missouri is blessed to have some of the best in the state. From the dean, "Dutch" Meyer, to the likes of Mike Buck, the latter said to be going to referee in a Missouri divisional final four this year, all of them do an a No. 1 job. Referees and umpires are a much beleaguered and under appreciated group, but they certainly deserve a Speak Out shout out. Though opinions might differ, my personal view is that the best of the best is veteran referee Joe Bill Davis.

Great educators

THANKS to the Southeast Missourian for your recent emphasis on the positives in Speak Out commentary. One particular educational innovation I think deserves community wide praise is Central High School's Preparing for Academic Success (PAS) program. With emphasis on motivating freshmen and some upper classmen to realize their academic potential, instructors Darren Heuring, Matt Hale and others have in my opinion made this experiment to date an outstanding success.

Cape conference

I want to thank Canedy Sign for bringing the MSSA conference to Cape Girardeau. It was a great way for a small sign shop to get a growing education of the sign industry, and to bring a little tourism to our area.

Parks and Rec

I realize they're stretched to the limit as it is, but I still think Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation should be able to figure out some way to extend their organized activities to Cape Girardeau's Senior Center.

Thank you

I wish there was a better word than thanks to express my appreciation to the fine gentleman who found and returned my wallet in the parking lot of the Food Giant grocery store. It really made my day. I can't tell you how much it did to make my day. I am deeply grateful for the kind trouble you took on my account. You will always be in my prayers. Thank you so much.

Owning firearms

TO the Speak Out commenter claiming that citizens of Canada, Australia, and the UK are not allowed to own firearms: You are flat out wrong. In all three countries, citizens are allowed to own firearms.

Women, health care

I can't understand why so many male Republicans lawmakers want women left to fend for themselves when it comes to health care.