Flying the flag shows pride

I SAW something today that deserves a special comment. I appreciate the flag that's flying at the Huck's Convenience Store at Bloomfield and Kingshighway. It really makes me feel good to know that some people respect our flag in such a manner. It is a beautiful flag, and I commend these people at Huck's for flying this flag. It looks so proud today flying in this wind. Keep up the good work, and I hope other people do the same.

Parents should teach right and wrong

I'M WRITING in response to "Falling through the cracks." I can tell this person does not work in a school system. Anyone who feels this way needs to go to the school and spend a few days and see what the teachers and staff put up with. This person should try handling a child with extremely troubling behavior with however many other children they have. Sure, people say hire another teacher. The school systems are in such hard financial shape because people do not want to support their schools by increasing taxes. Another problem I see is that some people expect the school system to raise their children. Parents need to wake up and take care of their children at home so they know what appropriate behavior is at school and anywhere else. Also, teach your children that any inappropriate behavior has consequences at home as well as at school. No, I'm not a teacher in the Cape schools. I am a concerned parent who tries to teach my children right from wrong. I also feel the school personnel should be concerned about themselves and their lives. It is some of these troubled students mentioned in "Slipping through the cracks" who took innocent lives.

Is it pro-life for mother too?

I HAVE a serious question. When people say they're pro-life, do they mean they're pro-life also for the mother? Or do they mean that mothers should die? I'm not talking about abortion as a form of birth control. I'm talking about those cases, though they may be rare, when a mother's life will be taken if a decision is not made regard to aborting the pregnancy. In either case, you're playing God. So is it pro-life for the baby only, or is the mother of any concern whatsoever?

It's not better here

ONCE AGAIN the United States has opened its doors to people in need, this time bringing in refugees from Kosovo. They do need help, but why bring them to a country that can't even protect parents' rights to raise their own children? We are blessed by politicians who cater to political action committees, influence and money who pass laws that are very communist in nature. One such law is the grandparent visitation law in Missouri giving violent grandparents the right to control their lives of their children and grandchildren. Add to this a judicial system loaded with ignorance and prejudice and favoritism, and you have a country similar to one that the refugees are fleeing.

Sales pitch in the aisle

I WAS shopping yesterday at one of the larger stores in Cape Girardeau that sells mainly by bulk in large amounts. While I was there shopping, I was approached by a lady trying to sell me windows for my house. I resent this very much. I was doing my shopping. I wasn't out shopping for windows. You get enough calls all the time by phone for this sort of thing. Now they're hitting you up when you go in the grocery store.

Too many scapegoats

I KNOW this will sound terribly insensitive. I wonder, however, if parents of the students killed in Paducah by young Carneal who are bringing suit against the teachers, the administrators and the school board as well as others supported high standards of behavior and supported the schools when students were disciplined before their children were killed. Had a teacher, an administrator or the board taken action against Carneal before the shooting and a lawsuit had been brought against them by Carneal's parents, would these parents have supported the schools? Did these parents ever suggest to a teacher, an administrator or the school board that unless standards were lowered or modified for their children, they would bring lawsuit or take other action? Are these parents in any way responsible for helping to create a climate in which teachers, administrators and school boards are afraid to act for fear of lawsuit that will ruin them financially and professionally? Are these parents and other parents aware that there are laws that make it impossible for a teacher, an administrator or the school board to take action against certain students? There is too often a desire to find a scapegoat for something horrible that has happened, thus freeing us from any responsibility. I fear this is what is happening in Paducah.

No disastrous results

I'M NOT certain I understand it when reporters attempt to create news where there is none. In an article in Friday's paper, titled "Workers cut police station lines" the reporter says "the accident could have had disastrous results" saying that the communication hub for the city is in the police station. But then it goes on to say that the communications are automatically switched to another station, so there weren't any disastrous results. Putting out fires would be a lot of trouble if fire hydrants ran kerosene, but they don't, so nobody gets concerned.

Proud of our efforts

I'M half American Indian. I come from Tennessee. In regards to this ethnic cleansing business, ethnic cleansing has been going on in this country since Plymouth Rock. First it was the Indians, then it was the Chinese, then it was the African Americans and then back to the Indians. I wish to God someone had stepped in and stopped the murdering, the killing and the raping simply because we were not white. I would give anything if someone had stepped in and said this is wrong. There's been a lot of my red brothers killed and children taken from their homes. There has been a lot of ethnic cleansing in this country. I'm glad of what all those good military people are doing in Kosovo. I'm proud of what our president is doing to stop this ethnic cleansing, because if we were not there, they would be over here. Believe me, I've read enough about history to know that Hitler was almost in our back door but the United States, Europe and all the good people of the world, stepped in and said no, this is enough. I support our president for being over there, for helping those people who can't help themselves. I thank God for that, and I'm proud to be an American.

The bombing is murder

WE ARE killing people in Yugoslavia, but Yugoslavia has not been at war with the United States. Our Congress voted about going to war with Yugoslavia and voted not to go to war. Why are we sending bombs over there and killing people in Yugoslavia? That has to be murder. Now we've bombed a Chinese embassy and killed Chinese people. That has to be murder. We're sending airplanes over to bomb people whom airplane pilots can't even see. We can't pick out whom we're killing. We're just killing people at random. This is worse than Colorado. This is murder.

THIS IS Mickie Gudermuth with the SEMO Alliance for Disability Independence and I wanted to use Speak Out again to ask the community for a helping hand again this year by donating unwanted items, household items, no clothing, for our auction. Last year, it really meant a lot and it really helped us a great deal that community was so benevolent and so giving. Through that, we were able to build four ramps. It's just a wonderful community and if I may use Speak Out again to ask the community for support by donating items to our center at 121 S. Broadview Plaza Suite 12, or call 651-6464 and we'll find a way to pick it up. Our auction is May 22 and it will be held at the center. Thanks so much, Southeast Missourian, for your past support. It means a lot.