Speak Out A 05/03/03

Soup analogy

LET'S SAY a soup company comes out with a new brand of soup. It tastes good but has the side effect of impairing you vision, motor skills and ability to make sound judgments. It has a warning label about these side effects. Not all people who eat this soup have the bad side effects. But some do, and because of their bad vision, motor skills and judgment many die or cause other people to die. Do you think the FDA would allow that soup to remain on the supermarket shelves? The population would be outraged and stir government into action to removed this danger from being sold to the people. Why are alcoholic beverages being sold?

Drinking and dying

TO THOSE parents who think it's OK for their kids to drink: Every year thousands of people die in our country directly or indirectly because of someone who is under the influence of alcohol. Unfortunately, many of these deaths are young people who thought they could handle it. Think about it, parents. One day you might be staring in the face of your dead son or daughter who died in a car crash under the influence of alcohol, and you started them on their way.

Turned into alcoholic

TO THE person who thinks it OK to give you children a little taste of alcohol: I was raised in a home where drinking was just part of life. I was allowed at a very early age to taste of alcohol. Because of that, I acquired a taste. By the time I was 16 I was an alcoholic. While it is true some young people will be turned off by the taste and smell, the majority will not. They will seek even more because they have been given permission to drink.

Alternate routes

I'VE BEEN somewhat amused by the people calling Speak Out about the dangers they encounter on Snake Hill. Has it ever occurred to these people to just veer left onto Old North Sprigg Street Road at the bottom of the hill? They will reach Lexington just about a block from where Cape Rock intersects with Lexington. Or if that doesn't suit them, drive about a half mile to Highway 177. It isn't as if Snake Hill is the only road into Cape from the north.

School suggestions

I WAS under the impression that the Jackson School District was very crowded. Then I read that the Gordonville Attendance Center is only going to have 37 students next year. Gordonville is not that far away from Jackson. Why don't they put some of the overcrowded Jackson students at Gordonville? Or why not close the Gordonville building and send the students to Jackson? Jackson already has a lot of miles on buses because of the big district.

Special mentoring

I WOULD like to commend Pamela Deneke for helping special-ed kids gain employment through a new program. I don't think one should be so hard on behaviorally disturbed children. Up until now, the child could see very little future for himself. It takes someone like a Pamela Deneke to get involved. I would like to see someone who's in construction be willing to mentor these students. If someone was willing to do that, that would be a great help.

No danger to the neck

ABOUT THE roundabout: Finally, someone is talking with good sense about how to handle the roundabout. It is very simple. You don't need to get whiplash to drive around a the roundabout, as someone suggested.

Inspiring movie

I WOULD Just like to encourage families to go see "The Core." It's a very good scientific movie. I think it's important to take our young people to movies that inspire thinking. If we hadn't had people who thought about space, would we be out in space today? I just think movies that inspire youth or get them thinking so they can see that they can help make inventions for our future.

Tourist magnets

DOWNTOWN organizers are always talking about redoing the downtown area. Why don't they take a page from Morley Swingle's book and redo the dungeons under the courthouse and the forts that we had? If those were all redone, they would make a good draw for tourists.

A caring church

NOT ALL churches are uncaring. I go to Faith Baptist Temple. If somebody doesn't show, our preacher will go out and find out why. Either he or one of the Sunday school teachers will go visit that person or family during the week. They're concerned. They try to find out why someone didn't show up, and they try to get them back the next week. I can't understand all these comments in Speak Out. I've never heard of churches like the ones described by the callers. I guess I've always been going to a church that cares about the people. If you want to get involved in church, come on over, because there's a lot of things going on at our church. We can use extra people, and we'd be glad to have you.

Keep trying

TO NEW residents who come to our town and try to find a church home: Don't give up. Keep trying. Go to another church. Cape Girardeau has some fine, active churches which are growing. I also had the experience of an unfriendly church. I was informed that I had someone else's seat and after I had joined. Needless to say, I never went back. Don't judge all churches by one.

They can afford it

I WOULD think a lot of people are not on a fixed income in Cape Girardeau. There are a lot of houses going up in Cape district. I hope people aren't buying more of a house than they can afford at the risk of not making their community a better place. The argument from people on fixed income doesn't hold. Cape has a lot of affluent people. If they're not living beyond their means, they can help make their community a better place when it comes to taxes and the things it takes to run a community effectively.

Another chance

THERE IS an old saying: "If you want a friend, be one." I've been reading the comments in Speak Out from people who are unhappy with their church and decided to stop going. Did you participate, or did you just sit back and look like "don't speak to me"? Did you shake hands or act friendly? If you have a crisis, did you tell anyone, or did they have to read your mind? If you have someone in the hospital, do you call your pastor or anyone from your church? We have a prayer line at our church for anyone who asks for a request for prayer. We want to be friends, but maybe we felt you didn't want us to approach you. Please give us and God another chance. His word tells us to not forsake the assembling of ourselves together. God loves you, and so do we.