Speak Out 5/8/06

Enforce the law

MISSOURI LAW states rape is sex with another person of any age without that person's consent. Sex with a person less than 14 years old is rape even if the person consented. Why am I having to pay for juveniles having babies? I know of juveniles having sex and getting pregnant. Why doesn't someone file charges against them? Missouri officials, abide by your laws or take them off the books.

School information

THANK YOU, Mark Bliss, for writing the article on the new appointees to the Cape Girardeau School District's administration. Let's not stop there. Give us information regarding the salaries for the central office staff. Tell us what the superintendent and his staff will be making. I applaud the efforts of board member Charles Bertrand. We need to begin questioning where our local tax money is being spent.

Be role models

THE TIME has come to work together. We tell our children to get along with others. We quote from the Constitution that all men are created equal. And we endorse our religions that say we should be kind. Then we turn on those with different views and make cute little puppy anecdotes. The time has come to practice what we preach. We have the opportunity to be role models in the eyes of our children and the world. The generation before may have caused the problems, but this generation will be remembered for playing the blame game instead of doing something. Our ancestors shed blood to build us this great nation, but I fear the battle for America has only begun.

Losing campuses

HOW MUCH money would Southeast Missouri State University lose if it didn't have the Sikeston and Bootheel campuses? Zero. Why should students who attend the Cape Girardeau campus have to pay for the education of those who don't want to travel to Cape? President Ken Dobbins' promises that the losses will be gone after two or three more years are nothing but a pipe dream.

Victim of abuse

I WAS a victim of domestic abuse, and no one would lend a hand because my former husband had everyone convinced he wasn't capable of doing such things. If I had stayed any longer, I'd probably be dead. Whether it is physical or emotional abuse, it will stay with you for a lifetime.

Play day

Rose Theatre plays are so risque.

If you don't like it stay away.

I don't care what Will would say.

And the profs can, well, make my day.

Wasted spending

WHEN ARE we going to wise up to the fraudulent use of our hard-earned tax dollars by school administrators who hide behind their doctorates and master's degrees, claiming to know what is best for us and our children? The reason our school systems are in such poor condition, both physically and scholastically, is because of administrators' poor use of our money that was supposed to go to educating our children. Why do we continue to blindly support these folks who clearly do not have our children's best interest at heart?

Stupid story

WHO DECIDED Shakespeare was so great? I think a story about two lovers who kill themselves because they think they can't live without each other is stupid. I wouldn't want my daughters to feel so dependent that they couldn't live without someone.

Good reporting

I READ the article on the church in Dutchtown. I want to commend the reporter, Jennifer Freeze, on writing such a wonderful article. I never knew about the many interesting tales and history within Dutchtown. The Southeast Missourian is lucky to have such a wonderful reporter. I look forward to reading more articles written about the history of the area. Good reporting, Ms. Freeze.

Not rocket science

WHY DOES it take a brilliant mind like Justice Antonin Scalia to say that the Constitution means what it says? The Constitution still means exactly what it said at the time it was written. It's a pretty simple deal.

Unasked question

I DID not get to ask my question of Justice Antonin Scalia: Where is the language in the Constitution that gives a person the right to an abortion that takes the life of an unborn child?

Teaching gap

I MAKE sure my child does the homework assigned and ask every day if I need to help. I doublecheck the work and make sure my child respects the teacher. What I expect is teachers who come to school every day with the same values. The three teachers teaching core subjects this year have missed more than 50 days since September. This includes testing in other school districts, in-house testing, meetings, out-of-town conventions, personal days as well as sick days. We have DARE programs, movie of the month and assemblies, and we wonder why the government got involved and demanded MAP testing. Wouldn't it be simpler if the teachers came to school every day and taught?

Proper punishment

I WONDER what would happen if I entered Mexico illegally and stood in front of that country's Capitol and waved its flag upside down and protested Mexican policies that encourage people to enter the U.S. illegally. Whatever would happen to me should be happening to the illegal aliens here.

Yes to sidewalks

I WOULD rather have sidewalks so my children can walk on them instead of walking in the street. They can't walk through people's yards because there are those who would yell at them to get out. Sidewalks are safer. In my neighborhood, everyone walks on the sidewalks. I'm all for sidewalks.

Similar presidents

THERE ARE many similarities between Abraham Lincoln and George Bush. Both were wartime presidents who made unpopular decisions. Lincoln was also hounded mercilessly by the yellow journalists of his day. His poll numbers were low because of it, and it appeared that he was thoroughly hated by the public. Today he is considered one of the greatest presidents.

Future photographer

IT WAS such a lift to read Matt Sanders' article about "Nature in photos" in Alexander and Pulaski counties and to see Sean Snyder's face with a smile on it looking at his dog. True, the next Ansel Adams may be walking the streets of Cairo, Ill.

The definitions

WHAT'S IN a definition? "Choice" is a code word for killing a baby. Conception is when life begins. That's a biological fact. Scientists who support abortion also support in-vitro fertilization, and they say life begins at fertilization. Secular humanism is the state religion. Sex education can be taught in about six months. Planned Parenthood's sex education, part of a secular humanistic program taught during all 12 school years, devalues human sexuality and the human being as a unique individual.

Cheap seats

MARK BLISS is correct about Busch Stadium. Too bad the Cardinals didn't have the fans in mind when the ticket prices skyrocketed. I never would have agreed that it was nicer to watch from home in the recliner. Now it's the only view most of us can afford from the cheap seats 120 miles south of the Cardinal Nation.

Making headway

GASOLINE PRICES are high because someone cried wolf. Someone said there was a shortage, and the price per barrel went up. Who cares if it was a Democrat or a Republican? All I know is if gas prices keep going up, we will be paying a good chunk of our checks every week just to go to work. This has to end. If President Bush were a Democrat, I would not support him. The fact that he is Republican has no bearing on my decision. I cannot support a president who acts like an American dictator. He has no respect for the power that he has been given and has no remorse for what he has put the American people through. Gas prices are just part of the picture. I think he needs to be removed from office. Gas prices would still be high, but at least we would make some headway in getting the problems of this country resolved.

Singing in Spanish

PEOPLE COMPLAINING about a Spanish-language national anthem, like President Bush, seem to have forgotten about Bush himself singing it in Spanish in 2000. I guess when you're courting voters it's OK, but once you're president it becomes un-American.

Jobs at stake

THE CAPE Girardeau County Transit Authority said no jobs would be lost from the buyout of Kelley Transportation. What about the drivers who may have felonies on their records? These are the ones who will lose there jobs over this deal. When Nip Kelley started the cab company many years ago, he did not care about what kind of background his employees had as long as they showed up to work. I feel sorry for these people, because they have done their time and paid in full for their felonies.

Parcel delivery

A RECENT parcel-post package from California took more than four weeks to be delivered here. The explanation? The Postal Service contracts with private shippers that can hold the packages until they have a full truck. This package sat in a New Mexico shipping depot for more than two weeks, then in a St. Louis-area depot for another two weeks. I've suggested to the businesses from whom I order products that they offer the option of UPS delivery. The cost is fairly competitive, and UPS does a better job of delivering in a timely manner.