Speak Out A 08/01/03

Wonderful Leopold

I MOVED out to Leopold, and this is the best place I have ever lived and ever dreamed of living. People are so nice. They wave to when you go by. They're friendly in the stores. Leopold is the best place I've ever lived in my life.

Pathetic poles

I WOULD just like to say the situation out on Mount Auburn Road with the telephone poles in the new pavement is pathetic. The city council should do something. It's just pathetic that a city the size of Cape Girardeau caters to those people. Why we don't have enough power to make them do something is beyond me. I would like to challenge Mayor Jay Knudtson and the rest of the council to put their foot down and get AmerenUE, Charter Communications and Southwestern Bell out there and move that pole over where it belongs.

Tear down that wall

WHEN THE Nazis built a wall around the Jewish quarter in Warsaw, it was called a ghetto. When the East Germans built a wall around West Berlin, it was called an international provocation and an example of cowardly despotism. When the Israelis build a wall around the Palestinians, it is called a peace effort. Mr. Sharon: Tear down that wall.

A plain citizen

TODAY WE are either a hero or a victim. A hero is someone who does something heroic. I was in the military for 20 years during the Vietnam War and Gulf War. I didn't consider myself a hero by just being in the military. To the people with their hands out to the government wanting more because they are a victim of society, I say you made choices. Were you the clown in school not studying or thinking you were going to be a professional athlete but couldn't get a high enough ACT score to get in college? Sorry, I am a victim too. I am just a plain working-class citizen.

New mascot will help

I NEVER get excited about being politically correct, but I do believe a new Southeast mascot makes good business sense. Let's face it, with our mascot like it is now, the university can't market itself as a legit Division I program. When is the last time any of us saw a symbol representing Southeast besides the dome of Academic Hall? Let's get a new mascot and market it so that people throughout the state will recognize it -- much like the MU tiger or the SMS Bear.

Sound science

IT IS ridiculous for U.S. Sen. Christopher Bond to pretend he thinks "sound science" should be the basis for actions regarding increased fuel efficiency. This senator has consistently been the greatest opponent of any ideas regarding environmental protection that are based on sound science. To Bond, sound science means only opinions with which he agrees and which serve his corporate constituency.

Dictating to others

THE INDIAN name and the Iraq war controversies both have one thing in common. In both cases white Cape Girardians have the arrogance to believe they can dictate what is right or good to other people.

Avoiding real issues

I'D LIKE someone to define "political correctness." I think this is an allegation that is thrown at something you don't like. It's just a way of not having to think in any depth about an issue like the Indian name. It's meaningless.

Secret report

CAN ANYONE believe there is a real national security reason for classifying the report on the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks? It is much more likely that these pages would embarrass the Bush administration than any foreign nation. It's probably all about Bush security and Bush re-election.

Plain labels

WHAT'S IN a name? We are so afraid of offending someone. It's getting ridiculous. Why doesn't the university call the sports teams the SEMO basketball team or SEMO football team. Then no one would be offended.

Animal ancestry

IN REGARD to the renaming of the SEMO mascot, one person suggested the Eagles. I'm sorry, but you can't use that name. I believe in reincarnation. In my former life I was an eagle. I take offense that the name of my ancestry would be used for a sports mascot. I demand that you choose another name. Be fore warned that in my other lives I was many other animals and birds, and I don't want their names being used either.

Fund raising in street

REGARDING PEOPLE standing at intersections collecting for various fund raisers: This is a dangerous area for children and adults to be standing at the busiest time of day. Today, while a car was stopped to give money to the kids (the light was green) another car went around him. This could have been an accident waiting to happen. This practice of fund raising in the street needs to be checked into before something tragic happens.

Should have voted yes

I HAVE a question for those of you who want a larger police presence in Cape Girardeau's south side. Why didn't you vote yes in April? Then the officers would have been given a much needed salary increase and overtime pay to walk on foot with a police dog.

Nonsensical recall

SURELY CALIFORNIA voters are smart enough not to let their government be bought by one Republican with more money than morality. This entire recall nonsense is driven by one individual who wants to buy the governorship and doesn't care about wasting taxpayer funds on a useless election.

A career objective

I WANT to start a huge sensitivity bandwagon. We can travel the country and make big issues out of nothing. We can whine about being offended by things that have been in place for hundreds of years. We can use our race or ethnicity in our favor and use it to exploit other people. Pretty soon everything will be so politically correct that there will be nothing original about the country.