Speak Out 10/22/06

Late-night dining

THERE ARE some great places to gather in Cape Girardeau, but the hours are ridiculous. A local cafe that is close to the university closes at 5:30 p.m. some days. How is anyone supposed to enjoy it? College students don't start to go out at night until 9 p.m. or later. If you want our business, offer better hours.

Caring teachers

CONGRATULATIONS TO the teacher in Poplar Bluff for his excellent op-ed article. I wish he could teach my child. We need teachers who care about their students and want to teach. We don't need administrators who are only concerned about test scores.

Protecting the brave

THANK GOODNESS we have intelligent leaders who drafted and signed into law the Military Commissions Act of 2006. The act will provide meaningful tools to prosecute those who wish to do us harm while protecting those in bravely serve in our armed forces. Thank goodness we have a party in power that doesn't mirror the ACLU.

Difficult driving

THOUGH NOT yet as violent, tree trimming and road reconstruction in Cape Girardeau have made it as difficult to drive through as Baghdad.

High respect

POLLS REVEAL that teachers rank high on a respect level. Teacher pay is another matter.

Paying the doctor

I AM writing to encourage everyone with health insurance and co-pay to check their doctor bills closely. Time and time again my insurance carrier and I pay my co-pay plus treatment. When all is said and done, I had paid too much at the office. It's like pulling teeth to get your refund. And we all wonder why insurance premiums are so costly.

Torture lesson

I RECOMMEND watching "The Battle of Algiers." Made in 1966 about the struggle for Algerian independence from the French from 1954 to 1962, it is the story of the formation of a terrorist group and how torture was used to destroy it. This particular situation has been studied ad nauseam by our country's terrorism experts because it is the only time in history torture has been effective at stopping a terrorist network. Get some popcorn and prepare to be entertained.

Teaching umbrella

I AM so sorry about how Brian White feels about teaching, but I understand. I had many good years of teaching ability left when I retired -- not because I couldn't teach anymore, but for all the reasons and more that White had the true grit to put in writing. Truth be known, I bet you couldn't get 10 out of 100 teachers to disagree with White's statements about student conduct, parental disregard, and common disrespect for teachers. Some way, somehow, someone other than legislators better get hold of our school systems, put them all under one umbrella of content taught, student/parent/teacher expectations and all state teachers on the same pay scales. This would allow any teacher to move within Missouri and be able to pick up and teach just what they'd been teaching 400 miles away.

Faster computers

THE PERSON who described Southeast Missouri State University as neglected and in disrepair must be visiting a different campus than I am. I've never encountered a broken computer in the labs, and they're replaced every two years. I go to the computer labs because the computers are faster than the one in my office.