OpinionDecember 18, 2006
Speak Out 12/18/06
Police matters; Government control; Too much conflict; No forks allowed; No drinking either; Extra trash; Rude to cashiers; Watch is returned; Lot of problems; Hot blooded; Drug pushers; Mulching leaves; Put on a smile; Small-town crime; Gift from an angel; Loud music; Loving music; Loved the lights; Celebrity challenge; On deaf ears
Police matters
I AM a police veteran. Few civilians will ever understand the pressure and strains of police work. It is a difficult way of life, sometimes boring and too often dangerous. There is no shortage of having to deal with tragic circumstances. One must develop a certain professional callousness toward sad and depressing facts of life. It is not easy. And many police officers have seen their family life crumble because of the pressures they face. But I have also seen police officers make mistakes. I have been impressed with the general professionalism here. This is a good town and a good force. But human beings are fallible. And a police officer can make a mistake. Should he or she receive a certain benefit of the doubt? I believe yes. But, it is imperative nevertheless to investigate when evidence indicates. Setting up a police force as beyond question is dangerous. See where the evidence leads. A million times out of a million and one, the police will be proven in the right. But that one millionth time should not be ignored.
Government control
IS IT just me, or does anyone else think that federal, state and local governments are taking too much control of our private lives?
Too much conflict
I READ about the candidates for Jackson Board of Aldermen. One of these candidates has an important job with the county. Am I the only one who sees this as a conflict of interest? Jackson and the county have had a few battles recently. How would a county employee be able to uphold Jackson's best interests if another conflict occurs?
No forks allowed
THE ARTICLE on the amount of time a child spends eating his lunch was good, but while looking into that let's look at this. Why are children not allowed to eat with forks? These are children, people, not criminals. They have someone blowing a whistle in the lunchrooms and getting on them for talking to their friends. Good heavens. They don't allow them to share what they bring from home with their friends.
No drinking either
TO THE person who said we shouldn't smoke in front of our children: Then we shouldn't drink in front our children or shouldn't beat our spouses in front of our children. There's been much more harm done to a child by drinking in front of a child than smoking.
Extra trash
I WORK at a convenience store. At night we have to change the trash cans at the pumps. Lately, the trash cans are crammed with customers' bags of trash from their home. Use the Dumpsters by the building. Or pay the extra to have those extra bags picked up. I am tired of the bags ripping because you cram it full, and I have to wear the liquids that leak out. It is gross.
Rude to cashiers
I AM a cashier at a convenience store. I have noticed that people are rude and hateful to the people behind the counter. I get yelled and cursed at all the time for things I have no control over. As for poor service, treat the worker with some respect. I say hello to people, and they ignore me. That is rude.
Watch is returned
MY MOTHER recently lost her most cherished gold bracelet. A kind and honest soul found it in the parking lot of Popeye's Fried Chicken and turned it into the management. Unfortunately, the management was not able to tell her who turned it in. I hope you are reading this, because I want to say thank you. May God bless you and shine his love upon you and your family. You made my mother very happy and we are so thankful for you honesty and the honesty of the staff of Popeye's Fried Chicken. May you all have a blessed holiday and a merry Christmas.
Lot of problems
I READ with interest the article on the homeless shelter in Jackson. I live in this neighborhood. Nothing was mentioned about a neighbor's vehicle being stolen and wrecked by a person from this place, the peeping Tom incidents or the people who traipse through the area every hour of the day or night. I can't tell you the number of times the police have been there. When my grandchildren visit, I'm afraid to send them out in my yard to play alone. I don't begrudge the halfway house, but it should not be in a residential area. What Realtor would sell this property without checking the zoning laws?
Hot blooded
GLOBAL WARMING has been occurring since the Ice Age. To say it's a human-caused problem is ridiculous. The only thing global warming does for me is make my blood boil.
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Drug pushers
IN RESPONSE to "Proposal would expand DWI to include drugs": Does this mean when I drive after taking something over-the-counter for a cold or headache I'd be breaking the law? If that's correct, that would be nuts. Why not get focused on the real drug pushers that are let out of prison or allowed to walk the streets as "informants?"
Mulching leaves
I'VE BEEN mulching leaves for years. Not only does mulching leaves save the atmosphere of unnecessary emissions, but it also provides my yard with valuable nutrients.
Put on a smile
DO PEOPLE ever smile anymore? Everywhere I go I try to smile at people and greet them nicely and with respect. Everyone should try it sometime. It brightens your day.
Small-town crime
IT SEEMS like the battle over law enforcement is never-ending. I am tired of hearing about towns like Oran that have a small-town mentality and think because they grew up in that town that they can't be arrested. They do not like it when sheriff's deputies handle calls. Why? Because the deputies do not tolerate the kind of antics that have been going on. Straighten up. Stay out of the bars. Stay home with your children. Grow up and act like an adult. Be a part of bettering your community and make a positive change.
Gift from an angel
MY FAMILY has been having financial problems. I have been praying for God to help us. I am attending a class to further my education, and my instructor learned of my financial issues. She explained to me that she and her husband tithe and gave me a sizeable amount of money and expressed that it was from God. What an angel. You know who you are. If you read this, please know that you truly are a special person. My family will never forget you.
Loud music
HAS ANYONE else noticed the increase in loud music in their neighborhoods? For the last few weeks I've been working from home, and it seems like every five minutes someone drives by with their bass so loud that it shakes the pictures on the walls. I understand the desire to listen to loud music. Who hasn't felt the urge to crank up the radio when their favorite song comes on? But there needs to be a limit. Does anybody know what can be done?
Loving music
YOU DON'T have to be highly educated to enjoy classical music. The range of classical music is so amazing. Some of it I love. Some of it I don't. I also love jazz, the blues, some rock and some country. You have to open your mind before you can hear the beauty of any type of music. Everyone is entitled to his opinion without being belittled and called uneducated.
Loved the lights
MY FAMILY would like to thank the family who does the Christmas lights on Kent Dive. Our 2- and 5-year-old girls loved them so much that we watched for 30 minutes, and they were still sad to go. I hope you will do this each year and it will become tradition to come see your home lit up like it was. We loved it.
Celebrity challenge
RICK SPRINGFIELD should be given a key to the city of Cape Girardeau. What a great guy, not only for what he did for Sahara Aldridge, but for the human spirit that was evident in his work that night. The way he personalized that concert to the audience, touched the audience and pulled that very large room together gives hope that celebrities have something to offer the world besides entertainment value, fame and earning big salaries. This is a challenge to other celebrities to give more, share more and take less. Hats off to Rick Springfield. It took me 33 years to see him in person, and what a lasting impression it will leave.
On deaf ears
THE OP-ED column by Mike Kasten regarding ethanol subsidies and how they affect the cattle industry was informative and entertaining and gave many of us deeper insight into how government interference often affects other areas. Unfortunately, Mr. Kasten's article will make no difference. Sadly enough, our government officials only really listen to lobbyists, not to average taxpayers.
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