Misplaced blame

HOW LONG before President Clinton stops getting blamed for everything? Dana Corp. closes its Cape Girardeau plant, and that's the fault of a president who last served seven years ago? Let's get real. NAFTA was supported by Big Business and a Republican-controlled Congress. And let's not forget that President Bush also signed the CAFTA agreement and is looking to expand the deal to South America. Republicans love free-trade, but when it affects our area we have to blame someone else.

Insurance idea

THE SCOTT County insurance premium information (employer paying $289.45 with the employee paying $51 monthly) points out what many of us have been saying for more than a decade: National health insurance coverage could be a possibility for us all by looking at how businesses and government departments themselves handle employee health insurance. Perhaps that is too simple an idea.

Drug testing

MARIJUANA WILL stay in your system for months, if it is used on a daily basis. Most prescription drugs, meth and other illegal drugs, only stay in the system one to four days. Being around someone who smokes marijuana should be a concern due to the type of field-testing kit that may be used. There are many new kits nowadays besides just testing the urine. Some are swabs to test saliva. Some just wipe the skin. If you've been around someone smoking pot and the wipe is used, it may show up as a false positive due to the smoke residue settling on your skin. You would have to stay in a closed-in area with no ventilation for a long period to inhale enough smoke to test positive. The best choice is to stay away from anyone who uses drugs.

Public streets

TO THE person complaining about other people using Pioneer Orchard subdivision as a bypass: This is what most people in Jackson have to deal with every day, especially when you live that close to a school. If you don't want any traffic on your street, you should move to a private, gated community.

Lost the spirit

AS A cashier in a retail store I have had the Christmas spirit sucked out of me. I understand people are in a hurry and don't want to wait, but they also need to realize that they aren't the only customers in the store. I remember the day after Thanksgiving my very first customer swore at me because she failed to read the fine print on a coupon. I don't work this job for enjoyment. I work my job just like everyone else does: for a paycheck so I can pay my bills. I don't want to hear people complain about all the little things. Merry Christmas. I won't be having one.

Physical punishment

THE STORY about the father beating his 5-year-old daughter with a belt horrifies all of us. Many might view this type of extreme abuse as fairly rare. The truth is there are many children who are spanked by parents who lose control, but the incidents might not be severe enough to be reported or discovered, or if reported not publicized. Regardless of the oft-quoted "spare the rod and spoil the child" by spanking advocates who can only read that phrase literally, physical punishments are a cop-out. They are easier and quicker than dealing with a more humane punishment. They relieve pent-up stress in the adults doing the spanking. They are not proven to work any better than nonphysical punishments. And they often verge on actual beatings as the spankers lose control of their emotions. Stop excusing physical punishment by saying it is good for the child or that your childhood spankings worked for your parents. Stop teaching your children that it is OK to be bullies by hitting others who are smaller and weaker.

Not forgotten

I'D LIKE to send a big Christmas thank you to all the men and women in the armed forces who represent our country here and abroad. Most of the country appreciates what you're doing even if that's not what you hear on the news. We know you're risking your life and missing the holidays with your family and friends. We wanted you to know we haven't forgotten you. Merry Christmas.

Use existing law

WE'VE BEEN fighting this drug war for a hundred years in this country. If Morley Swingle, Cape Girardeau County prosecuting attorney, wants more convictions, use the existing DWI law and train the officers to write better reports.

Making a difference

The op-ed column by Bill Springer was an excellent sharing of memories that also gave great cause to support the Cape Girardeau Public Library in its expansion. I already knew Springer to be the best teacher at Central High School, and this column only reinforces the fact. He is a talented, generous, humorous man who makes differences in lives.

Keep up with costs

I THINK the minimum wage should go up with the cost of living. I also think Social Security should meet the cost of living. And another thing: We don't need to be sending troops overseas. We need to be bringing them back.

What you pay for

I GET tired of Missourians who say they don't want any taxes. They're satisfied with the second-worst roads in the country and poor law enforcement. In Illinois, one out of every 9,320 people is killed in a traffic accident. But in Missouri, one out of 4,280 are killed in a traffic accident. Something should be done, including fixing some of the roads that are poorly designed without shoulders.

Need holiday lights

I'M DISAPPOINTED with the Christmas lights on Broadway in Cape Girardeau. We used to have more lights, and it was magical going down Broadway. Main Street has done a great job of decorating.

Thanks, trashmen

I WANT to thank all the Jackson city workers, especially the men who haul our trash. We appreciate you and want to wish you a Merry Christmas and a happy new year.

Thanks for keys

TO THE person who found my keys in the Saint Francis Medical Center area: Thank you so much for turning them in. I picked them up this morning at the security guard station. God bless you. Have a merry Christmas and a happy new year.

Thanks for generosity

THANKS TO all who performed and donated at the benefit held for Aaron at Pockets. My heart and prayers go out to everyone. May God show his gratitude by specially blessing each and every one of you: the performers, those who contributed and shared, the ones who organized and put on this benefit. Also, thank you to all of those involved in the benefit for that beautiful girl, Sahara. These acts of kindness and sharing have showed me that there are angels among us. Thank you, and may God bless everyone.

Bull charges

DOES ANYONE else think it's crazy for a person to be charged with a criminal offense because his bull gets out of a fenced area? At the very most this should have been a civil suit. The land of the free is a thing of the past.

Vision of quake

I HAVE had a strong vision, and this is not the first time. I have had visions in the past that worked out beyond belief. A major earthquake will occur along the New Madrid fault between now and Labor Day 2017. Please remember these dates and stay prepared. I hope I am wrong.

Lights stay on

REGARDING THE headlights at Cape County Park North: Some cars have running lights. These lights are on constantly once the key is in the ignition.

Too many liars

WHY IS it that this town has more liars than any town I know of? I have never seen so many liars in my life. Doesn't the Bible say that a liar is a devil? Why do people lie?

Tourney compassion

I DON'T know who does the pairings for the Christmas tournament, but why don't they consider the small schools' feelings when they pair them with the first and the last teams? Why not give them a little respect and let them play each other all the way up to the top rather than making the larger schools feel good? There are no feelings for the smaller schools and the players when it's a blowout. Let's be a little more considerate.

Stoplight timing

WHY ARE stoplights in Cape Girardeau on timers, not sensors?