Speak Out 8/8/08

Faulty test

Oh, yes, let's blame the discrepancy between our students A's and B's on report cards and their barely passing MAP scores on the teachers. How ridiculous. Maybe this discrepancy points to a faulty test, not a faulty school district.

Good odds

Since so many people are upset about not getting to gamble in Cape Girardeau, just give me your money and I might double it. The odds are 50-50, much better than a casino.

Slated to fail

REGARDING MAP scores: Student report-card grades and MAP scores should be correlated. However, each year school districts must perform a step above what they obtained the year before. Remember, we are shooting for 100 percent of our children getting a perfect score, as set by No Child Left Behind. Your district might have done a great job, but it is only rewarded by raising the stakes next year. As the goal gets closer and closer to 100 percent, more and more schools will fail.

Empty streets?

Wow. If Sikeston outlaws baggy, saggy pants, the streets will be eerily empty.

Iraq's oil profits

A recent national report said that Iraq has $80 billion in surplus money from its oil exports. We're wasting taxpayer money getting young people killed while trying to help set up a government for a country that doesn't want us there.

Changing the date

The date for German Days in Chaffee has moved around several times due to Kelso Summerfest and the Sikeston Bootheel Rodeo. Ever since Kelso dropped Summerfest, German Days was moved to the first weekend in August versus the second. This had nothing to do with any candidate running for political office.

Election choices

Term limits are ridiculous. If an officeholder is doing a great job, why force him out? If he is doing things inappropriate while in office, the people will have their chance to address this and replace the officeholder. That's why we hold elections. It's an opportunity for people to keep good people in office or change if they feel another will do a better job.

Cycling advice

I applaud those of you who have turned to bicycles or motorcycles to save on gasoline. However, you need to be aware of your place in traffic. Recently I have seen many people on motorcycles and scooters perform quite dangerous maneuvers in traffic. Riding a wheelie down a busy street isn't cool. It's stupid and endangers the cyclist. More importantly it puts other people at risk. Ride responsibly. A car with substantial mass will not be forgiving.

Thanks for assistance

I would like to thank the people who stopped and helped my husband when he had his motorcycle wreck Saturday night on Highway 74. We appreciate your following the car that caused the accident and having the driver return to the scene. You don't know how much this meant to us.

Breaking the cycle

I was shocked after recently reading the comment titled "School success," The main point: Lower-class (poor) students interrupt and drag down the learning process for middle-class students. In essence, it said to eliminate the problem we should place quotas on the number of students from poor families. How can this even be an option? Every citizen is guaranteed the right to an education. Those students need an education and an opportunity to break the cycle of poverty.