Speak Out 12/20/09

Save Bloomfield

IN most areas of this nation, a beautiful pre-Civil War road would be protected and preserved as an irreplaceable part of the colonial landscape. That is what Bloomfield Road is. Leave it alone. We have something beautiful all the way to Highway 74. Where are the historic preservationists?

Sign violations

I'M not sure what the fine points of the sign ordinance passed a few years ago are, but if I understand them at all there are seven illegal signs posted on North Kingshighway. If we aren't going to enforce this ordinance, shame on us for jailing the mattress guy.

Big footprint

I don't want to come off as a curmudgeon, but all Christmas and other seasonal displays using electricity must cease. Combined, it simply leaves too big of a carbon footprint. I would hope that people would do this voluntarily. If not, legislative and executive officials should do it by fiat.

From the center

PRESIDENT Obama is governing from the center, leaving the extreme left of his party disillusioned and wannabe Republican critics wondering what to say. Thus, they have little alternative than to just say no to anything and everything the president does or suggests in the hope that the American people are so dumb they'll buy this schtick. They won't.

Go whole hog

IN response to the editorial "Texting, driving": Yes, we need more laws to protect us from ourselves. Only the government knows best. We need more fines and criminals among us. We need video cameras in all our vehicles, too, so they can record us in our criminal acts.

Park display

THANK you to all of the businesses and families that decorated the county park for the holidays. It's rare to find such a display free of charge. It's really beautiful.

Losing control

UNLESS there's a revolution at the ballot box in 2010, the courts will continue to be stacked with activist judges like Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, who gave Larry Rice and his New Life Evangelistic Center a second chance at Cape Girardeau's old federal building. These judges live hundreds of miles away and do not have to live with the consequences of their decisions. They will increasingly poke their noses into our local business if we will allow President Obama and the Congress to continue to appoint them to the bench. Soon Cape Girardeau County residents will have little or no say about what goes on in our area.

Wonderful program

I enjoyed the Christmas program at Cape First on Silver Springs Road. It was absolutely wonderful and so professionally done. I sure am glad I went to see it.

Waiting for water

TO those who consider the boat on the Diversion Channel abandoned, let me put the subject straight. It is not abandoned. The boat had engine trouble and is sitting there because I'm waiting for the water to come up. How do I know this? It is mine.

Stop to think

AFTER reading Alan Journet's explanation on how these e-mails are not important, we know now that these were hacked or were released by a server in Russia. He asked for cool reflection. After watching what's going on in Copenhagen, all I see is people saying "Act now. Act now." The global warming mentality is to act now without thinking. Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.

Keep Franklin

I'M against demolishing Franklin Elementary School. We have gone through this scenario before. Lorimier School was closed because officials said there wouldn't be students in that part of town. Then L.J. Schultz School was said to be unsafe for children. Look what has happened to both of these buildings.