SPEAKOUT

Views on self-sacrifice

I APPRECIATE the Missourian's tolerance for differing views, but I'll tell you what. Some of opinions in the "Another View" column just keep getting kookier and kookier. Blant Hurt (a contributing writer for Arkansas Business) wrote a column Aug. 1 criticizing Webb Hubbell in part because "of the confused depths to which the moral ideal of self-sacrifice can lead an individual." Later, Hurt writes, "Any man who sees self-sacrifice as a moral ideal is doomed." Kind of like Jesus, huh? He continues by writing that "self-sacrifice is an irrational and impossible standard of conduct." Hurt has been reading too much Ayn Rand. He is apparently an unabashed social Darwinist who sees harm in any attempt at helping others. I would imagine that if Hurt is interested in gaining adherents to his philosophy, he would be better served by going a little easy on condemning one of the major tenets of Christianity and other major religions of the world, namely, the altruistic ideal. I'll bet Hurt will change his tune when he is hurting.

Unusual punishment

WE HUMANS are such strange and adverse creatures even with our own individual levels of understanding. I wonder if this response will make any sense to the caller who wishes to punish the handicapped by trying to be even more considerate than the law requires. My neighbor is a lovely young woman who has lived with the burden of cerebral palsy since birth. She has undergone many painful surgeries and endured tremendous physical agony. Most of the time she is able to move about on crutches. Only when she has the need of a wheelchair will she use a handicapped-parking space. She knows by experience that most of the other spaces are too small to accommodate a wheelchair and refuses to take a space that may be more urgently needed by another. She doesn't mind walking the extra distance. She's grateful for her ability to walk even with the aid of crutches. According to the law, she's entitled to use a more convenient parking space, but she chooses to follow the spirit of the law which was not intended to make things more difficult for any of us but to make things possible for all of us.

Kingshighway trash

IT APPEARS as though we are no longer living up to our reputation as a clean and beautiful city. The islands up and down Kingshighway are full of weeds and trash and are really in need of a street sweeping. There's a drive in restaurant no longer in business that's full of weeds and trash. You know, it's bad enough to go up and down and look at all the construction equipment and supplies, but I suppose this is a necessary evil. If you check the motels every weekend you will find them full of people in our town for one event or another. Is this how we want to present one of our main thoroughfares in the city that seems to get dirtier by the week?

Exposing corruption

I WOULD like to respond to the person who is tired of reading about the bashing of the Meadow Heights School District and to applaud the Southeast Missourian for its role in exposing corruption in the district. This person said 3,000 people did not sign the petition. This is an inflated figure. There are only 1,825 registered voters in the district. Records show that persons living outside of the district have returned and voted in school board elections. Alas, more corruption. This person suffers from the Robin Hood syndrome. It's okay to be a thief as long as you rob from the appropriate persons and the appropriate persons profit from the robbery. Also this person states that there is a board member who's stated position is to close the school and dares the Missourian to investigate that. Then in the next breath this person tells you to quit trying Tom Waller and the school board in the pages of the Southeast Missourian. Again, the Robin Hood syndrome has kicked in. Apparently, the caller must work on the premise that the end justifies the means. I urge the good people to keep in mind that it was not the rabble-rousers who defrauded the government. However, their children will continue to feel the effects of these fraudulent acts in years to come when the district has to repay these funds to the state. The good people should be thanking the rubble-rousers and the Southeast Missourian for exposing these wrongful acts, and perhaps their children can grow up with better values and reinforce the premise of the Constitution that all men are created equal.

Pre-employment raise

OUR tax-and-spend mayor is at it again. He wants to give the next city manager a raise before he's even hired and proves himself. I believe that all finalists were aware of the salary of the position of city manager before becoming a finalist. They applied for the job because they wanted it and wanted to be in Cape Girardeau. I'm tired of being taxed on every item I buy, utility I pay and every piece of decent property I own. Not all of us can afford more taxes for raises who aren't yet earned. Just who does the mayor work for?

Beware of Republicans

JUST listening to the Waco hearings is the most ridiculous excuse to put blame on Bill Clinton. You Republicans are trying to do to Bill Clinton just what you did to Jimmy Carter. You're the ones we have to worry about in this country. I worry about this. I've been here a long time. I know what happened and how you all operate, but I don't think you'll get by with it this time because people are smarter.

Buyout suggestion

I THINK all of you should volunteer to get together, take up a collection and buy my house for about twice its value. You see, it's built in a tornado and earthquake-prone area, and I've decided I don't want to live here. If you wait until my property's damaged, I believe you should be coerced through a taxation system to accomplish this.