Speak Out B 01/23/03

Living with less

HERE IS a quote from Fred Settelmeyer that we need to keep in mind in Jefferson City and across the state: "It is painfully written in the pages of history, and it is obvious to all who will read, that long before any government can give its people all they want, it will have taken from them all that they have." No more taxes and learning to live with less is a novel idea for many.

Lack of good sense

DR. ROBERT Ward is right on with his comments concerning Sheryl Crow, who has a serious case of foot-in-mouth disease or a simple lack of good sense.

Getting understanding

IF WE could see all sacred scriptures as a common record of the universal human search for meaning and not as the revealed word of God, we would recognize that for millenniums we have been reading meaning into these texts instead of getting understanding out of them.

Freedom of speech

DR. ROBERT Ward was not attempting to ban Sheryl Crow from the Show Me Center for exercising her freedom of speech. He was exercising his right to respond to her words by saying he'll withhold financial support from SEMO if Crow ever sings again at the Show Me Center. There is nothing wrong with that.

Worse budgets

IT'S COMFORTING to know that some state governments have worse financial problems than Missouri. Compared to others, I guess our state government is only at the stage that might be deemed "near collapse."

Take responsibility

I READ with horror the story about the bonfire explosion. I understand the Oak Ridge teacher's concern that blame will be placed on the school. But no school can, or should, baby sit after hours. Out-of-school discipline is the parents' responsibility. Stupidity is the individual's responsibility. We would all be better if we stopped blaming others for our actions and took responsibility seriously. Whoever caused the explosion should be human enough to admit it and suffer the consequences. Whoever supplied liquor to the minors should be in prison.

Repeat offenders

I HAVE only lived in this area for a year, yet I recognize some of the names in the police report, for they are in there frequently. Perhaps Missouri should consider a "three strikes" law.

Time for accountability

WHATEVER HAPPENED to safe sex? I cannot believe a person with HIV who has unprotected sex with another without informing his or her partner can be imprisoned for up to 14 years. What a great way for an HIV patient to receive medical care when he can't afford it. Just have unprotected sex with someone and be sent to jail. While I feel profoundly sorry for someone who is intentionally exposed to HIV, shouldn't an adult who consents to having sex without protection be accountable for his or her actions?

Not those drivers

WE'VE HEARD a lot of constructive comments from senior-citizen drivers defending their careful driving. Something tells me the ones that have responded are not the ones that the original Speak Out caller was referring to.

Emergency funding

IN MY opinion, Southeast Missouri road crews do an outstanding job in clearing the roads in inclement weather. However, it was obvious in our most recent storm that their efforts have slacked off, no doubt due to a shrinking budget. Rather than funds being taken from other budgeted areas, I suggest individual cities ask their generous citizens to help out. I live in Jackson. Why not charge us an extra couple of dollars each month on our electric bill to allocate to an emergency fund? If not needed, it could be credited back to us in the spring. A few dollars a month when there are extreme weather conditions is a small price to pay to keep our roads clean and safe.

TO THE people who insist upon placing the problems of society on the shoulders of a few entertainers: The artists seek approval from nobody. The majority of them do it for self-satisfaction and the idea that people will buy their albums, thus creating a profit for them. I have seen plenty of parents with their junior high-age children paying for a CD at the record store with the black "Explicit Lyrics" label emblazoned on it because it the perfect pacifier. The problem is parents are not being parents and aren't standing up to their children.

Middle-class tax breaks

HELLO, MIDDLE class. You are included in the tax breaks for the rich. Whoops. I'm sorry. The Democratic Party didn't want you to know that.

Odd-shaped junk

REGARDING THE post office's inability to process square letters: Postal workers sure don't have a problem sending me all kinds of oddly shaped junk mail. Every day there seems to be some nonsense about credit cards or Internet access. It's a shame how much paper is wasted on this.

I'D LIKE to commend James Murray for his letter to the editor about rich people, who pay most of the taxes. I think that should give many people a lot of insight and help many more understand what reality is instead of jumping off on something they've heard somebody else say that sounds good to them.