SpeakOut 8/29

Thursday, August 29, 2002

Call 4471-6636

I wasn't there to see the accident with little Kristen, but what I've seen of bus drivers, they drive way too fast. I've seen them speed up and down the highways, when I'm going 55 mph on Salcedo Road, they have passed me, honked at me and cut me off. I think we need to take another look at our bus drivers, I think we need to take another look at how we pick our bus drivers and I think we need to take another look at how we conduct ourselves when we are picking our bus drivers. If it isn't already mandatory, do drug testing, alcohol testing. Any history should be done from five years back. I'm a recovering alcoholic and I would not dare get behind the wheel of a bus and I've been clean and sober for 15 years. I would not take the chance of a child in my hands. These bus drivers need to slow down. This is what it took to finally, finally get someone to notice. It's such a tragedy. I am so sorry for this family. May God bless you.


I'm calling in about the accident involving the little girl. I was watching the news and saw all these other kids jumping around the reporter, running and laughing and jumping up and down, trying to get on the camera. This is not the way to do or to be respectful of the one who died. I don't know anything about the bus or the driver or anything about it, just what I saw on the news. The way they talked, the oldest one was supposed to be taking care of the youngest one and was supposed to see that the youngest one got on the bus. The oldest one was a baby herself. These kids stand at the bus stops and never have a parent with them. They just stand on the corner and their parents expect them to get on the bus and go to school.I don't think any fingers should be pointed at the bus driver. Maybe she should have stopped quicker. But how do we know what she was feeling at that moment? How would we react in the same situation? If she was going around a curve, how could she be driving that fast? These are all questions that need to be answered. Parents or some grownups should be out there with small children at the bus stops. Every bus stop needs a grownup there to watch them.


I am calling about Kristen Harris who was killed this morning by a bus. I just want to tell her that I love her, even though I didn't know her. I know you're in a better place, so rest in peace.


If the superintendent of Sikeston Schools was ever out in the community at the time the buses run, he could easily see that there are major problems. So far this year, I have witnessed a bus coming from the west on Murray Lane traveling east, go through the school zone and never slow down to 20 mph, they act as though they are being chased by the police and trying to get away. I think it is time that either the superintendent or the school board members do something about this. There were major problems last year and there's already problems this year. They always seem to wait until something happens before they do anything about it. By the way, I happen to be a white person.

I was disgusted by the picture on the front page showing the school bus accident scene. You could not be any more insensitive to the family of that child than showing the blood-stained street where this precious child lost her life in a tragic accident. I was shocked and repulsed by the sight of that photograph and remain bewildered at how any decent person would allow that picture to go to press. Shame on you and your staff. I respectfully request that a public apology to that family be printed in your very next edition.


I just wanted to say how appalled I was at seeing the picture you printed on the front page of Tuesday's paper. As if it wasn't bad enough to hear that a little girl was killed, but to print a picture of the accident site with blood, backpack and all is just unreal. As I am sure many other people were stunned all the people who work where I do could not believe that you were that hard up for news.


I'm calling about the picture in the paper where the little girl was hit by the school bus on Aug. 27. How could the photographer take that picture of the blood and stuff on the road where the little girl was hit by the bus? Does he understand or did he even think of how the family would feel when they see that picture of where their child was killed? The Standard needs to talk to that reporter and draw some guidelines of what kind of stuff they put in the paper. They need to think about the people who were involved in this.


I just received the Aug. 27 paper and I am very, very disappointed in the picture of "Death investigated." I can just imagine if it was my child or grandchild, that their clothes were strung all over the street. I don't appreciate it.


I was reading the Aug. 27 paper and I thought the picture on the front page was inappropriate. Tim Jaynes, you ought to know better than that.


The family of the little girl hit by the bus is going through a terrible loss. You would think the newspaper would extend a little compassion and have a reporter do a short article with a following one with more information when it is available. But all you can come up with is a very thoughtless photo. Real good.


Mike Jensen, how disrespectful of you to have a picture of the accident in the Aug. 27 paper in which a child was killed. You should take a good look at the picture. I just can't believe you would allow the picture in the paper. How disrespectful to the child and her family. If this had been your child, would you have enjoyed looking at her personal belongings and blood all over the street like that? You should be ashamed. God bless the family and may He give them strength.


I'm calling about the Aug. 27 front page. Come on. That is a nasty picture. I cannot believe the Standard Democrat allowed that picture to be in there.


I think it's totally ridiculous of how you put the photograph of the accident scene where the little girl got killed by a school bus in the paper!