Speakout 7/25

Monday, July 25, 2005

Call 471-6636

I have just completed reading the story in Wednesday's Standard Democrat, "Junky," about signs in the fourth class community of Miner. It would seem to me that Miner has a lot more serious junk problems than just a sign. Miner is full of junk. Just look at the junk sitting around the muffler shops or the new Junk Flea Market located on Malone Avenue. Not to mention junk-yard type trailer builders right on the main southern route through town. Just look at the weeds driving through town, they are taller than a pro-basketball player. The sign complaints are trivial compared to other problems this community has. I'm not a citizen of the community but have lived around her a long time and notice a lot that goes on out there.

There was a story on KFVS about wild hogs. They ask that anyone who sees one to kill it. If the farmers and the state are being financially hurt, why don't they offer a bounty?

This is to the "blaming the police" person. I happen to live close to the West end of town unfortunately. Apparently you do as well. That is why you wanted to whine about how badly the cops are mistreating you people. The cops are doing their jobs or they are trying to. The people here are making my home's value go down every time an appraiser is out here and they see these gangs walking down the road. If these boys can't be civilized, then there is a place for them and it's called a boys home! I'm also tired of all these parents who allow their kids to roam the streets at all hours of the day/night. Maybe you shouldn't of had them if you didn't want to take care of them? I sure the hell am not taking care of them. I am so damn sick and tired of seeing all these boys walking up and down the damn streets, trying to hog it while someone is trying to drive down it. They have no business doing that. If they want to walk down the street, then maybe they should use the sidewalks. Don't walk out in front of my car or I just might not be looking at that precise second the next time I come across a group of them. Maybe I should just send them to dirty up your neighborhood.

I am writing in response to the Thursday, July 14, Speakout. I believe that I, Peggy Simmons of Portageville, and my family and friends are the ones that the unnamed person was talking about. When I first read the article I was livid. How dare you or anyone suggest that we were vulgar! All we were doing was cheering and clapping for my granddaughter. You know if you had been looking around that day you would have noticed how some of the moms acted when their child won. I believe the emcee of the pageants stated that he believed the moms were more excited than the child, so is that vulgar? I think not. It is just being a proud parent. Regardless of whether my child wins or loses she is taught that she is a winner in our eyes. I have two grown granddaughters that have been in a lot of major pageants and always people are cheering and clapping. I have witnessed pageants where you thought that they had brought the whole town. On Aug. 6, the Miss USA Teen Pageant will be on TV. Representing Missouri is Rachel Woolard from this area. She won the title in Kansas City last December and we cheered and yelled for her and if I was able to go to Louisiana, I and others would be cheering and clapping for her (or as you would say we would be vulgar). One more thought - through the years I have watched children and moms at pageants and after, if their child did not win they would talk awful to them. You know, I believe that is where the self-esteem comes in. How you act in front of your child and the explanation you give her - not because a large family and friends cheered for a 7-year-old who was told over and over that whether or not she won she would always be our queen. And by the way, my granddaughter did not win her age group. She was first alternate. We were thrilled because she did wonderful and she did not win because of all the cheering we did. But if you think cheering and clapping influences the judge, I suggest people bring larger groups of fans with them.

- - -

This is in response to "Pageant Behavior" in Speakout. That was not from Portageville. We have checked around. It is believed that that group who was referred to as the vulgar group was from the Sikeston area. That is not condoned nor wanted back at Portageville's pageants.