Speakout 9/20

Friday, September 20, 2002

It's a shame that our local medical group has filed a lawsuit against one of the best surgeons around. I don't know why they can't just wipe their tears and take care of their patients, even half as well as this surgeon has. Everyone needs to move on. It's not hurting anyone except the patients.


Shame on you, Ferguson Medical Group. Your article was amusing. It appears to me that you are more interested in money than the healthcare of our community. Dr. Askew was right in what he had to say, but he only sees patients who are hospitalized. Not one family practitioner follows their patients who are in the hospital. We need our hospital and our physicians. It appears to me your lawsuits have not helped in any way your standing in the community.

This is in response to the Sept. 6 caller who was complaining about a church in town not having the air conditioner on. There's a church in Blodgett where the people are real friendly, they don't have any cliques and they leave the air conditioning on and nobody gets up and turns it off. Come and visit the Blodgett First Baptist Church. You're welcome any time and you will be treated nice.

I am from a middle class income family and came here from a metropolitan city. It amazes me the hatred people in a city the size of Sikeston has for welfare recipients. Welfare is only one-tenth of income Social Security draws. People are so against helping the poor and underprivileged, yet most of them are in church every Sunday. Does this make sense to you? It doesn't to me.

Who is going to pay for this war and the 10-year patrolling of Iraq after the war, with its body bags and artificial arms and legs? Just because war flatters George Bush and won't hurt his political chances in November.

I have been going to yard sales in Sikeston this year and would like to comment on two older gentlemen I've seen at some of these sales. These men bully themselves into the yard sales if there's any kind of Barbie doll or anything that looks like a collectible. I've seen them push children out of the way to grab these Barbie dolls. I saw them this weekend take a whole box of Barbie dolls and put them in a box out of a bucket, when there were children there trying to buy some out of there. They are probably reselling these Barbie dolls. It is so sad for these grown men to snatch toys from children's hands at yard sales. Come on, guys. What's more important? Children's happiness or the almighty dollar? Give them a break.

Considering the 75th anniversary of the Red Peppers and the enormous amount of people coming to town that weekend, couldn't the school board, superintendent or athletic director ask Kennett to play here and then play there an extra year? A lot of people want to go to a home game.

The reason you did not see Jean Carnahan's name on the ballot is the same reason you didn't see JoAnn Emerson's name on the ballot. JoAnn Emerson got her election through her husband, Bill Emerson. In fact, her last name is no longer Emerson because she remarried. Jean Carnahan is a Democrat, but she's good and honest.

As I look around Sikeston, I would like to challenge the people to adopt your block. Walk around your block and pick up trash and bottles once a week. All you need is a pair of gloves and a trash bag. And it's good exercise.

What can the Sikeston school system do to help our children? They need to hire more bus drivers. Drivers are running two routes which means they have to be on a deadline. I know the Morehouse school run starts at 8 a.m. and the Sikeston Kindergarten Center starts at 8:45 a.m. They have to pick up all the kids, unload them and then do the second route within 45 minutes. This could cause the drivers to unintentionally be in a hurry and speed with innocent children they are carrying. My child's driver has two routes. My child has been late two or three times this year. I would like to thank this driver for putting the safety of my child ahead of worrying about being late. I know this driver runs her routes carefully and I thank her for that because I believe the children's safety should come first.