Speakout 8/2

I was wanting to respond to the SpeakOut entry on July 28 entitled "Inmates are human too." I hope this takes care of this entry and it doesn't turn into some big ordeal. I believe the prisoners lost their right to being treated with a lot of respect when they committed their crime. They didn't have any respect for the victim of whatever crime they committed. Prisoners are treated with way too many privileges as it is now. I toured a prison in this area not too long ago and I got to see just how "bad" it is for prisoners. They have places where they can play video games, places to work out (nice equipment too), basketball courts, and they get televisions in cells and other stuff. The way I see it, the only thing that really is taken from a prisoner is his/her right to come and go as they please. What kind of punishment is that? I have even talked to several past prisoners who said other than not getting to see your family anytime, prison was not all that bad. What is that all about? Prison should be a punishment like it was intended to be. You commit the crime, you do the time! You don't do game time! I promise you that if prison was a concrete cell where you sat at for 23 hours a day with only a bed, toilet and sink there would be several people that would stop and think a little bit more about the consequences before committing the crime.

I keep reading about the kids that attend Richland schools that live in Morehouse that can not go there anymore. What about all the kids that attend Scott Central from Sikeston? On a school day traffic is bumper to bumper from Sikeston to Scott Central schools. It's time Sikeston put a stop to this. I wonder how much money Sikeston schools has lost over the years.

Anyone that would release Sadam is as dumb as dirt. You must be the dumbest idiot in the %&*^^$@ country. Get back on your medication you &(*&%$# idiot and stay off the phone, and e-mail. I find it hard to believe that there are people living in America that are so stupid.

I had to laugh a little bit about this story of the ballgame in Ellington. My husband has relatives in that town. And yes, there is a gas station, a diner, a grocery store. And yes, the roads are not straight. And you definitely don't want to be there when it rains. The ditches flood and so does the town.

If you have sticky fingers and want to steal money from businesses, then Sikeston is the place to do it! There is a man (who previously spent ten years in prison for first degree robbery) who stole over $500 (which is supposed to be a felony) from a business in Sikeston (the victim) several months ago and which this criminal admitted to the police that he stole the money. He was not arrested until he was caught with drugs several months later. The prosecuting attorney's office of course filed drug charges but they mysteriously disappeared and the criminal was allowed to plead guilty to a misdemeanor stealing charge (under $500). The owner of the business (victim) was not notified of the court date or the plea agreement and has no idea if this criminal will have to make restitution and now the criminal is free to steal from other people.

I'm calling about not getting our newspaper on time here on Virginia and Warner Street. I'd like to get it taken care of. We don't get our paper half of the time, mainly every other day.

Since you didn't leave a specific address or name, it is difficult to say who is the carrier of your area. As for missing the paper every other day, you should call in the day you missed and the problem will be taken care of that day. Our delivery deadline is 6 p.m. daily and 9 a.m. on Sunday. We employ an answering service that takes care of missed papers within the city. Thanks for your inquiry.