SpeakOut 10-31

Get a better excuse

Someone commented in the paper that the sign along I-55 would be essential in case of a New Madrid Fault earthquake. Doesn't everybody realize that the bridges will fall in and there won't be anybody on I-55 to read the sign, even if the power would be on. Come on folks, come up with a better excuse for this waste of money.

No survey

This is Gordon Brownfield. I had a gentleman come by door and tell me he was working for the Obama Biden campaign, wanted to know who I was voting for. I thought that was very unusual. I told him it wasn't any of his business and he turned and left. I don't know if this is irregular or not, but I don't think people should be going around taking a survey on how people are going to vote.

Spending budget

MoDOT has X amount of taxpayer dollars to spend. If they don't spend it, they lose it. So, spend it they do, on, seemingly, one superfluous project after another. At least, they haven't road a bridge to nowhere, have they?

I'm a little teapot

The ACORN whining is a tempest in a teapot. The real purpose is to set the stage for a possible action involving the courts when the Democrats take the presidential election.

And the score is. . .

I have a statement with which everyone can surely agree. Down through history, the Democrats have been pretty good at stealing presidential elections. However, the Republicans evened the score in the presidential election of 2000. Now, it's time for the Democrats to steal it back.

Smile, you're not on candid camera

Please help me out here. I'm trying to figure out just how someone could place a rather "good-sized" box on the front steps of our newest building at the Sikeston High School (and on a fairly well-traveled street) and the Big Brother cameras didn't catch it! Do you mean to tell me that this illustrious camera system that the city just had to have cannot view the entire campus? There has been no mention of even using those cameras to see if they might have caught something. Remind me again, how many thousands of dollars did that cost the city of Sikeston?

A change it is a coming

In response to Vote Republican, Vote Democrat if you want your taxes doubled so you can support the people next door who don't want to work. Vote Democrat if you want health care mandated to go to the doctor that the government chooses for you. Vote Democrat if you want the terrorists to come back over here which they,ll do when we pull out of Iraq. Vote Democrat if you want policy to support the lazy people walking Main St. all night and sleeping all day. Vote Democrat if you want less people working period because even though there's jobs most people like living off government. Vote Democrat if you want your college educated child that you paid for to spread their wealth around to those others who won't go to college even though it is free to low income people. Vote Democrat if you want to see a war between the hard working people and those that are too lazy to work. Vote Democrat if you want erosion of the middle class trying to take care of their own families and lazy people too. Vote Democrat if you want judicial appointments based on immorality. Vote Democrat if you want more food given away to those who won't work for it. Vote Democrat if you want government run health care (Socialists). Vote Democrat if you want to see men marrying men and women marrying women and babies killed when they come out of their mother still alive after a botched abortion. Barack Hussein Obama has stated he will do these things. He wants to take money from people who have worked hard for and spread it around to the (so called poor aka lazy) especially in Chicago. Republicans believe in working and accepting responsibility for ourselves and our families and not depending on the government. We aren't rich we just work. God help us. He is the only one who can.

Check out your neighbors

This is to "Obama Started It" and everyone else that's not voting for Obama. You must not be worried about where your next meal is coming from or how your bills are going to be paid. The economy now must not be affecting you like it is all the rest of us. You'll understand why all the farmers in the Bootheel are voting McCain when you check out EWG (Environmental Working Group). It's a nonprofit research organization that posts the farm subsidy database. It tells you who is getting all the government money in this area. Obama's plan is to tax anyone who makes over $250,000. Check out your neighbors and you'll see why they don't want Obama. The website is: http://mulchblog.com

Witch is it?

Recently people were falsely under the impression that candy would not be passed out at the Cotton Carnival Parade. A few of them responded in SpeakOut. Admittedly, they were wrong, but at least these folks were willing to question the decision. One of the callers asked if the city would ban Halloween or Christmas next, which brings me to my point. I doubt any communities will ban Halloween, but rest assured stories will flow forth, as they have in the past, about age limits and specific time frames for trick or treating. A few years ago, two towns in Mississippi County placed ridiculous age limits on this activity. If memory serves, one city council said 14 and under, while another council said it should be 10 and under in Mississippi County. I'm sorry, but when city councils begin regulating ages for trick or treating it's a real indication that they are bored and in need of real community issues. With ordinances such as these, you would think we were in Hazard County or Bug Tussle, Tenn. What brought these age limits about? It's hard to say since I was not at these council meetings, but I have a few guesses however. It's probably the old story, "Some older black kids showed up at my door with no costumes asking for candy or I saw I some 13 or 15-year-old trick or treating. That's too old." I've heard these comments for years. They come from the same crusty, good ol' boys who believe you stop playing with toys and trick or treating at age 8, get a 40-hour a week job in the cotton fields before you graduate from school aka the 8th grade. What's worse approximately five years ago, a pastor or pastors were present once again at a council meeting in Mississippi County to complain about Halloween falling on Sunday. As I recall, the council in question moved trick or treating to the previous evening. It was said that the children had to be up for school on Monday so it would be better to do it Saturday. Poppycock! Halloween has been observed on other school nights without being moved. No, the real reason is some of the religious community are opposed to Halloween because it is devil, satanic or pagan. These are the same folks that were part of the pop culture inquisition of the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s. They worked to diligently protect us from things that would allegedly lead you to a rude, satan-worshiping suicide. Turns out they were almost entirely dead wrong and should have been focusing on teenage sexuality, alcohol and drug use. But I digress, these folks that were a minority back then are in fewer number now. They believe that Halloween is evil because it's steeped in pagan origin. What some of them forget is Christmas trees, Easter eggs and rabbits are also pagan symbols. Forrest Gump might say, "Pagan is as pagan does." That's why one religion, that I'm not a part of, doesn't celebrate the holidays in general. That's not for me but at least they play it across the board on that particular issue. Anyway, we may not see the assault against Halloween this year because it's not the day before Sunday's service. There's always next year. That's another story all together. The moral of the story for this year's celebration - councils, don't restrict certain ages from trick or treating. Instead be glad they are not out getting drunk and getting candy instead. You know they could be getting drunk prior to school dances, doing drugs, running into people's vehicles on school property and that sort of things. Let's get worried about some real issues. Mind you this isn't so much for Sikeston but outlying counties, Mississippi County in particular.

Coming up roses

To the mayor of Miner and the City Council, why don't you spend money and put rose bushes on the strip of land between Country Hearth and the Outlet Mall? There's growed up grass on one side and trash bins on the other side don't make a very good impression of your town.

Hold on

Just got an opinion. Every man, woman and child better get on their knees and pray to God that Hussein Obama doesn't get in as president of our great country. If he does, we will be living like the Russians. Everybody better hold on to their Bibles and learn it quick. We will probably get them all taken away from us if he gets elected president. That is my opinion and I have been in this ol' world a long time.