Speakout 10/18

President Bush has gone from bad to pathetic. The Cable News Networks were told by the White House that Bush had breaking news about foreign policy today (Oct. 3). It was a political speech allowing him to say what he could not think to say with Kerry. Somebody needs to tell Bush that regardless of what he got away with in his youth, there are no do-overs anymore.

Bush is making such a big deal about this middle class tax cut. If you don't have a job, you don't need to worry about your taxes. There are more people out of work now than there have been in 75 years.

Oh, what a tangled web we weave. For the past two months, Senators Kerry and Edwards have been preaching the gloom and doom of Jimmy Carter. Everything is wrong with the United States in everything we do. Edwards even said the American light is flickering. Can anyone tell us what either of these two have done in the last four years to help America? I can tell you both voted against the middle class tax cuts and for the Iraqi war. That's the only thing we know of. If our healthcare system and everything is so bad, John Kerry has had 20 years to speak up and do something. In 20 years, we hear of nothing he has done for middle class America or for the poor.

To the person who had a problem with the first presidential debate, this person should be writing for this newspaper. It was intelligent and as right on as anything I have read in SpeakOut in the last five years. I wish I had said it.

I read Mike Jensen's article about President Bush giving him the opportunity of what he thinks. I hope he gives Kerry the same response.

Our newspaper apparently has the wrong name, "Democrat." I guess it should be named "Republican." I am surprised a newspaper would lean toward one and not the other and not print both sides of the issues. Shame on you, Mike.

I attended the Sikeston Band Festival which included several schools and enjoyed it very much. The emcee was very good until he got to the National Anthem and God Bless America. He didn't even mention the troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. I thought that was very unpatriotic for an experience announcer to do. We need to wake up. We're at war.

My family and I went to a Sikeston restaurant for dinner. We were by ourselves, eating dinner, minding our own business. A gentleman, out of the kindness of his heart for no apparent reason, paid for our meal. We just want to say thank you. The times we are going through now with the war and bickering with the elections, there are people out there who do care about others. He was obviously a Christian man and did not want any recognition whatsoever. We did not know until after the man had left when we went to pay our bill and was told it was already paid. We want to say thank you there are still a lot of people out there with a good heart and it was appreciated. God bless you.

I am 19 years old and this is my first year to vote. My parents are Democrats and I didn't want to follow in their footsteps. I have always had different views on everything, especially politics. I have always been interested in the political process and normally I would support a Republican president, but this year, I won't vote for any candidate. I will simply vote against Bush but not for Kerry. I will not let Bush continue to wage a war and kill our troops for a lost cause. Iraq isn't the United States. We are no longer a nation under God; we're a nation under ignorance. If you're smart, you'll decide the president this year. All young people, please vote. It's the only way your voice will be heard. We run this election, not the Bush family.

It's pretty ridiculous when the kids in New Madrid County can't ride their bikes or stay on their skateboards on the streets or sidewalks because of insurance reasons. If caught, they will be fined. My question is, can they go on the newly $4 million pavilion that was recently constructed in order to do this? Maybe they should pick up the habit of selling drugs so they can be thrown in jail. And you wonder why kids leave our area after graduation. If the law enforcement is too busy watching kids, then who is watching the real crime?

I have a short but important message that I would like to have printed in bold type. Garbage cans laying in the yard after the garbage has been picked up makes very ugly yard ornaments. Please print this several times.