Speakout 12/27

In the Monday issue of the Standard Democrat, someone called in against the draft. I grew up in a generation when the draft was real. I registered as all those in the age group of 18 and over did. Many of my generation, including some close friends were drafted. Some were seriously injured, and worse some were killed early in life, the youngest I knew to die in action was 19. While I am opposed to the idea of wars, they are unfortunately a part of life, of our "civilization" and if there were a magic pill to eliminate it that would be great, but freedom has a price. We have paid this in the past with the blood and lives of our best, our sons and daughters. While I will never endorse a war, I will most certainly say the price we pay is worth it. Had it not been for a draft and strong military, you may be reading this in German, or Japanese right now. Our flag would be gone and America would not exist. I have my opinions on the current middle East war, and feel perhaps we may not belong there. But since we are, we need to follow through to completion and support our troops. And remember this, George Bush did not singlehandedly send our troops there. He had the backing and support of our Congress. So they represent us, and the ultimate enemy who sent our young people there is us, you and me. Let the ultimate blame fall at the feet of those responsible. May God bless our country, our troops and our elected leaders who promised to work for "our" best interest, not just "my" best interest.

I'm a parent of two Sikeston students and the question I have is this. Why do some of the kids get to ride the bus when they get to fighting and others don't? My daughter who got in a fight off the bus, was kicked off the bus for 10 days. However, a week later another girl gets in a fight on the bus and only got nine days in-school suspension. Now I have a son in seventh grade who has never gotten into a fight before at all who was kicked off the bus for 10 days. The principal said it's the school policy for children who get in fights on the bus to be kicked off the bus for 10 days. If this is going to be a school policy, it needs to be across the border. No child should be treated unfairly. If you are going to kick all children off the bus that get into a fight that's fine, but don't pick and choose which kids get in-school suspension and which kids get kicked off the bus. I have to be at work at six o'clock in the morning so I had to pay someone to take my child to school. I told the principal that I had a transportation issue. He did not care. So, I need an answer from the Board of Education. I talked to the principal, he gave me the run around. I think the guidelines need to be the same for all the schools of Sikeston. You cannot have it both ways, this double jeopardy. I also talked to all three principals at the schools, and each one of their comments was different. One said if you were fighting, you were endangering other children so you needed to be kicked off the bus. If you're fighting off the bus, you're not endangering anyone but the person you're fighting with, so I don't understand that logic of thinking. The principals need to be on the same page.

The people in Sikeston need to open their eyes. The gasoline is $2.15 on one side of the street and $1.99 on the other side. Read the signs and go across the street and save yourself 16 cents. Let those gas gougers keep their gasoline.

This is to Keep off the mountain. That's like telling people who drown not to swim that you are not going to save them. Get a life.

I'm looking for someone who does sewing or alterations to put a zipper in a child's coat. If they could please put their number in the paper, I would be happy to call them.

I seen on the news tonight where a little 13-year-old child, a baby, is being charged as an adult for shooting a man in New Madrid County. I know that's a bad thing, but this is just a baby. This little baby is 13 years old. How in the world can people of this society charge a child of 13 years of age for anything like that even though it happened. He is not an adult. He is a child, he is a baby. No matter what he says. I have a 12-year-old grandchild and when anything happens he cries over it. I hope somebody helps this little boy. It's sad to think that human beings in this society could put this baby in jail. Something must have happened to trigger this. I just don't understand how they could put this baby, this 13-year-old baby in jail.

People I wish we could get Matt Blunt out of office. He spent $1 million redecorating his office. While they are doing that, they are cutting out money for all the elderly, poor and handicapped people. I live on $606 a month. I might get to get some eye glasses at the end of the month. We need him out of here. I know people abuse Medicaid, but it's these hospitals and doctors that are overcharging. That's where they need to go at. I hope to God we can get somebody in office that cares about the people, not their pockets.