Speakout 11/20

If you want to share your views in Speakout, at least get your facts straight. Before targeting someone you know nothing about, have the courtesy to at least ask someone who is informed. Spencer Edwards shared his drugs with his friends and they shared with him. The federal government using federal guidelines can make that technical distribution and send you to prison. The only meth they found in his law office came from their evidence lab and given to a "confidential informant" who sold it to him in a sting operation. The DEA used two people who manufactured meth, sold it and were users, to set up this attorney. You want to talk about fair - what is fair about a system that uses their own meth and two people who manufactured, sold and used it, to set up a person whose greatest crime was against himself for being an addict? These two people were given immunity and walk the streets without so much as a slap on the hand. I was at his trial and the federal prosecutor just referred to them as confidential informants. Also get you numbers straight. He was charged with possession of 18 grams of meth. I abhor drugs as much as any citizen but prison is not the place for people whose crime is being a drug addict. It cost the state more to put someone in prison than rehab so, come on America, come on lawmakers, come on judges, let's be fair. If you think race or money talks in these matters, check the records. Most people who go to prison either manufacture meth or have guns in their possession. Does our fair society punish a person because they happen to have an education? To my knowledge, Spencer's mother and father both work for a living.

It's "Lord Of the Rings" not "Lord Of the Range." You'd have to be a reader to notice the difference between utter fantasy and witchcraft to catch this error.

Sorry caller. This is why we ask our callers to spell out words which could be misinterpreted. SpeakOut calls are recorded on an answering machine and transcribed. When callers speak too fast or not clearly, words are easily misunderstood.

I have a question concerning the Harry Potter issue. I there as much hubbub as there is about Harry Potter as there are in television shows such as "Sabrina, The Teen-age Witch" which uses fictional witchcraft? Was there this much hubbub about shows like "Bewitched?" I have to wonder. This didn't just start with Harry Potter and Sabrina The Teen-age Witch. This could go all the way back to Bewitched. So let's face it, you can use Bible scripture, but it should also include the use of witchcraft, although it is fictional. I have to ask, what would Jesus do?

This is regarding the SpeakOut issue in the Nov. 11 paper. I know firsthand that the City of Sikeston Board of Municipal Utilities can only extend so much credit and sympathy for utilities. The bottom line eventually is that you have to pay for your electric. That man the person referred to can only do his job if we, the hard working people, pay our bills. And when a family has an emergency, I know this man you're referring to will work with you every time if you follow up on your promise and agreement to pay. But give the people at that office a break. Oh, by the way, does the person the article referred to ask for credit at the grocery store? Or the gas station, a department store? Probably not. They tend to abuse the ones who are trying to help and work with the people. Give that man a break. I guarantee it's a tough job for him and the person having to ask for an extension, but the key is to follow through with your promise to pay.