SPEAKOUT

Friday, November 16, 2001

Call 471-6636

I want to SpeakOut about a restaurant in town. When I'm ordering and say I need just a minute, it means that I'm not ready to order. It doesn't mean that I need help finding anything on the menu.

I for one am still waiting for the big economic boon the prison was to bring to Charleston and Mississippi County. I heard a firecracker. I believe that was it.

I am speaking out about a local business in town. They decide to wait until people get down to their last payment and the come take cars from people who are very needy. I just had surgery, have three children to take care of and I'm not even a month behind on my payments. They came and repossessed my car from me at work. I have to walk from Matthews to Morehouse and they don't even care. They repossessed the car without any repossession papers or anything but just to tell me they can. When I asked the person to tell them I'm giving them my payment and asked them to just leave the car, they said "no," that they have no control over it and took the car along with all my belongings that were in it. That's a sorry, sorry business.

It was so nice to see the vice president put a wreath on the grave of the unknown soldier this year. It was such a pleasant sight to see him set the wreath up. He's such a nice and honest guy. I really appreciated watching that. For the last few years it almost made me cry to see somebody that didn't respect the veterans.

Would the lady who was at the yard sale Nov. 10 please come and pick up her dishes that she had me hold for her? You know who you are and you know where I live. You asked me to hold the dishes and the two pictures and I would appreciate it if you would come get them.

I would like to SpeakOut about a couple articles that I read recently in the Standard Democrat. Is it true that if you are a lawyer and a certain color, it's OK for you deal with drugs, get turned over to the feds and be found guilty and only get 40 months? On the other hand, if you're dealing drugs and are not a lawyer and you're the wrong color and found guilty (not even turned over to the feds), it's still a state case and you wind up getting 20-25 years. Tell me how one-sided the law is. Is this right or is this wrong. It looks like if you're a lawyer and the right color, you can deal with drugs and not get a lot of time. But if you're not a lawyer, another color and have no money and have a state case going on, you might get life. Please reply. This very unfair.

SpeakOut is not qualified to answer your questions. Only the attorneys and judges know how sentences are determined. You should ask an attorney or the court how the sentences are determined by the court.

Once again the Scott County Commissioners have made us proud. For the first time in this writer's memory, we have three commissioners who seem to stand up for what's right and what is best for the country. They appear to be taking care of the county's funds just as they would their own. This should please Scott County residents. Voters, if you agree, take time to let them know.

While an opponent of the death penalty, I read nothing about this man's state of mind. Is he retarded or otherwise mentally challenged? I believe each case does have to be carefully weighed before a person can say if another person is to die. A 300-word column cannot allow me to judge.