SpeakOut 2/4

Monday, February 4, 2008

Call 471-6636

I could not let an animal that I claimed to love suffer below freezing temperatures night after night and day after day. I say claim to love because you don't really love the animal. You don't want someone you love to suffer. And if you're not going to provide an animal with warmth, comfort, food, water, attention, exercise, everything a living human being needs, why do you want to possess an animal? Do you need a creature to bully and pick on and take your frustration out on? Anyone who makes an animal suffer or causes discomfort, is a lying hypocrite. Anyone who claims to love animals and makes them suffer that way. On top of that, it's a very low class thing.

I read your paper everyday and I read SpeakOut and all the problems people have in the world. I would also like to enlighten them on Joel Osteen who is broadcasted on Fox network at 7:30 a.m. Sunday and at 10 a.m. on KFVS. Believe it or not I am an ex-drug addict and he's helped me tremendously. For those who need help, please watch his program. You will be surprised how much it helps.

This is to Tom Purcell who had the letter in the paper Sunday about banning the Girl Scout cookies. I think this is ridiculous. I think he needs to grow up. I am a mother of a Girl Scout. We should encourage our kids to do more than run around, break into houses and do drugs. We should encourage them to join Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts and whatever activities come with that. I think he owes all the Girl Scouts an apology.

If you think Obama is a good man and would be a good president, the only reason people want him in is because the blacks want him in. When you elect him, there will be more blacks to follow him and be president. I have nothing against blacks, but he is not going to be a good president. If you think Hillary is going to be a good president, you are wrong. She has no idea what it means to be poor. The only one who is a good Christian man is John Edwards. Nobody sees this and wants him in, they want the rich people in. I want a change. If we really want a change, then quit voting for the same people. Get somebody in that knows what it's like to be broke - and that's John Edwards. If you are really a Christian you will vote for him because he's against gays and abortion. Hillary and Obama are not. Think about that before you vote. Vote for John Edwards. He is the man that we really need to serve us.

Just for your information, John Edwards is a multi-millionaire trial lawyer.

I would like to ask if anybody out there in SpeakOut land would know I could get me a car. I am in my 60's and I need a good car to take me and my handicapped daughter to doctors and stuff. If anyone has a vehicle or knows where I could just start out with payments, my problem is a big down payment. I need a car that's dependable. I have good references. If anyone has a good used car they would sell me, call 667-9947 and let's talk about it.

I'm reading some tips sent to me by my veterinarian. Animals are susceptible to frost bite. It says to pay attention to their noses, ears and feet when they've spent an extended amount of time outdoors. If you notice a change in color or suspect any chance of frost bite, they should be taken to a veterinarian. This is for the younger generation that seem to think animals can endure anything. I'm really not too impressed with the younger generation, the way they seem to regard animals. Tell you the truth.

Would the lady that made the pies for the little restaurant on West Malone please put her number in SpeakOut. We come to Sikeston twice a week. We always stop and eat there so we can get a piece of that good old-fashioned pie like Mom used to make. You can't get it anymore. We would like to have her number so we can order pies from her.

This Friday I witnessed a despicable act. A so-called leader of a congregation told a homeless man that was asking him for help to call a minister. Then he just walked away and drove off in his SUV. When you read this and you know who you are, you should see the truth and feel ashamed.

You seem to have a comflick in your office. When there is news from New Madrid concerning city hall, there is a sign of neptism from your staff and a family member in New Madrid city hall. Critism does not get printed.

Obviously, you understand journalism as well as you spell. There is a difference between news and criticism, especially when the comments take a personal tone and can prove to be libelous. If there is a problem with a news story or if you have information that could lead to a story, please feel free to contact any member of the staff. If you have some constructive criticism, this would be considered for Speakout. If you are simply making allegations without the proof to back it up or a personal attack, they will not be printed. The decision on what is and isn't published in Speakout starts and stops at the publisher's desk.

I'm calling in regard to the recycling center out by McDonalds and Wal-Mart. This thing is full every time I go out to use it. I was wondering if you could follow up on some information if there is another location in town and what day they pick up. This thing is full and there's recycling stuff on the ground. I don't want to put mine in there, it fall on the ground and be litter, which is already a problem. I believe Sonny's Solid Waste oversees this. I was wondering if they had another location or put another bin out or empty this one more frequently. Anyway, in order to recycle we've got to have some help.

The Stoddard County Sheltered Workshop is in charge of the bins, not Sonny's. They pick up twice a week, Monday and Friday.

In agreement with Lost learning. Every time you turn around, the kids are out of school. If our teachers are so qualified, why are they always in a workshop? That is what college is supposed to prepare them for. When I was in school, teachers were real teachers. They looked the part and they carried themselves in a professional manner. Now you have a bunch of teachers running around like their heads are cut off, always meeting at workshops, and most of them have less common sense than the students. Foreign students graduate earlier and they are a whole lot smarter than the American kids. All is wanted from American kids is that they know some kind of sport. Now getting to the way teachers dress. They wear flip-flops, tube socks, tennis shoes, mini skirts - they look sloppy. They don't get the kids respect by the way they dress and carry themselves. They dress and they act worse than the students. Teachers used to dress like teachers and act like teachers. They weren't always in workshops. And most of all, they had the respect of the students, something that teachers don't have today.

I disagree. It's too easy to look back and think things were better. That's not always the case. The challenges are greater today and given the nature of the student body, workshops are important.

To the Preaching on teaching article, you finally hit the nail on the head. Instead of our schools having reading, writing and arithmetic, they have P.E., sports and band. What a shame! It makes you want to cry.

I would like the address of Alex O'Loughlin and Sophia Mills so I can write to them. They are on the Moonlight Show on Friday night on CBS.

You can send correspondence to them in care of CBS Studios, 7800 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036.

In regards to the litter on our streets, I think they should have the people who litter get out on Saturday with a big jacket on saying, "I threw out litter" and make them pick up paper all over town. That would embarrass them and they should have to do this for about a week or so. My children threw out some trash on the side of the road one time, and it had our name in it. The sheriff came down and made them go pick up trash on Saturday. They never threw out anymore trash, they knew what they would have to do if they did.

On Lost learning, the caller said that teachers were having too many in-

services. As a teacher we don't like in-services either. You can think George W. Bush for that and the No Child Left Behind. We don't want to be there anymore than you want us there. We would rather be teaching. And as far as the person who was preaching on teaching and complaining about education. If he's so smart why don't he become a teacher and help us educate if he is so much smarter than what we have. I notice he didn't put what his job is and how much he makes. Yet he wants to whine and complain about teachers' pay.

We heard the best news of 2008. Blunt is finally going to get out of office and we're going to get somebody in there that knows their stuff. He sure blew the world off the map with his hatefulness and orneriness. He was for the Republicans and the rich and didn't give a rip about anybody else that was low income and didn't have no money.

I attended my great-nephew's little league basketball game Monday night in East Prairie. My nephew played in the first game and I was very impressed with the coaches giving every team player a chance to play and showing great team spirit. However, we stayed for the second game and were horrified by the way one little boy was treated. He sat on the bench and was put in for the last three seconds. It had to be both humiliating and embarrassing for the boy. If winning is so important to this coach, and that is what he is teaching these young boys, God only knows what values he's trying to teach others.

I just wanted to thank David Jenkins for his editorial. I truly enjoyed it. Thanks, again.