Speakout 11/6

Wednesday, November 6, 2002

No wonder we can't get anything done in this country. They mentioned this sniper thing 47 times and I quit counting. They just repeat the same thing over and over. It's time to talk about the weather.

In the Oct. 24 Standard Democrat, someone was talking about the tragedy of Sept. 11 and said he will remember that until the day he dies. I, too, am in my later years and until the day I die, I wonder, truly, was it worth our support of Israel to go through what the United States is going through?

I would like to comment on the "Senseless practice" on the Oct. 24 issue of the Sikeston paper. Surely the farmers still generate as much manure as ever in their barns and it might be ecologically sound of they return to gathering it from their barns and putting it on their fields.

Ever since that SpeakOut call that said farmers burning their fields is a "Senseless practice," it's always easier to find fault with what other people are doing. If I had my choice, farmers would not burn their crop residue. However, while everything they have to buy has undergone normal inflation, the prices they get for their crops remain at 1960 levels. Where there use to be entire families living at near poverty levels farming every 100 acres or so, the amount of workers now is a mere fraction of what it once was. Disking burns diesel fuel, which puts a lot of pollution in the air and which takes a lot of time, lots of labor, expense and fuel expense. Right now, farmers must trim every expense possible or they risk losing money. Whenever our businesses in Sikeston become unprofitable, they close up shop and move away. Our farmers here are trying to stay in business. Crop residue causes problems when farmers plant.

We have some senior friends who are sick and have medical bills and talk about the spend down they are in. I would like to know what they are talking about. Is it only for Medicare or Medicaid people, or people who have low income? Please explain.

The Standard Democrat addressed this issue in a Sept. 15 front page article or see below

I am calling about the Oct. 23 "Take a break" about Frank Tatum. He was elected mayor of Miner and he doesn't think he is above the law. We elected him as mayor and to ask as a responsible mayor, and I know that he does. Most people do have respect for him. He does act like a human being and he does accept the amount of time of punishment along with Alderman Brock. He does not act childish. In my opinion, Alderman Brock acts childish, and he is the problem, not Frank Tatum. Frank Tatum does his job he does it very well. So whoever thinks he needs to take a break, this caller needs to take a break and get the story straight.

This 41-year-old sniper deserves a firing squad death. It would impress young people as no execution would if their crimes were exceptionally bad, because all their victims were innocent.