SpeakOut 6/16

Monday, June 16, 2003

Call 471-6636

I was reading a SpeakOut comment about people selling drugs, pushing drugs and the dopies. I agree with that caller 100 percent. Anyone who is caught pushing drugs should be put away for life and never be able to walk the streets again. They are destroying our young people. They are destroying marriages. That's why we have so much crime. People who are addicted to drugs can't afford to buy them so they steal, rob or kill to feed their habit. You have to blame the judges and lawyers for letting these people walk the streets. They should have to spend the rest of their lives behind bars.

I was an out of town guest at the Sikeston High School graduation ceremony. I would like to congratulate the Class of 2003 and commend them for an awesome ceremony. All of the graduates who spoke were eloquent and gave me a great impression of a school I knew nothing about. The school obviously has great teachers. As an out of town visitor I did not get a "degraded impression" by the ceremony or the enthusiasm of onlookers. I have been to graduation ceremonies that have rivaled a circus sideshow. This was by far not one of them. There was no inappropriate showing of body parts or vulgarity. It was refreshing to see such enthusiasm for the graduates and their accomplishment. From my vantage point in the crowd, I heard the name of every graduate as it was read, and the enthusiasm for one graduate did not interfere with another graduate's family's ability to hear their name. After the ceremony, I even spoke with some of the graduates other than my relative to get their comments on their special day. All of them said they were appreciative of the enthusiasm shown to all of them. I felt the ceremony was everything a high school graduation should be and am looking forward to the next family member's ceremony who will be graduating from Sikeston High School in just a few short years. Graduation ceremonies are an appropriate place for family and friends to show their enthusiasm for their graduate and to let every one in attendance know that they are proud their graduate. I feel it was inappropriate for "Disappointed" to apologize for those she/he thought were "ill-mannered and disrespectful for stealing your last memorable moments of innocence." The Class of 2003 still has those memorable moments of innocence. And by feeling it necessary to make the comments she/he did it has downgraded my opinion of what type of people live in Sikeston.

Now that Hillary Clinton's book is going to the store shelves, there will be enough people who are fanatic enough to go and buy the book. She is a fake. All she and Bill Clinton think about is making a dollar. That's the purpose of this. They still gallop around in New York together and they always will, so don't be a fool and buy that book. Just pass it by.

I saw in where Ron Ballard spent 30 years with UPS. I don't live in the area anymore but when I did, I can tell you, he was the nicest, most courteous UPS man we ever had. Some of the others were smart-alecs and just weren't nice. None of them were ever as nice as Ron. He was just a perfect, perfect driver.

I agree with the person who called in about the graduation ceremony. The fact is that not only does it go on at graduation, but in the Sikeston school system every day. They have always shown partiality to a few of the kids and the rest of the kids just don't matter. If they gave all the kids equal time, maybe they wouldn't have so many kids going to summer school.