Speakout 3/17

I am a citizen of Sikeston and have been for 47 years. I have a nephew and a few other children are going to the school system. I noticed this year they are suppose to have a dress code over certain things. I've noticed that their dress code, there needs to be done about it. I don't think they should allow these kids, especially these young kids, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, my nephew is 13. He has always been real clean-cut and now all of sudden he is skate boarding and letting his hair grow long (it is about a half-inch past his eyes) and I know it has got to cause some eye damage. If the school has a code for them in dressing in clothes and not to be wearing certain clothes to school I want to know why they can't make them have a decent haircut. I think they should make them get their haircut right above their eyes and if they don't keep it clean and stuff they should get a regular haircut because that is what causes a lot of lice and they sweat and they stink and they don't take baths regularly because their parents don't make them.

I'm calling about grandparents' rights in Missouri. It is not our grandparents, the mothers and fathers' fault when their kids break up with their boyfriends and girlfriends and there is a child involved. It is a real shame that most of us grandparents don't get to see our grandchildren until they are grown up and they find out exactly who their grandparents are or their real mothers or fathers. I love my granddaughter with all my heart and I would do anything to be able to visit with her. My son agrees too, but the girlfriend who had the baby doesn't want us to have anything to do with the baby even though my son pays his child support on time every month. She is always trying to do something to stop him from being able to see her. I would like for other people - grandparents, fathers and mothers - to write into Speakout and leave me a name and number and I will watch the newspaper and maybe we can get together about grandparents rights and we can try to do something about it. My number is 472-0865. Say you are calling about fathers, mothers and grandparents' rights.

On your Social Security editorial. I was reading about the AARP. Just in case you didn't know, AARP is for people 50 and older so there are still a lot of people involved with AARP and if the government would give back the money they took from Social Security, it would last a lot longer.

I would like to call Speakout about parents who do not take care of their children. These kids are a lot of responsibility today and if you do not want to take the responsibility you do not need to be a parent. You need to take some birth control or something. If you have a kid you should take care of it. It is ridiculous that these kids are out here, getting in trouble, doing things they shouldn't be doing or suffering because their moms and dads don't want the responsibility. Please take responsibility for your kids and take care of them.

I would like to say congratulations to the Bell City Cubs from Scott County Central High School and I would like to ask Sikeston High School principal why is you charge $5 a ticket for people to come through your doors then burn them up when they get inside. Is your air not working?