Speakout 10/22

Sunday, October 22, 2006

Probably no one will agree with me, but the number one problem students face each day is not fitting in. Being teased about situations in their life that they cannot help and not being a part of the in crowd is making teenagers pay a high price such as jail time or life in prison or going even further by taking their own lives. If parents and teachers would teach respect and have others be friends to others and treat others with respect, there would be no school shootings. May God bless all who help all troubled youths in the world. They will someday get their reward in Heaven.

I must take particular issue with a recent SpeakOut regarding stem cell research. The writer suggests that Adult Stem Cell Research is an alternative to embryonic stem cell research. Overwhelming numbers of scientists and researchers disagree with this position. Adult Stem Cell Research has been around since the days of Dwight Eisenhower, over 50 years. Some cures have been realized form this research, and it should be continued. Embryonic stem cell research however, has only been with us since 1998, just 8 short years. Researchers believe the prospect of cures for Parkinson's, ALS and around 70 other diseases, are possible using embryonic stem cell research while unlikely from adult stem cell research. For example, a recent Japanese study showed that symptoms of Parkinson's disease were relieved in monkeys by injecting neurons grown from embryonic stem cells, a feat never accomplished using other research. It is important to remember that many great medical advances have met with opposition even from the medical community, and have taken decades to realize success. The polio vaccine is a classic example. Not until after 30 years of painstaking research and criticism from many of his colleagues did Dr. Salk perfect his Polio vaccine. What would the world be like today if Dr. Salk had stopped his research? How many hundreds of thousands would be dead or disabled? Thankfully we will never know. Considering over 80 Nobel laureates, the United States Congress and most credible scientists support this research. Maybe it is the SpeakOut writer who needs a better education.

It's about time

In 1980, I went before a judge in Tennessee who gave me a one year "road gang" sentence. That meant my time was one day for two days. There were over two dozen of us on the road gang detail and the county had two flatbed trucks with sideboards that were needed to carry us to our work destination. On one of our trucks there was one officer and one trustee which drove the truck and half of the road gang crew. We picked up trash on gravel and paved roads and in the fall and winter we cut wood. No two trucks of two crews worked together. A patrolman brought us our lunch. The wood that we cut was given to needy, older and disabled people who couldn't afford gas or electricity, so instead they burnt wood. The two crews would switch each week, one would cut wood and one would pick up trash, then vice versa. Or we would work for either the city or state if they needed us. If every county in Missouri would do this, this state would be a lot cleaner. After 26 years of saying and thinking of this, one of our so-called detention centers has finally come up with a new idea? Missouri has been behind for a long time! Sincerely, Snitcher

This is to the person wanting the cheap piano. We have a very old, upright piano that is free for the taking. It does need a little work. Phone 887-5774.

This goes out to the people that have problems with any of the coaches in Sikeston, whether it be baseball, soccer or football. My advice would be if you have a problem with the coaches, you need to show up the day of sign-ups and tell them you would like to coach and do things your way. And then you will find out that coaching is not as easy as what you think it is.