SpeakOut 10-28

Thank you Cub Scouts

Twice now I have read in the paper about trash cans, Rick Walter and his inmates cleaning up after the parade, thanking them for their service. I guess I was the only one that saw the young men in the blue uniforms along with their leaders in the downtown area after the parade, picking up trash that was left behind that didn't make it in the trash cans. I personally thank you for your service to your community.

Pepper their paws

Could someone please tell me something that you can put on your car or set beside your car to keep cats from getting on it and leaving their prints?

I've heard that you can sprinkle pepper on your car, which won't damage the paint. Once the cats get it on their paws, they supposedly will not come back for more.

A taxing situation

On the first page of the Standard Democrat on Wednesday, Oct. 15, Scott County officials are requesting a half-cent sales tax be enacted for law enforcement in Scott County, saying it needs to generate $1.7 million. In the same paper there's an advertisement from the current sheriff, stating in his advertisement he has produced $500,000 in new revenue to the county. My question is if a half-a-million dollars has been generated in new revenue, what would be the purpose of extending the sales tax? There's conflicting stories between the article in the paper and the advertisement for the new sheriff.

Have some respect

I drive down Kennedy several times during the day. There is a very nice nursing home that sits on the right side of Kennedy. I'm wondering why one family members chooses to speak to their family through the window and hand clothes and other items through the window to them. Don't they realize how tacky this is? Your parents have taken care of you all of your live, yet you won't spend five minutes to walk in and see them - you have to talk through the window. I think that's tacky. Our parents raised us and put forth an effort to make sure we were good people. Unfortunately, there are times when people have to go into facilities, but you would think the family members would take at least five minutes out of their busy schedule to walk in and say hello to their mother and father. I've always wondered why they couldn't go in and see their family instead of standing outside the window talking. Have some respect.

Everyone knows it's windy

This is to the person that likes to leave notes in people's mailboxes, First of all, that is a federal offense, tampering with people's mailboxes. Second of all, I will blow my leaves out in the street as long as I live and whenever I want. It is not against the law. I get everybody else's leaves in my yard, I'm just giving them back to them. Please, no more letters. I know who you are. This was done on North Ingram.

Dress code

Where's it written that I can't wear a political candidate's T-shirt or any piece of clothing depicting the candidate into an election place when I go to vote?

Don't give a hoot

Old man McCain looked into the audience and winked when he was in the debate. I guess it was his blonde headed wife sweetheart. He looked like a hoot-owl. Obama has more smarts in his big toe than McCain's got in his whole body. I heard and seen all I wanted to see in the first 15 minutes. I turned them off and watched the ball game.

Go figure

What bothers me in this presidential campaign are the lies. Obama can look so superior while spilling the seeds of hate and lies. In the latest debate he spoke of a comment yelled out at a rally where Palin was speaking. Obama said it was yelled out "kill him." The Secret Service checked this out and played over and over the tapes and interviewed many people there. What was yelled out was "tell them." The only person saying and starting the rumor was a Times Tribune reporter which is one of the liberal smearing machines for the Obama Campaign. Obama takes it that the American people are fools and don't understand what is being said. Health care for instance, his proposal if you have no insurance is being able to buy into the federal program. You will have to pay for it and it won't be free. He tries to make you think that his is so different than McCain's. According to McCain's, if you have health insurance through your employer it will be taxed but you will receive a $5,000 tax deduction. So you will probably still pay less taxes with this deduction. His tax credit will give help to buy insurance for the uninsured. Like Obama's you will have to pay part of the cost. Obama wants you to think they are so far apart and is betting you cant figure this out on your own. Obama doesn't tell you he is for gun control and has voted that way. He did not answer McCain when he was accused of not voting on many, many issues during his office. Look this up for yourself. He simply refused to vote on many issues that affect you. He did not let you know that he supports all abortions including your young daughter going into an abortion clinic and having this procedure without your knowledge. Obama is convinced that the American people are smart enough to check out his records and his associations. He is stuck on making you think all republicans are Bush duplicates. Remember the last two years Democrats have had the control and nothing has changed. All in Washington are to blame for this economic disaster. All I ask is for you to check his voting records. Now ask yourself, is this the man that promised he will unite the American people, or is this the man that is using race as a defense against answering tough questions and trying to label the other candidate. He is not uniting the people he is trying to win by using the race card.

No choice

This is for those of you, who judge and so freely give your opinion on "issues" you truly know nothing about. We are Gay, and have been with our significant other for 23 years. We DID NOT choose to be Gay. Although we did choose to no longer "live a lie." Our attraction, even as young children when we couldn't understand it, has been to the same sex. Being raised in Christian homes, we prayed in earnest for God to take those feelings away. We tried with every ounce of our being to be "straight." Even to the point that we both married and had children. That "choice" only made us unhappy, and unfortunately lead to making our spouses unhappy and devastated as well. Do you truly think we wanted to be different? To have people ridicule and make us feel like we didn't belong anywhere? That is why there have been so many suicides among "gay youth." The desperation to "fit in" and not be ostracized by peers is so overwhelming. No matter how hard they fought to be what others consider "normal" it doesn't change those feelings. The guilt becomes so great, they conclude the only way out is death. How tragic for those who have lost a loved one, because they felt no one would understand it is "not a choice." We are sure they would be more open minded if they could have that loved one back. But death is a "choice" that can not be undone either. If you claim to be a Christian, yet continue to criticize and judge others, then you do not know or understand the turmoil they have gone through. Our God, and yes we do believe in God, is a forgiving God. We pray he forgives you for judging and condemning others.

Guard rail

I would like to know what the purpose of the railing they are putting up on the interstate and what it is costing the tax payers? We have tried for years to get our highways fixed but instead they are wasting tax payers money on putting up railing where they could use the money to fix our roads that we have to travel every day.

Guardcables that have been installed so far have stopped more than 95 percent of vehicles that enter the median before they cross into opposing traffic lanes. In addition to successfully reducing these devastating types of crashes, median guardcables provide protection to emergency responders and are a cost-effective safety barrier. For more information, contact Brian Holt, resident engineer, at 472-5325 or call MoDOT's customer service center toll free at 1-888-ASK-MODOT (275-6636).

Not patriotic

Those SpeakOut callers who claim that the Democratic party is anti-Christian are not patriotic Americans, should be placed on the Department of Homeland Security's watch list and be subject to possible deportation.

Pitcher picture

I love that the Oran Eagles are winning. Also wonderful that they have a good pitcher, but please tell me this - every picture in the paper is of their pitcher. Is that all the Oran Eagles have? Please start taking pictures of the rest of the team. The infield makes plays and I do recall seeing the outfield catch balls as well. Just thought something should be said about the rest of the team also.