Speakout 2/23

Wednesday, February 23, 2005

February is Black History Month and I have no problem with that and am not out to criticize it in any way. But why can't we have a White History Month? We have some big heroes to look to, Audy Murphy, the most decorated soldier in World War II; Sergeant Garfunkle from World War I; Bob Hope and most of all our big heroes today are our military personnel over in Iraq and throughout the world giving their lives so we can continue to have the freedom we have in this country. I'm not criticizing having February as Black History Month. I just don't understand why we can't have a White History Month too. We have many, many heroes from the past and I'm sure we will have more in the future.

This question is raised about this same time every year.

What can the city do about Greer Street? There are chugholes everywhere, cracks in the road. Why don't they patch them up and there is a lot of traffic on Greer Street.

Call the Street Department at 471-2512.

I want to SpeakOut about the child that was suspended for a plastic bag of dirt. First of all, the plastic bag was the kind a plastic spoon and fork comes in that was found on the school grounds. The dirt was found on the school grounds and the clovers were found on the school grounds. When I was a child, all we had to play with was dirt. Now what's the big deal? I think the janitor should be suspended for leaving the bag on the school grounds. Also, I pass by the school grounds and there are not enough toys for the kids to play on during recess and to the teacher, if you saw your child outside playing with a plastic bag filled with dirt, would you have called the police? I would like a response from the teacher.


This call is concerning the little girl at Matthews Elementary School. I have always had a lot of respect for Steve Borgsmiller because he always seemed like a regular guy. Somewhere, he has apparently lost his common sense. If the board of education has rules that he has to follow, then these need to be changed. The police officer's comment about the little girl "getting off easy" doesn't make any sense. How can she justify that comment when people who get arrested with the real thing, quite often, only get a slap on the wrist. That comment, "it is looked at as if it could have been" - it shouldn't take a rocket scientist to tell whether it was or was not marijuana. That should not be on her record and she deserves an apology, which will never happen because the authorities are never wrong.


I am calling about the suspension of the little girl from school for having a little bag of grass and dirt. I watched the Sikeston police officer's interview on television this morning and I've made up my mind that if Sikeston ever decides to have a parade to open the "Silly Season," they won't have to look any farther than to the school administration or the police department for a parade grand marshal.

I would like to SpeakOut about the local police setting up road blocks to check for insurance and driver's license, seat belt use, etc. It appears to me that if we have the manpower to do this, then we have too many police. I believe we should probably have as much as a 30 percent cutback on police officers if this continues. By the way, I, too, was once a police officer and I know it's wrong to continue to harass the public. Also I see where the state does it pretty frequently. It is still wrong to harass the public.

All of the Republican farmers should be proud of their vote in the last presidential election. The President is rewarding you all with a cut to your subsidies pay.

I am calling about the "wellness script" from Medicap Pharmacies that was advertised in the Standard Democrat. I appreciate it and the information was very valuable and informative.