Speakout 1/22

I know lots of people who let their dogs run loose and go all over the place if they want to. They think they are doing their dogs a favor, giving them a chance to run and meet other dogs, and so on. But, in a different way, from people who mistreat their animals and don't provide shelter, food or water, you are also mistreating your animal by putting it at risk. After all, the meanest creatures on the planet are human beings. Your dogs are being put to risk to human beings who may not treat them very well or do something to them. I'd like to see the abuse and neglect stopped, but I would also like to see everyone keep their dog in a place where it can run free, be happy, take it for a walk. Letting it run free is taking quite a risk with your animal. This also applies to cats, more especially, because people have such medieval attitudes toward cats. Some people do. Some of the more ignorant in our society.

For this to be the year 2006, New Madrid County still has racial profilers. You can't be a black male, driving a nice car, coming from a hard working family talking to white people without them pulling you over and searching your vehicle with no probable cause. I'd like to know what year it will be when you can be a black man, living in New Madrid County, and not have your car searched because you've been talking to someone white? You can be a officer's child and they'll still search your car. When is racial profiling going to stop in 2006?

I don't know how Republicans can sit there and watch Ted Kennedy put a good, honest man down, accuse him of breaking the law and all that, when he has done what he's done. He's got two brothers that have been murdered and the guy that done them is in the prison. Why shouldn't he be there? He left an accident, driving while he was drunk, killed a woman and he's sitting there putting other people down. What a disgrace to the Democratic party to see Ted Kennedy up there!

For an example of true mean spiritedness, you have no better than that of the Senate Democrats, Kennedy, Leahy, Schumer and companions. The visceral hatred and fear of anyone who does not fall into lock step with their marching orders was appalling. Judge Alito looked like a typical American average citizen being insulted, slandered and assaulted by a bunch of narrow minded, nit picking fanatics looking for just any opportunity to prove their predrawn conclusions and accusations. If it were possible, I believe they'd burn this man at the stake and hoop and holler in celebration as if it were a preseason bonfire rally for the home team.

Any normal American watching those despicable outrageous personal attacks on Judge Alito, and his good family name, by Senators Kennedy, Biden, Schumer, Durbin, Leahy and the rest, could not help being sickened, outraged and thoroughly disgusted with their disrespectful and dishonorable behavior. To call this kind of an exhibition on their party a "vetting process" or fulfilling their "advise and consent" role is like calling a drunken abusive husband, ranting at his wife and kids for days on end in a drunken stupor, "family counseling." My heart goes out to Alito, his wife and family, for having to endure that kind of disrespectful, besmirching, slandering defamation. Rest assured these sore heads did not win any converts with their shameful display of partisan attacks, and Judge Alito did not lose any supporters with his calm and steadfast composure. In fact, I would venture to say there are millions of Americans viewing that saw these democrat partisan hacks for what they truly are. And they saw Judge Alito for the sincere, honest, temperate, fair-minded man that he is. He did his mother and father proud. Unlike those misguided democrats. Good luck to Samuel Alito and may God bless him and his family, and be with them in the years ahead. May he live a long life and serve us common citizens honorably and protect us according to the provisions of the constitution, as originally intended, for many years to come. We love Judge Alito and his family.