Speakout 9/28

Wednesday, September 28, 2005

I am in need of some help. I am a lady 76 years old. I have no place to live. My health is real, real bad. I have about eight things wrong with me. I can't find a place here in town to live. I have a little pet. I draw $900 a month social security so I can't afford much. I am in bad need, I'm appealing to you. One bedroom, bath, and kitchenette. Call at 620-0834. I'm hoping you can help me.

This is to the confused granny in Morehouse. If your grandson was being bad, why didn't you correct him? You know it's a crying shame when somebody else has to step up and correct someone else's kids and grandkids because the parents won't stand up and correct them themselves. The lady didn't beat your kid. All she did was move him.

On Sept. 1, my partner and I made a trip to Bay Saint Louis in Miss, to donate medical assistance to Hurricane Katrina survivors. We were only able to stay a couple of days giving medical care along with other personnel at Bay High School to a group of about 1,000 people. Upon returning home, we vowed to start asking for items that are much needed, and would return to deliver those items ourselves. We received such an amazing outpouring of assistance from so many people. First Missionary Baptist Church and The Big Prairie Jaycees of Matthews donated large amounts of money to buy supplies, but we always received donations of baby items, canned goods and so many other items from so many people that we couldn't get a list of all their names. Items were brought to our place of employment at the South Scott County Ambulance District then moved to the Baptist Church in Matthews for loading. While South Scott County Ambulance District was not directly involved in that endeavor, we wanted to extend a large thank you to Mr. Herman Sadler, administrator for allowing us to use the parking lot as a drop off site. Those of you who brought items to the station, thank you and God bless you. The items were taken to Miss, on Sept. 9 and 10 and distributed and handed out on the streets to families in need and also at the First Missionary Church in Antioch, Miss. where a shelter for many families had been opened. It was in dire need of supplies of all kinds. The people of Miss. who were devastated by the hurricane were very thankful and grateful for the assistance from all of you, and were amazed that the people from our little area so very far away from them. We would also like to thank Sikeston Motor Co. for donating a 12 passenger van for us to make the trip. This is courtesy of Angie Brewer and Amy Sloan.

I want to know how you can separate state and church, when it takes people to make up the state and people to make up the church? You can't separate them, cause when you do, you are getting rid of the peoples. We are peoples of God and everything it stands for and that's the way it is meant to be. You can't separate peoples from God.

I know they say if we should have an earthquake, we should have our water heaters strapped. I have a gas hot water heater, but I don't know how to strap it down. Is there somebody who I can call?

The son of Governor of Jeb Bush of Fla. was arrested for suspicion of public intoxication and resisting arrest in Austin, Texas. A spokesperson for Jeb Bush said it was a personal family matter. I'll bet a dollar he gets away with it. We should send David Mann and make him the judge of the case, so we can make sure he gets put in jail.

If you would like to file a complaint/complaints against the owner of the Sikeston Garden of Memories Cemetery, the Sikeston Memorial Park Cemetery or the Forest Hills Cemetery in Morley, Missouri, and need the complaint forms, please call me at 471-3854 and I will deliver them to you and pick them up when you have completed filling them out. These complaint/

complaints will be sent to the Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon's office. We need your help, so please let us pull together and get these complaints to Jefferson City, Missouri, where our voices can be heard.

This is in response to the September 13 comments about the black and white scores for the MAP test. I agree with everything the caller said up until their feelings of racism. The poor scores by black students have nothing to do with racism. The problem lies with the test itself. Students are encouraged to do the best they can. All year long, teachers prepare every student for the MAP. The real problem is that some students do not do their best. Why? They are not held accountable. Only the school/teachers are to blame. When Missouri law makers change the accountability, scores will rise. If a student is not proficient, the student, black or white, should not be allowed to advance to the next grade. I would also like to know how so many students are on the honor roll each quarter. My child received Title services for math. Meaning he was not working at grade level. It was amazing to me that he was on honor roll for math. Hopefully, the school system could answer that one.

Is there anyone in town who does pony rides for children's birthdays? If there is, please leave your number in Speak out.

Referring to the Louisiana evacuees. For those of you who are making the word refugee a racist or insulting word, Webster dictionary defines it as: one who flees for safety, shelter or protection. I am sick of people trying to change the meaning of a word to mean something else.