Speakout

Does patrol have a double-standard?

Yeah, you probably won’t print this, but I see where that highway patrol spokesman, I think his name is Parrott, he’s just talking about distracted drivers. Maybe he should talk about his troopers going down the road, 80 miles per hour, passing you while on the cell phone. Now that sounds like to me a double standard. I appreciate you printing it but you probably won’t. Thank you.

Please return my flag and rod

Yes I would just like to ask the person who took my flag and rod that it goes on to please return it to Matthews Manor North in Matthews, Mo., apartment number six. It was taken out of my flower bed and it is very close to my heart. It was given to me by somebody very special. Please return it.

What happened to compassion?

I was in the parking lot a couple days ago at the local Goodwill store and well worn Winnebago pulled up and a Vietnam veteran got out, who was also well-worn himself. He spoke to me and went into the Goodwill seeking help of some kind. He spoke to a worker inside and then they took him in the back to meet the manager. He was only back there a minute and came out rather hurriedly and left. It was obvious this poor veteran had left a better part of himself on the battlefield. The manager, a tall guy, young guy, came out of the doors in the back into the store itself after the man left, but the man said out loud to half dozen or so customers, including myself, “everybody wants something for nothing,” in a rather arrogant, dismissive way I thought. I responded, not nearly loudly enough, “If he was looking for help with nothing he certainly came to the wrong place.” I don’t know what he wanted, whether it was money or merchandise, but he didn’t get either. It just seemed to me he could have been dealt with in a more passionate, understanding way considering his condition. He lives in the Winnebago he told me. He was from out west, somewhere, passing through. I just thought he deserved better. He obviously had PTSD and he obviously deserved better treatment than he got. If no help, then at least some compassion and understanding for one of our wounded veterans. That’s all I had to say.