Letters to the Editor

Yes, pedestrians do need to be protected

I read Nash Kobayashi’s Feb. 15 letter regarding the pedestrian protection law, which he believes is shortsighted legislation. I invite him to come to my quaint, peaceful neighborhood and try to cross a marked crosswalk with two children just outside their elementary school at 7:50 a.m.

It is a pleasant surprise when a driver actually stops to let us cross.

How is it possible that a driving community so "polite" that it thinks nothing of coming to a complete stop on the H-1 to let oncoming traffic merge, can also purposefully speed up just to beat me to the crosswalk so I have to stop crossing the street as they motor by in front of me?

Conversely, what makes the notoriously aggressive L.A. driver stop and yield for any pedestrian wanting to cross the street? Try a big, fat fine, a point on his driving record and an obligatory insurance rate hike.

Of course, the pedestrian law would not protect those who jaywalk or blindly run into traffic. However, it would change the mindset of drivers who believe pedestrians must yield to cars instead of the other way around.

K. Abe

State’s age of consent must be increased

I can’t believe the current legal age of consent in Hawai‘i is 14.

It is disturbing to know that an adult in his 20s, 30s and even older can have sexual relations with a 14-year-old. It doesn’t sound right, look right or seem appropriate. The state Legislature should approve a new consensual-sex law of at least 16.

Men lure young girls into the adult commercial scene, such as prostitution and stripping. These men seek girls who may have problems, such as depression, so the girls will be dependent on them and gain their trust. The men can attract girls anywhere — at the malls, beaches, clubs, parties and on the streets. The ease of this exploitation is all the more reason to raise the legal consent age in Hawai‘i.

It seems strange to hear that our governor opposes the bill to raise the consent age. I would think that he would want to protect children. Difficulty in determining differences in ages 14, 15 and 16 is not a legitimate reason.

Nohealani Burgess

Gambling commentary loaded with problems

Dorothy and Robert Bobilin’s Feb. 22 Island Voices op-ed piece regarding gambling was so full of problems, I feel a response must be made.

To start with, the company I head, StarrPR, has not paid anything to the research firm of Q-Mark. We are not conducting phone calls to legislators. That is being done by another group that wishes to pass gambling legislation.

Even so, I feel phone canvassing is a legitimate form of lobbying. None of the callers are fake. The persons contacted are registered voters, and they are being patched in to their legislators on a voluntary basis.

While the group I am associated with, the Coalition for Economic Diversity, is not making phone calls, we have been placing ads. For the record, since the Bobilins seem to have missed one, we ran four full-page ads, not three.

The Bobilins also imply there is something wrong with our coalition because it’s "hiding the efforts of unknown members." I have already answered the question of coalition membership when asked by several media and legislators. There are, in fact, a number of local residents who are members of the coalition. But, aside from myself, we have decided at this time not to reveal the names of the other members because the coalition phone has received a number of threatening and vulgar calls from gambling opponents. I’ve also received such calls at home and on my office phone.

There’s a reason "limited gambling or limited casino" wording is in several bills: The majority of people in Hawai‘i favor gambling with limitations.

The Sun model seems good. It would confine gambling to a small space in a big resort in an area of the island where it would be easy to maintain control. Sun, which would become the largest private employer in the state, has promised a job-training program for the people of the area and would not let employees of the resort, or their family members, gamble. Plus the state would receive millions of dollars for education or health care.

Given that thousands of us go to Las Vegas each year, that illegal gambling abounds here and that the Internet has hundreds of gambling sites, it seems silly to claim Hawai‘i has no gambling. It’s already here. Let’s limit it and let’s control it.

Jim Boersema

Chef shouldn’t be able to buy freedom

I can’t believe your paper would condone what chef Chai Chaowarsee has done.

The guy has broken the law by entering into a "sham marriage," and you want the Immigration and Naturalization Service to release him because he employs 70 people and has done good things for the community.

I hear the same argument coming from the liberals in New York and Washington about Clinton and his pardons. What it all boils down to is that money will buy you freedom. I sure hope the INS doesn’t give in to your thinking.

Fred Cavaiuolo

Federal, state meddling is disrupting education

Shortsighted federal and state legislators have given bad parents an advantage over numerous responsible parents.

State blunders include:

Allowing parent(s) on welfare to collect for children not attending school.

Increasing the mandatory school attendance age from 16 to 18. This forces older, disruptive youths to disturb those who choose to stay in school.

Irresponsible state legislators accepting federal monies without understanding all the unrealistic strings attached.

Federal blunders include:

Enacting open-ended laws like IDEA/Special Education without realistic and well-defined parameters. These laws are unfair entitlements. Too many youths with records of school misbehavior (most are spoiled brats) can now be diagnosed as "emotionally impaired." These students represent more than 50 percent of the state’s special-education population. They must be accommodated and do not need to follow school rules as other students do.

Special-education teachers are now responsible for the round-trip transportation for growing numbers of special-education students. Teachers are not in the taxi business.

It is time that regular-school children get an equal share of their teachers’ lessons. Schools must have real authority to discipline badly behaved students.

John DiVirgilio
Kailua

Lili‘uokalani museum won’t rewrite history

I was quite distressed to read Carolyn Peters’ letter of Feb. 21 pertaining to Vicky Cayetano’s proposal to establish Washington Place as a museum.

It is quite disconcerting and, I think, a grave mistake to consider the establishment of a museum in Hawai‘i as "an insult to all Hawaiians." The Bernice P. Bishop Museum was created in loving memory of Princess Pauahi by her husband. And the memory and honor that a man had for his beloved wife to this day serves as a catalyst in even the daily operations of Bishop Museum.

Peters is very correct when she stated that "you can’t rewrite history or pretend Hawaiians don’t exist," but you also cannot turn your back on the past. As unpleasant and distasteful as we may find our past on occasion, it should serve as a continual lesson from which diverse cultures can learn, share and hopefully come to appreciate all that is different in everyone.

Today, Bishop Museum, ‘Iolani Palace, the Mission Houses Museum, Japanese Cultural Center, Hawai‘i Maritime Center, Fort DeRussy, Pearl Harbor and all other museums here in Hawai‘i serve a crucial role for this state, and their importance is almost beyond words. Simply put, the role of these institutions is to educate, teach and share the beauty, culture, diversity and history of Hawai‘i and the Pacific.

John Dockall
Wahiawa

Article cleared up project’s questions

Mahalo nui loa to The Advertiser and Suzanne Roig for the excellent article of Feb. 27 on the planned facilities for Hanauma Bay and the importance of the education program for the bay.

Had this article and the accompanying graphics appeared about 18 months ago, there would have been fewer articles and letters in the newspapers during 2000 on Hanauma Bay and the planned development. It would have also been clear to the readers that Hanauma Bay is a place for everyone, not just the residents of East Honolulu, and that the planned education is a must.

It is hoped, and it is one of the goals of the Friends of Hanauma Bay, that Hawai‘i residents from all the Islands have the type of education planned at Hanauma Bay, for the principles to be presented will protect the reefs on the Neighbor Islands as well. Thus, it is hoped that these residents will make an effort to visit the bay when they are on O‘ahu.

Roy J. Gritter
Hanauma Bay volunteer

Rep. Stonebraker broke the law, ethics code

Rep. William Stonebraker needs a lesson in ethics and the law. In his Feb. 27 letter, he again claims he did nothing wrong when he used taxpayer-funded assets (facilities, equipment and personnel) to promote personal religious activity at the Capitol.

Stonebraker acts as if the "fellowship meetings" are some formal government activity, claiming the use of assets can be categorized as "de minimus."

According to state law, legislators are prohibited from using "state time, equipment and other facilities for private business purposes."

In disclosure statements, Stonebraker lists his private occupation as "assistant pastor" for a local church. Being that he is a minister by profession, he has clearly violated the law by using government assets and employees to "secure unwarranted privileges, advantages and treatment" for himself and his business.

In addition to the statutory violation, the inappropriate use contravenes the Code of Legislative Conduct, which states that members must not "use public office to advance the private interests of themselves or others."

Should Stonebraker or others persist in abusing their office, I intend to file formal charges with the state Ethics Commission.

Mitch Kahle
Hawai‘i Citizens for the Separation of State and Church

Army must complete an impact statement

When the Army issued its "finding of no significant impact" for training at Makua in December, it gave every indication that it was a bona fide agency decision and that it would be able to resume training after the required comment period.

While the Army assured us that it had not yet committed to resume training, it confirmed that the issuance of the finding started the 30-day comment period, during which challenges may be lodged.

But on Feb. 26, the Army attorney argued in court that the lawsuit by Malama Makua and Earthjustice was premature because the finding was only a draft (even though it was not marked "draft" and was signed and dated). As the Earthjustice attorney pointed out, under the law, there is no such thing as a draft finding.

The Army must stop the dishonesty and foot-dragging and do a thorough environmental impact statement.

Kyle Kajihiro
American Friends Service Committee Hawai‘i

Hawaiians were forced into a racist society

I agree with Alani Apio’s Feb. 25 Focus commentary. Native Hawaiians live in a racist Hawai‘i. Sad, but so true.

Hawaiians have been wronged for years. The government, both state and federal, want to have no claim or responsibility for the injustice inflicted on Hawaiians.

I am a Native Hawaiian; some of my cousins are simply known as Hawaiians. The difference? The amount of Hawaiian blood I possess. Hawaiians are the only racial group, in this "free and equal" nation, to be classified by blood quantum. Racist? I think so.

I am tired of seeing Hawaiians getting the raw end of the deal, in their own homeland. Sad, isn’t it? I am tired of seeing homeless Hawaiians. I am tired of sweetheart deals that the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands produces, such as the Waimanalo Beach Park or the Waimanalo Polo Field. The non-Hawaiian lessees pay a dollar a year for those prime properties that Hawaiians could live on.

When all is said and done, we Hawaiians still come from this ‘aina; we are the essence of these Islands. So for those of you who feel all Hawaiians should be treated as if we wanted America to invade our nation, think again.

Adrian K. Kamali‘i

Japanese should do their own apologizing

An apology for the accidental killing of the nine Japanese on board the Ehime Maru has been made, yet it’s been 63 years since the Japanese government cold-bloodedly directed the massacre of over 300,000 Chinese in Nanking, China. Japan has never apologized or even acknowledged this Asian holocaust.

During six weeks in 1937, Japanese soldiers mutilated, raped and murdered as many people as they could get their hands on, often instigating contests to see who could kill the most Chinese within a certain amount of time. To this day, the Japanese government continues its revisionist history on the events of World War II in school textbooks.

While tremendous attention is paid to the bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima, scant references are made about Pearl Harbor, the Bataan Death March or the abduction of women for use as sex slaves.

When Japan chooses to ignore responsibility for these deliberate and inhumane acts, it seems that the demand that the United States must, at all costs and in a very dangerous operation, raise the Ehime Maru from the ocean depths is excessive indeed.

Sook Han Lau

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