Letters to the Editor
Sex consent bill OK'd for the right reasons
I respectfully disagree with the assertion in the July 12 editorial that the "Sex consent bill passed for the wrong reasons." The age-of-consent bill passed this legislative session for two very right reasons.
As one who worked with legislators of both parties in both chambers, I can tell you firsthand there were many lawmakers deeply concerned, as you wrote, "(about) adults preying on the insecurities or naivete of children for purposes of sexual pleasure." As it relates to 14- and 15-year-old minors, this adult predatory conduct has only been legal in Hawai'i, nowhere else in the nation.
Many legislators wanted to change that, and now. No more delays. No more excuses.
There were also other lawmakers, in both parties, whose priority was on following the clearly expressed desires of the constituents who elected them to office. Following the clearly expressed will of one's constituency is not "the wrong reason" for passing legislation that protects minors and affirms parents.
As one Neighbor Island prosecutor noted recently, there are lots of men in their late 20s and early 30s with alcohol, drugs and cars picking up young girls. This law tells them those girls are off-limits.
Finally, with this veto override, Hawai'i's 14- and 15-year-old minors are legally protected and are off-limits to the adults who would exploit them sexually. Mahalo to the members of the 2001 Legislature who made it so.
Kelly M. Rosati
Executive director, Hawai'i Family Forum
'Super block' plans need some rethinking
Plans for the "super block" between Sheridan and Ke'eaumoku streets need to be thought about.
The idea of bringing in a K-Mart or Home Depot is pointless. Either will increase traffic and make the area too crowded and noisy. Either may even increase crime levels because of the increase of people around the area. Besides, the money those stores make just goes back to the Mainland economy.
We will make better use of the block if we make it into a residential park combined with a home for the elderly. This will make it a peaceful area and be a good area for the elderly as well. Maybe we could add a bus stop to decrease the problem of cars.
The block is getting overgrown, and people should start doing things to change this. Stray cats and the homeless sometimes are hanging around this area. If we had a park and residential development for the elderly, the plants would be green and healthy. The place could change if the owner just heard us out.
Marissa Sakoda
Age 10
Take stray animals to the Humane Society
I recently lost my dog. Given her friendly nature and small size, I believe someone picked her up. She makes a great pet: housebroken, well-trained, loves kids.
The problem is that she is my pet, and I miss her badly. She is a trained Pet Therapy dog that regularly visits area nursing homes. The countless residents whose days she brightens miss her greatly, too. She has also helped raise funds for the Hawaiian Humane Society.
But this letter isn't only about my dog. It's about all stray or loose animals. Please, when you find an animal, take it to the Humane Society. It can either locate the owner (someone desperate to have the pet back), find the animal a new home or put the animal out of its misery. Dogs, in particular, are not capable of fending for themselves.
Whoever has Maizie, my 13-pound black and gray terrier mix, please have a heart and turn her in to the Humane Society.
Virginia Rose
Letter wasn't meant to discourage Hawaiian
I feel obligated to respond to Luther Killebrew's July 16 letter, which totally missed the crux of my earlier letter.
If he rereads my letter, he will see there was no intent to have children not learn Hawaiian; in fact, I made it a point to indicate that studying Hawaiian would be beneficial to the child's ability to learn other languages.
The objective of my letter was to give high school graduates some idea of what language courses would be beneficial for their academic and future professional careers.
Toshio Chinen
Pearl City
McCully district needs access for wheelchairs
My 94-year-old mother-in-law lives in the McCully district. She is unable to get around her neighborhood by herself because of obstacles she cannot maneuver around easily in her wheelchair.
We do take her out for walks and would love to be able to take her out more often, but the condition of the sidewalks (or lack of sidewalks) in the area makes this very difficult.
I realize this is an older area and that only new construction is covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act; but the condition of some of the streets is deplorable, and maybe it's time for some new construction or new city codes.
The entire area from King Street to Kalakaua is inaccessible by wheelchair. We have to use private driveways and sometimes walk around the block to find a place to enter the street in order to cross.
This often means being in the roadway rather than on a sidewalk, which is unsafe for even an able-bodied person. Also, I believe it is even considered jaywalking.
It is time to upgrade this area in which many elderly people reside and make it accessible.
Carol Sunabe
