Letters to the Editor
Tougher gun laws are not the answer
In a June 7 letter, Lane Woodall stated that the tragic shooting death of the 20-year-old Wahiawa man could have been prevented had there been tougher gun laws.
The typical emotional reaction to a tragedy of this magnitude is to lash out at the gun when the truth is this young man was on a path of self-destruction. He apparently was to be sentenced on the following Monday for several crimes, including auto theft.
He was also 20 years old and intoxicated — to a point almost double the legal limit for driving — and without parental supervision. What if he had gone for a drive and killed someone? Would we be asking for tougher drunk-driving laws?
Woodall would be surprised to find that Hawai'i has some of the toughest gun laws in the nation: mandatory fingerprinting, mandatory gun education, mandatory registration, background checks and waiting periods.
The truth is, that gun was not endangering anyone until alcohol became a factor.
While my sympathy and condolences go out to the family of this young man, I must defend the rights of law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms under the U.S. Constitution. Woodall's efforts would be better served encouraging enforcement of existing gun and alcohol laws.
Robert Thurston
Waialua
Reasons for approving new law fall short
I was disturbed by Rep. Emily Auwae's attempt to justify the impact of Act-088, the newly enacted Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund, to state and county employees and retirees, when they asked her, "What will this mean to me?"
Auwae admitted she could not "wholly answer that question because there are so many different factors involved," and she generalized her response by stating the "reform process was a work in progress" and citing "the stagnant economy," "longer life expectancy" and the cost savings of "hundreds of millions of dollars."
It's shocking that legislators carelessly passed a law that will impact 29,000 lives without first having a comprehensive grasp on what it will mean to retirees and their spouses. The only explanation Auwae had was the law will "affect retirees the least."
Auwae deceptively stated, "The Legislature understands its obligation to keep the promises it has made." If that statement is true, there should not be any affect whatsoever on retirees. If the legislators were sincerely concerned about keeping their obligations to retirees, they would have studied all possible ramifications and would have been able to "wholly answer" all inquiries before passing this law.
Auwae's response to constituents demonstrates the flippant attitude of those who passed this detrimental bill.
Frank Gomes
Kapolei
PGA is hypocritical in Casey Martin case
Why do the PGA and many of its members take such a macho stance against the use of a golf cart by Casey Martin? They keep insisting, hypercritically, that "physical stamina is an integral part of the game."
If physical stamina is a vital part of golf, why does the PGA, which insists golfers not receive any outside assistance or advice, make an exception by allowing professionals to use caddies? The help and quality of a caddy is a tremendous variable in golf, enough to be worth about a 10 percent share of the golfer's winnings.
If golf is a game of physical stamina, let the pros carry their own bags. Then we'll see the size of bags shrink and golfers do without many items that used to give them aid and comfort.
Yes, let's make professional golf the mano-a-mano game the pros insist it is. Let's see how the pros fare when they have to lug their own bags and rely on their own knowledge of yardage, rules, the reading of greens, etc.
The PGA and all pros should openly welcome Casey Martin and his cart and openly acknowledge their own reliance on outside help: the caddy, a crutch most amateurs do without.
Richard Y. Will
Don't wake sleeping giant of gambling
This is in response to the May 30 letter from Carl Leith, who made a good point about the benefits of a possible "single location" gambling facility here on the island.
I'd like to point out that Hawai'i cannot be compared to the many small towns on the Mainland, where some (but certainly not all) of the Native Indian casinos are so successful. No one would disagree with the fact that Hawai'i is the "crossroads of the Pacific" and that crime syndicates in many nations are lusting for the opportunities of a larger foothold here.
Leith makes a point about the need for control and legislation of such a gaming industry, and that having a facility here in a single location should make it possible.
But let's get real. We're debating about a "sleeping giant" here, and I for one say, "Please don't wake up this giant."
Judith Thomas
Kapolei
Preschool project is already under way
With Lt. Gov. Mazie Hirono's leadership, the plan to partner with the private sector to offer preschool programs for 3- and 4-year-olds in need is well on its way. As a follow-up to your June 3 editorial, I'd like to offer a quick progress report on Hirono's preschool initiative.
The Legislature appropriated $5 million over the next two years for construction costs. That translates to 10 to 15 facilities that can be built each year.
Already, district superintendents and principals from the Central, Leeward, Honolulu, Windward and Hawai'i Island districts have asked to have preschool facilities built at over 20 school sites. We're planning to talk with both Maui and Kaua'i district superintendents and principals over the next few weeks.
The lieutenant governor is approaching this project in a collaborative way, encouraging open dialogue between both public and private partners so it can help as many preschoolers in need as possible.
Kate Stanley
Office of the Lieutenant Governor
Privatization wrong for State Hospital
No private company will be able to make a profit at Hawai'i State Hospital without cutting services and safety for patients.
People should know what happened at several privately run prisons on the Mainland and how communities such as Youngstown, Ohio, were terrorized by the breakout and escape of hard-core criminals before suggesting that the solution to Hawai'i State Hospital escapees is privatization and pretending as if they care for "public safety."
I work at the hospital and talk to patients. I know that all of them need to be treated. Even those few who are classified "dangerous to themselves and others" are people. Generally they are examined, acquitted by panels of psychologists or psychiatrists and then committed to the hospital because of their mental problem.
Privatization is just criminalization of poverty and the mentally ill.
Under the pretext of "public safety," we would be abandoning public responsibility to the greedy profit motive. Unlike a public institution, a private company has to make a profit.This profit and CEO salaries come from the cuts made in services or employee wages.
Nuri Ronaghy
Hawai'i State Hospital
Yes, government could sanction Irish school
Ken Conklin asks in his May 31 letter, " ... could a school admitting only children of Irish ancestry get tax-exempt status?" We're continually warned of prospective special rights for Irish, Italians, Croatians, etc., but Hawaiians are in their country of ancestral origin, as none of the above are.
I submit that a school such as Conklin sarcastically suggests could be governmentally sanctioned — in Ireland — especially if, in the future, the country came to have a non-Irish majority. If we're talking of Irish in Ireland, why can't we talk of Hawaiians in Hawai'i? Does my scenario sound implausible?
The imposition of a non-Irish majority really did take place, in Northern Ireland, where Scottish and English colonists, predominantly Protestant, came to outnumber (though not by much) the predominantly Irish Catholics.
Whatever Princess Pauahi's will intended, it certainly could not have intended the machinations like those of the recent court cases, Rice v. Cayetano and its current satellites, that aim at the eradicating of Hawaiian rights.
Roland F. Perkins
Wai'anae
Baseball returns to a shutout O'ahu
Baseball is back!
A year ago Honolulu baseball fans were locked in a nightmarish season-long shutout, with virtually no broadcasts of Major League baseball games on the radio here.
What a difference a season makes. Fans now have a choice between following the San Francisco Giants or the Los Angeles Dodgers. We've gone from complete frustration to the luxury of punching from one game to the other between innings.
Mahalo to KHNR and KGU.
Doug Carlson
Great baseball season for Waianae Braves
We, the parents and kids of the Wai'anae Braves Bronco Division, would like to thank the coaches and staff for a great baseball season. We also send our regrets to the coaches for not being chosen for the 2001 All-Star Coaches staff. We feel it is unfair, since they work so hard during the season.
Gina Kuakini
Harassment rule protects all
Clarification is needed on recent reports about the Department of Education's implementation of a rule revision relating to harassment, including the addition of sexual orientation as a protected category.
Some are saying the rule should have been implemented long ago. In fact, it was. Once it was signed by the governor on Feb. 22, it became fully operational, and was announced to all schools by memo and as the lead article in the superintendent's March 1 "Update" newsletter to the Board of Education and all schools.
Even before the governor's signature, the DOE was publicly stating that the existing rule was sufficient for school principals to impose discipline for all forms of harassment. The revision was intended to add clarity to the rule, not expand it.
Some still believe that the only change made was to provide unique protection to students based on sexual orientation. This is not true. The revised definition of "harassment" means a person acts with intent to harass, bully, annoy or alarm if he or she:
(1) Strikes, shoves, kicks or otherwise touches a person in an offensive manner or subjects such person to offensive physical contact.
(2) Insults, taunts or challenges another person in a manner likely to provoke a violent response.
(3) Makes verbal or nonverbal expressions for reasons of, including but not limited to, race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, religion, disability or sexual orientation that create an intimidating, hostile or offensive school environment, or interfere with the education of a student, or otherwise adversely affect the educational opportunity of a student.
(4) Name-calls, makes rude gestures, insults or constantly teases another person who feels humiliated, intimidated, threatened and/or embarrassed.
(5) Makes a telephone call without purpose of legitimate communication.
(6) Makes repeated communications anonymously, or at extremely inconvenient hours, or in offensively coarse language.
(7) Causes fear as to prevent others from gaining legitimate access to or use of school buildings, facilities or grounds, such as, but not limited to, restroom facilities.
(8) Causes others to feel uncomfortable, pressured, threatened or in danger as a result of sexually related verbal or physical activity (sexual harassment).
(9) Displays or possesses a "look-alike" gun or weapon.
If there was any primary motivation to the revision, it was to specifically designate bullying as a prohibited action that should not be taken lightly.
The revisions are for the benefit of all students.
A related task remaining is for a special Safe School Project Committee to prepare specific recommendations on how to most effectively use Chapter 19.
The Chapter 19 revisions couldn't take full effect until the governor's approval in late February, and the teachers strike had a profound effect on activities in April and May. The Safe School Project Committee — composed of teachers, administrators, parents, students, community representatives and other stakeholders — began meeting in June and plans to issue its recommendations this summer.
Patricia Hamamoto
Deputy Superintendent
