Letters to the Editor
Deep-seated hatred no longer an excuse
The new hate-crimes law will likely put an end to a bad tactic defendants have used hoping to escape responsibility for their hate-motivated crimes.
Judges have been allowing defendants to introduce evidence and argue to juries that they have a deep-seated hatred for some group to which the victim belongs, and which may not be popular with the public.
For example, not many years back, Bill Rose was robbed and murdered in his own home. His killer proudly claimed on television to having killed a "fag." The trial judge allowed that killer to parade his military buddies before the jury to testify that they, as well as the killer, hate gays.
It seems hypocritical to complain that hate crimes should not result in enhanced sentences when judges have been allowing criminal defendants to use their hatred as a shield.
Rollie Barcume
Dog owners must be held accountable
So another child is killed by a dog? Who cares? As long as the dogs in this state are free to do whatever they want and the owners are not held responsible, then more tragic events like this will happen.
I couldn't believe that the police referred to the dog's killing of the boy as a "household accident." If the dog's killing of the boy and almost killing the mother was a "household accident," then shouldn't the father be arrested for animal cruelty for killing the dog with a pickax?
The problem is we have politicians and law-enforcement authorities who are cowards when it comes to dog control and making it so that dog owners are responsible for the behavior of their animal. If a person possesses a dog, he should be treated no differently from a person who possesses a loaded gun. If that gun goes off while it's in his possession and hurts or kills somebody, then the owner should go to jail. It's as simple as that.
Unfortunately, dogs are running freer than ever throughout our state. Dog owners essentially intimidate the rest of us with their weapons. If you approach a dog owner whose dog isn't on a leash to try to tell him to please put his dog on a leash, you're taking your life into your own hands because that dog, being the loyal animal it is, will see you as the enemy.
When are the police going to start doing their job?
Todd Bishop
Kailua
KHNL chasing dreams in ratings-war claims
A firm believer in giving credit where credit is due, I salute KHNL-TV General Manager John Fink as an excuseömeister extraordinare.
After each TV ratings period, Advertiser readers can count on Fink to provide hearty laughs as he spins some pathetic excuse why his tied-for-last-place newscasts continue to trail so far behind the No. 1 Channel 2 News.
Fink's latest and lamest excuse (June 14) is his funniest yet. Trying to explain KHNL's 5 rating points to KHON's 16 points at 6 o'clock, and KHNL's 7 points to KHON's 14 points at 10 o'clock, Fink goes on about older viewers who prefer the Channel 2 News being more reliable in filling out their rating diaries than younger viewers, who he hopes will choose his newscasts.
Fink conveniently fails to mention that the Channel 2 News beats KHNL in every age demographic, from the youngest to the oldest.
It would be nice to see Fink admit the prime reason his news lags so far behind KHON is due to the efforts of a lot of hard-working reporters, cameramen, producers, anchors and technicians at Channel 2, efforts the news viewers of Hawai'i over many years have come to trust.
Joe Moore
KHON-TV news anchorman
Hawai'i of old was multiracial society
Rowena Akana wrote that we should all support the Akaka Bill so that sovereignty, ceded lands and the right of self-determination can be restored to ethnic Hawaiians. She says this is because Hawai'i was illegally colonized by the United States.
The truth is that ethnic Hawaiians exercised their right of self-determination by willingly creating a multiracial constitutional monarchy in 1840. If this monarchy were overthrown illegally, shouldn't self-determination and sovereignty wrongfully taken be restored, if it is to be restored at all, to all the people from which it was taken, i.e., the multiracial subjects of the Kingdom of Hawai'i?
Before the revolution, Queen Lili'uokalani was attempting to continue the multiracial constitutional monarchy. Why are all others but ethnic Hawaiians to be excluded, according to Akana's point of view? Can this be called racism?
No one should support the racist Akaka Bill.
Paul de Silva
Hilo
Statistics prove guns don't cause crimes
G. Fogarty writes that tough guns laws in Australia and England "work." The facts are that Australia and England have the first and second highest (per capita) rates of victimization by burglary and violent crime among 17 industrial countries included in the 2000 International Crime Victims Survey published by the Dutch Ministry of Justice.
The United States ranked seventh among countries with extremely restrictive gun laws, with Australia's rate being double and England's almost double that of the U.S. Experts suggest many reasons, but one conclusion remains clear: Gun ownership does not cause or increase crime.
According to the National Center for Health Statistics and the National Safety Council, firearms accidents have decreased 73 percent (though the population has doubled) since 1930, and between 1989-1999 decreased a whopping 42 percent with an additional 13 percent decrease estimated for 2000. While this is impressive, more so is that accidents per 100,000 dropped 91 percent since 1904 and 50 percent from 1988-1998 alone.
Though propaganda may claim otherwise, the facts are that firearms account for only 0.04 percent of all deaths and 0.9 percent of accidental deaths in the United States, and among children, 2 percent of accidental deaths and 0.4 percent of all deaths. The leading causes are automobiles, drowning, falls, fires, poisoning, medical mistakes, choking and bad weather.
Restrictive gun-control laws that deprive law-abiding citizens of sport and self-protection do not lower burglary and violent crime.
Charles F. Fasi
Kudos to those who service special ed
Commendations to both Gary Beals and Jim Wolfe on their June 13 letters regarding the recall of retired teachers to fill current vacancies and the special-education-funds fiasco. Both men hit the nail on the head.
Teachers, administrators and service providers who work with the Department of Education have been stretched to the limit in their capacity to perform their duties under the umbrella of special education. No amount of money can sufficiently reimburse these dedicated souls who try their best to service everyone but must make accommodations based on the demands of those few who insist they are fighting for the "rights" of their child. Never mind the other 50 or so students on each caseload who also need special-education services.
Dolwin Matsumoto
Pearl City
Curbside recycling can be successful
When it comes to the bottle bill, curbside recycling has been overlooked.
I have had curbside recycling at my residence for the past year, and I have nothing but wonderful things to say about this convenient service. I am not opposed to the bottle bill, but I would like to point out that there are other viable options out there.
We should take a closer look at states like Oregon, Washington and so many others that have made curbside recycling an extremely successful method of solid waste management. We can start giving support to companies like O'ahu Community Recycling for their environmental "curbside" efforts.
In addition to the already-apparent positive environmental benefits of residential curbside recycling, there are the economic benefits as well. A sound curbside recycling program will create hundreds of additional jobs for Hawai'i's residents.
Sometimes the best answer is sitting right under our noses.
Tamar Sprecher
State shouldn't retain taxation of estates
Your June 15 editorial, "State should retain taxation of estates," continues your grand tradition of overstating facts trying to defend the indefensible.
The estate tax is indeed a "death tax"; it is invoked only when someone dies. And it doesn't just hit the "richest of the rich."
My father worked for the military, making a pittance while struggling to feed his family, yet he would be subject to the current estate tax. My wife's father is a farmer who typically makes less than $15,000 a year, doing some of the hardest, dirtiest manual labor imaginable, yet he would be subject to the current estate tax. And to state that we're talking about taxing "wealth that mostly has never been taxed in any way"? Please.
People who buy property pay property taxes. People who buy stocks or bonds pay taxes on the interest or dividends. The fact is, many people whom we wouldn't consider wealthy do amass estates by living below their means and investing the bit saved each month. That's why even a far-left liberal like Rep. Neil Abercrombie voted to abolish the estate tax.
Dying is bad enough without the additional insult of handing over one's life savings to be squandered by imprudent politicians.
Jim Henshaw
Kailua
Role models are critically needed
Periodically, usually as the result of a particularly bad accident, there is an outcry from the community that "something has to be done." These comments most often come from ordinary citizens; however, at times the chief of police weighs in.
The recent drag-racing fatality resulted in a statement, printed in The Advertiser, that the police should patrol that section of the freeway. The fatality on Kaukonahua also brought forth numerous suggestions, most politically motivated, about making the road one-way and decreasing the speed limit, as well as some others, equally ridiculous.
It is truly tragic that people, too often the young, must lose their lives to traffic accidents. It is also tragic, indeed shameful, that politicians will use these deaths to show they are doing something. All too often they find an available microphone, television camera or gullible reporter and spout off with recommendations they are certain will cure the problem with that particular stretch of roadway.
The concerned citizens and politicians apparently do not understand the ramifications of their comments and suggestions. The woman who wants the police patrols — they are simply not feasible. There are many areas that concerned citizens feel need special patrolling. The fact is, there are not enough police officers to provide these special patrols. The politician's first reaction is to enact a new law. Strange that they would believe that people who do not obey existing laws would obey new ones.
There are some simple suggestions that might produce some results:
• The police should be the role models for traffic safety. All police vehicles not responding to an emergency (lights and siren) should obey all traffic laws. By this I mean they should follow the speed limits, not cross solid lines and so on.
• Police should vigorously enforce the traffic laws any time they see a violation, not just those times they are on traffic duty.
• Speed limits should be reviewed. Since most people normally drive 10 mph above the posted limit, they should be raised 10 mph. Then, the limits should be enforced, with no exceptions.
• There should be an additional penalty of $1,000 for any moving violation within a thousand yards of a school. All fines should be raised to the point that they are a hardship for anyone violating the traffic laws.
• The judiciary should punish all violators regardless of hardship. The moans and groans about penalizing the violator's family should be ignored. Let the violator and the family sort that out on their own. TheBus provides excellent transportation for many people.
Every time mommy or daddy exceed the speed limit, cut off another driver, cross the solid lines, drive through the traffic islands or park in a handicapped stall, they ensure that their children will do the same things.
Being a role model is a terrible burden; however, if we do not want to continue being a community of scofflaws, we must all share in the burden of changing the community attitude.
Donald A. Chambers
