If this is all you engage in and spend all your money on your car, God help us! You will regret it as time passes you by, and everyone else. I guess spending the money you earned in the summer for a new carburetor was worth the sacrifice of a college tuition and a life.

V.M. Lee

A speeding car is a loaded weapon

If someone threatens the lives of others with a gun, the gun is confiscated. If a driver threatens the lives of others by racing on the highway, the car should be confiscated. Trying to educate these nitwits is an exercise in futility.

Don McDaniel
Kane'ohe

Confiscate the cars of drunk drivers, too

The tragic death on the H-1 caused by street racers has some calling for the confiscation of vehicles of those caught driving at high speeds. Is this fair? Let's look at the facts. According to the police, 17 of the traffic deaths on O'ahu this year were caused by speeding. And in The Advertiser's article on Aug. 29, since 1995, five deaths were caused by high speeds.

However, so far this year, 35 deaths on O'ahu have been attributed to drunken driving. This is more than twice the numbers caused by speeding.

Why not confiscate the cars of those caught for drunken driving? If you are going to take away someone's car for speeding where no one's been killed then the same rule should apply to those who drive drunk.

C. Abe
Kailua

HPD needs training in traffic investigations

Is the Honolulu Police Department going to join the 21st century in its investigative practices in regard to halting traffic for hours and hours every time an accident or fatality occurs?

I am a former law enforcement officer with the U.S. Department of Justice, Veterans Affairs Division at the San Francisco District Office. During my tour of duty, I have had the pleasure of working with many police agencies, particularly the prestigious California Highway Patrol. Accidents and fatalities handled by the CHP are conducted expeditiously within 30 minutes to 1 hour (on the average). Other city departments complete their investigations within 60 to 90 minutes.

In my past study, HPD has been rated as the No. 1 police agency in the United States and second in the world next to Tokyo in regards to their training.

With all the hours of training our recruits endure, you would think the department's administration would apply that training to prevent the shutting down of our highways.

The accident last Sunday shut down the H-1 for eight hours and the accident happened around 4 a.m. Perhaps the HPD ought to invite the CHP to train them ASAP.

Bob Ruiz

Advertiser's leftward slant more noticeable

The leftward slant of The Honolulu Advertiser is more noticeable every day. In the Aug. 30 issue, your paper ran a story claiming that gun control in some states has had a "dramatic" effect on criminals obtaining guns. The very same page has a story about a gun-running ring in which guns were smuggled into New York city illegally. This proves two things — gun control does not have a "dramatic" effect on criminals obtaining guns and your newspaper has a clear agenda.

Further proof of the left slant of The Honolulu Advertiser are the two columns printed regarding the departure of Sen. Jesse Helms. Deborah Mathis of the USA Today and the Washington Post columnist both label Sen. Helms as a racist, homophobic and conservative hammer. Sen. Helms has served this nation for several years and has served his constituency well, as evidenced by his numerous successful re-elections.