On Schools
Children write views on terrorist attacks

By Alice Keesing
Advertiser Education Writer

As the nation struggles through the horror of Tuesday's terrorist

attacks, schools continue the important task of helping the children work through their fears and concerns.

As one way to avoid the feeling of helplessness, students at Mauka Lani Elementary in Kapolei are making cards and letters to send to New York and Washington.

Their missives are decorated with pictures of suns and flowers and words such as "Hope you get better."

And at Ma'ema'e Elementary in Nu'uanu, Elaine Koanui's students spent part of Tuesday afternoon writing down their thoughts. Some of the students directed their messages to the president, suggesting how the country can become safe again. But common in their journals was the question: "Why did they do this to our country?"

This was Sept. 11 in the words of some of Koanui's sixth-graders (edited for clarity and accuracy):

"Today was a day of tears, madness and anger."

— Ryan Tawara

"Dear Mr. President,

"I think that we should keep our nation safe and our people safe. We can prevent this from happening by keeping police undercover and on planes so that if someone was hijacking the plane we would be able to stop them before the plane crashes. Right now I feel very scared that Hawai'i might be the next target. I hope that it doesn't happen again."

— Cara Yim

"They should put bin Laden in jail for life so he would not do anything bad."

— Haylee Rezentes

"I really don't feel like going on a plane anytime soon, I'm just waiting for everything to go back to normal and I hope that happens very soon. The thought of all those people dying is kind of scary and what if it comes here and hits Hawai'i? Will I die? Or will I just be watching it from far away?"

— Kapono Kamakawiwoole

"I wish that people would stop doing these things, and there will be peace in the world. I think the president should get people to find all the suspects and question each person. We should strengthen our country so that if they hit again we will be ready. Our country shouldn't strike back by bombing or destroying anything because '2 wrongs don't make a right.' "

— Stephanie Chin

"I just sat there watching the television with my heart thumping and asking myself, 'Is this a dream?' To prevent hijacking, we should put some securities in our airplanes. We could also put microscopic cameras all over the plane. At our airports, we could hand-check the luggage. We should do anything it takes to save our people."

— Kristie Yeung

After writing about the urge to retaliate strongly for the attacks, Daniel Lau reasons "they would probably hijack more of our planes and do what we did to them. Then maybe World War Three would start, and with the technology this world would be space dust. ... Instead the easy way is to try and communicate with each other and find out why they did this and solve our problem."

— Daniel Lau

"I know this is history but does it have to be so scary."

— Olina Young