Letters to the Editor
There is comfort in national solidarity
Tuesday, Sept. 11, was a day of unspeakable tragedy. Thousands of people perished from a dastardly act of cowardice.
We feel so helpless, as if we should be doing something to help the victims and their families. We can. We can pray, and give to the Red Cross. As small and insignificant as these acts may seem, they will help tremendously.
As a people, as a nation, we can only hope that such tragedy will never occur again, whether on American soil or elsewhere. I only wish I could be at home on Maui with my family during this time of national distress.
My heart goes out to all those who have suffered loss. But let us take comfort in the solidarity of our nation.
We will endure.
Lisa Colley
Iowa City, Iowa
Messages of hate fall on deaf ears
To the faceless ones:
Your flying messages of hate did hit their marks. America has paused — to see, to understand, to weep. But the acrid clouds that now obscure and sting the eye shall pass.
I hope you did not think our sun would be concealed evermore.
You struck and hurt a people, and thought you hit our head, our heart, our soul. But we are truly many peoples; disparate, yet, more than ever, United.
Our heart is wide and hugs the very Earth we inhabit. We cannot be toppled like so much concrete and steel.
Aaron Dunn
Gettysburg Address provides us comfort
On a day like Tuesday, perhaps the bloodiest day in American history, the seminal texts in American history — the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Gettysburg Address — can be read to encourage wisdom and resolve.
I keep playing back in my memory the last lines of Lincoln's address at Gettysburg: "It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us — that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion — that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain — that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."
We cannot allow this atrocity to deflect us from the traditions and values that have nurtured and sustained this great nation through so much agony and glory. This has been an assault not just upon us in the present moment, but upon all of our ancestors who struggled to make America better than it was, who believed in diverse ways in its vision of individual liberty within a larger community of shared regard. We cannot betray their richly complicated legacy of freedom and responsibility in favor of vainglorious expediency.
Tuesday's events will prove to be a great sifter of leadership, separating those who would grab short-term political advantage from those who understand and are committed to the furtherance of the great ideals that underlie the quotidian tumult. This is a day of terrible sadness to which we cannot succumb.
David B. Lee
Defense system needs an overhaul
Ten years ago, Martin Van Creveld published "The Transformation of War," which predicted that traditional conventional war was being replaced by a new kind of enemy — the stateless and often suicidal terrorist loyal only to his own personal cause.
His prediction was validated by the worst terrorist attack in U.S. history on Tuesday.
The tragedy demands that our bureaucratic defense system begin to recognize that the most dangerous threats of the 21st century may not be enemy nations and that all our sophisticated ships, planes and armies may be powerless to stop a rogue group of determined, suicidal terrorists. This requires us to rethink warfare to fit a new paradigm.
Failure to do so will guarantee more World Trade Centers and, unfortunately, the natural erosion of our cherished personal liberties and way of life.
Michael A. Lilly
Terrorists failed to break our souls
In the last couple days, horror of another terrorist attack on the World Trade Center swept the nation of the "free." During the past hours, many heroes arose to help those in need of aid and comfort. That is what makes our nation like no other: the will to help others in need of it.
The loss of the thousands of lives will never leave our minds as we remember those innocent people who were stripped away from loved ones. As President Bush says, the terrorists are "cowards." They attack and kill thousands of people without feeling any remorse for their actions.
The terrorists had one goal in mind while thinking over their attack: How can we break the souls of the American people? We have to let the unknown terrorists know that we aren't afraid of their attacks.
Yes, we feel sorrow for those who have died and we forever will, but we must prove to whoever did this to our nation that we will not crumble. We stay together and fight as one nation, knowing that the American minds and spirits are the backbone that makes our "nation under God" impossible to defeat.
Kyle Mochizuki
Iolani School student
All cockpits must become impregnable
Enough is enough. Forty years or more of hijackings, and nothing has been done to stop them.
The cockpit of all commercial jets must be impregnable and not accessible from the cabin at any time.
The cockpit must have all facilities necessary — food, toilet and probably a separate door for access.
The airlines must give up some first-class space, but this is essential.
No hijacking has ever been done from the cabin; all hijackers get into the cockpit.
Enough is enough.
Don W. Moody
Kailua
Attack could have been prevented
The bottom line: Airport and airline security is so lacking that four commercial airliners were easily hijacked at one time, breaching and compromising security.
We Americans should sacrifice our convenience for stricter airport and airline security. Maybe we should have the same airport/airlines security procedures as the Israelis.
Why can't the pilot's cockpit be secured and protected like a bank's vault? And the airlines should consider hiring on-board security personnel.
Arsenio R. Pelayo
'Aiea
The sleeping giant is once again awake
Sept. 11, 2001: "The day that changed the world," as some have called it.
Remember the attack on Pearl Harbor back on Dec. 7, 1941? Sure we all do.
How can anyone really forget? It was the greatest tragedy the United States of America had been faced with up until these recent terrorist attacks.
Much like the bombing of Pearl Harbor, if you remember correctly, those responsible had a message to send and thought they were sly enough to get away with such a violent act. What they were not prepared for were the consequences that followed. The bombing of Pearl Harbor, in turn, awoke a sleeping giant upon the world and united a nation that was previously divided by what would turn out to be, in retrospect, petty differences.
These current events, in turn, have once again awakened this sleeping giant we call America. For whoever is responsible for these violent acts and those who support such acts, I hope you are prepared for the consequences that will now follow and realize that this time, this giant is not alone.
Blane Suizu
We should also pray for those responsible
After Tuesday's events, I think we must all ask ourselves — with each deed and thought we have — are we adding love to this planet, or anger and fear?
I hope you will all join me in praying for the victims of this attack, as well as the people who planned and executed this act — they above all else need our love. Anger will only send them deeper into their wounds.
Are we going to finally learn how to embrace all of life and embrace even our anger and judgment? Whatever the question, love is always the answer.
Some people talk about being a spiritual warrior — what an oxymoron. I was taught to think in those terms; so were the Crusaders, I'm sure. But I am not one any more — I am at war with nothing and no one. I choose to move into dominion with everything in my world.
I hope as a species we use this event as an opportunity to move toward dominion, embrace and love even the creators of this act. The act is horrific, but judging anyone or anything will not help us heal society's wounds.
Susan Gregg
Kane'ohe
Air traffic shutdown shows need for ferry
In the wake of the tragic attacks on the United States, the effect of the resulting temporary shutdown of all air travel should make obvious how vulnerable our island state is without any alternative surface transportation.
Over the past several decades, other writers have argued for establishing a statewide system of ocean ferries to connect all islands.
But, alas, no serious commitments to such a project have come forth. Perhaps it is time for the appropriate state and federal agencies to make an effort to find ways to make a state ferry system feasible.
Since the Neighbor Islands do not appear to benefit from federal interstate highway funding, would there be some way to redirect available funds into support for alternative transport technologies? Additional benefits would be that tourists would be able to experience the thrill and beauty of arriving in our Islands from the sea, possibly even docking close to the major hotel areas.
Since I do work on other islands, I would love to be able to take my service vehicle, and its load of tools and parts, with me when I travel.
Bob Alder
Hilo
We need to limit our carry-on luggage
Next time a security officer wishes to check my bag, I will be thankful.
We need to really think about the fact that Hawai'i could suffer the same type of incident and we must use this tragedy to a positive end. I do not want those lives lost to have been in vain, but to use them to prevent future occurrences.
In honor of those who died, consider that we must limit our carry-ons to one piece only. They could all be hand-checked that way, as it used to be. Boarding would take less time and the security checks would be more thorough.
We need to get back our safe flying or we will lose a cherished freedom. All of us should take a moment to write our leaders and let them know how we feel about this. They do not know if we do not tell them. Help come up with positive solutions.
Carole Joy Ameral
Lahaina, Maui
Where's the justice among the ruins?
I've been up since 4 a.m. glued to the tragedy being reported on TV. All our friends and family are safe, although one in New York City and three in Washington, D.C., were too close to this terror for any comfort.
I can't make any sense of this. I doubt any sane person can make any sense of this. I'm guessing the death toll will mount into the thousands. F-16 fighter jets flying "cover" for Air Force One in our own skies is something I never wanted to see.
My usual tolerance is all but exhausted. Today I'd gladly drop the bombs and pull the trigger myself if I was just half certain I was killing someone responsible for this outrage, and in my anger I even want to drop bombs on those dancing in the streets and "celebrating" this attack.
But, my head tells me it wouldn't do any good — other than giving me a sense of revenge. It wouldn't do one bit to prevent future acts like these. If we kill the ringleaders, there will just be more ringleaders. If we kill the "soldiers of terror," there will just be more ready to take their place.
I'm certain there is some clue in the bumper sticker I saw today: "No Peace Without Justice." But I can't quite figure it out.
How does it work when countries with tanks and armies can't agree on what justice means?
How does it work when a dozen terrorists who have practiced flying a 757 using MS Flight Simulators and armed with knives, box cutters and airplane tickets can't agree with the rest of us what justice means and make their point one morning by killing thousands of office workers sitting at their desks, children playing in day care, janitors emptying wastebaskets and hotel guests sleeping in their beds?
Walt Barnes
Kapa'a
