Letters to the Editor

Santa asked to help restore aloha in Islands

Dear Santa,

I have just one wish this Christmas. I was born and raised in Hawai'i and in gratitude for granting my wish, I promise to try harder to extend respect and compassion toward neighbors, friends, family and the community. I will endeavor to adopt an attitude of understanding and forgiveness, having to live with past situations, experiences, disappointments, setbacks and frustrations (fair or unfair, just or unjust) that have served only to destroy my sense of aloha and caring.

I realize your dilemma in granting this wish as it cannot be purchased at any Kmart or Wal-Mart or even on the Internet, for it is not materialistic or even made of gold. I know in my heart that you will overcome the obstacles when delivering this gift to residents, mindful that in Hawai'i, there are not many homes with chimneys.

I am sure that the local people, provided the reindeer remain quiet, won't mind your presence on their front lawn or doorstep to deliver this gift, and may even come through and offer you some "local kine grinds."

My wish is for a sense of aloha to be reawakened and restored, expressed unconditionally which in turn will remove the unwholesome attitude (that now exists) of trying to always outdo one another and compete against each other to the point where individuals' lives, relationships and friendships are destroyed or tarnished forever. And I also wish for the workplace to be a safe place where all employees are respected and treated fairly.

Keith C. Vierra

Contraband items can be planted by others

The federal government has warned us about locking our checked-in suitcases, saying that federal inspectors now have the right to inspect your luggage even after it has been inspected, locked and checked in.

What is to prevent theft by airline employees, security personnel and others? This has been a problem for years, even when the government allowed us, and airlines encouraged us, to lock our luggage.

What is to prevent someone from putting something into your checked baggage? It seems an excellent way to smuggle things to someone on the other end without the risk of getting caught. If the contraband items are ever found, it is you and I who will be arrested and imprisoned under the new federal laws. And under the new policies of President Bush, the government won't even have to disclose that you have been locked up as a security risk against the United States. You will just disappear.

In fact, if someone at the airports, the airlines, in the security force or among the many secret federal agents who are watching us wants to "get you" for whatever reason, it is now made simpler. They can just "plant" evidence in your checked (and unlocked) luggage, then "find" it and put you away for life. And they don't even have to tell anyone who you are or where you are being kept.

It is frightening.

Thank you, Mr. Bush, Mr. Ashcroft, et al.

Ken Kiura

Missing words include 'Departures,' 'Arrivals'

I noticed that the new Honolulu International Airport signs are bright and easy to read. However, why is it that the signs do not use the words "Departures" or "Arrivals"? Most local folks probably know where to go. Can you imagine the confusion for the visitors trying to leave O'ahu?

Carlton Siu

Media coverage lacking for Division II teams

I feel for the University of Hawai'i Wahine volleyball team. The team had it all, right up to the very end. I really wanted them to win for Hawai'i.

Local media coverage of the team was expansive both in text and image. Everyone was talking about them. Still in the end, it was all for naught. And that brings me to my point of contention.

BYU-Hawai'i Seasiders just won their second NCAA II volleyball title and 10th overall national title. But where was the media coverage during the season, the regionals and the final eight? Once again the Division II schools received only token coverage, at best, of their sports.

This ongoing blatant media coverage discrimination is Hawai'i's shame. Our Hawai'i Division II teams will continue to win national championships even when UH does not, but will the media coverage change? I doubt it. Just tell me why.

Gerald Bohnet
Spanish Fork, Utah

Divers exposed to host of lethal pathogens

As a former police diver in Florida, as well as a former commercial diver, I was very troubled by the photo of Honolulu Police Department divers searching Halawa stream for a murder weapon. By using only wet suits and scuba gear, they have exposed themselves to a devil's cocktail of potentially lethal pathogens, such as strep, staph, vibrio, Mycobacterium marinum, not to mention E coli and leptospirosis.

The only reasonably safe way to conduct dive ops in contaminated water is with full dry suits, full face masks or helmets and portable surface supplied air and communication systems. After surfacing, the divers must be scrubbed down and decontaminated using standard hazmat procedures.

In case you think I'm overstating the danger, let me tell you about one of my former dive buddies. He was severely brain damaged by leptospirosis and will spend the rest of his life in a nursing home in restraints.

In addition, two years ago I contracted an unidentifiable infection in my leg while sport diving in a beautiful bay, near a native village, in Papua New Guinea. After being medevaced to Australia by air ambulance, I spent nine days in a hospital on a combination of IV antibiotics. Doctors told me that any delay in treatment would likely have cost me my leg, or possibly my life.

HPD would do well to contact the U.S. Navy's Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit One, based at Hickam Air Force Base, for guidance on equipment and training.

Gary F. Anderson
Waimanalo

Someone needs to take care of your patients

I recently moved to Honolulu and upon hearing about the nurses' strike, signed on with a traveling nurse agency. With almost 30 years of nursing experience in clinical, educational and management areas, I would like to address the nurses who are saddened that we would cross a picket line.

Did you actually think that if you walked off the job, no one would take care of your patients? Did you really believe that no one would step in or that it would further your cause if patients died? Deal with reality, people.

I have no qualms with you addressing the local problems you are facing. In fact, I agree with you about the problems in our profession. However, you were aware of these problems when you signed on. You were aware that after 20 years in the profession, you would only be making a few dollars more than when you started. Do you want a retirement plan? Set up your own retirement system. Face it: There is no security with any company. Haven't you been reading the newspaper?

What I do not agree with is the way you have gone about it. I have never liked unions and feel that any organization that has a union has failed and deserves it. However, if you have already taken your case to the public and have gone through legislative channels and nothing has been done in your hospital, pack your bags and leave.

You can picket all day long if you want, but don't employ silly tactics like delaying buses full of nurses who are taking care of the people you deserted. We don't care if you run alongside the buses taking pictures. I already have my picture on my own Web site and you are welcome to view it any time.

You also thought that we were ashamed to let people know who we are. Why would you want our names? Are you sending us cards and letters of praise, like your former patients are?

And yes, we make more money than you. We have experience in all types of facilities and most of us can work in multiple areas. We walk into a hospital unit anywhere with little or no orientation and get right to work. We work 12-hour shifts for six or more days in a row with one day off. I worked right through my 15th wedding anniversary and will do the same with Christmas and New Year's.

Do you know what my salary enables me to do? I volunteer with medical teams in third world countries and provide free care. I will also help anyone in the Islands who needs my assistance. I live here and have already been told that I'm on the fast track to being a "local boy."

Randall Sexton
RN, MSN, MBA, CP, Diploma ABT (NCCAOM)

Queen's doesn't seem to want nurses back

I am one of the striking registered nurses from The Queen's Medical Center who is frankly quite tired of not being able to work. I decided to take an active interest into just what is going on between Queen's and my union (Hawai'i Nurses Associations).

I attended the negotiations, if that is what you'd want to call them, on Dec. 16. I was very curious just to see how this process was carried out. There were more than 50 nurses in attendance, with seven HNA negotiators. Queen's, however, had three representatives present, out of the usual 10 to 12 members; none of them were nurse managers. It became quite obvious, in my opinion, that Queen's was not there to seriously bargain.

It struck me that if Queen's and the agency supplying the "very expensive" temporary nurses have already made arrangements to have some of the families of these nurses sent over for Christmas, then Queen's does not want its regular nurses back yet.

Hundreds of nurses have now lost the respect they once had for Queen's and many are now actively looking for employment elsewhere. We are tired of Queen's continually bringing up the "wage issue," saying the nurses are mainly concerned with higher salaries. We are not asking for the moon and stars ... we are only asking for decent wages and benefits to attract and retain nurses to Hawai'i so the shortage will improve.

The equation is simple: attractive wages and benefits=more nurses=less mandatory overtime=less ill and injured nurses=improved patient care=happier patients, families and nurses.

Why is this so hard for Queen's to understand?

Carol S. Pagano
RN, Queen's Medical Center

It's pleasure to watch work at boat harbor

There has been a lot of very vocal complaining about problems in the Ala Wai Small Boat Harbor. However, I have yet to hear a public acknowledgement of something being done well — very well.

American Marine is dredging the channel to improve its accessibility to boaters and paddlers. Most local boaters, especially those of us with our boats near the turning basin, expected this to be a dreadful process with excessive noise, congestion and odor. We have been pleasantly surprised.

The tug, American Emerald, which hauls scows full of silt out to dump, has become part of the local sights and sounds of the marina; however, they have not created any of the problems that were feared. On the contrary, it is a pleasure to watch the skill and professionalism displayed by that crew. Hats off to the captain and crew of American Emerald for a job exceptionally well done!

Nita Ferreira
SV Passage