Letters to the Editor

If we are to go to war, then let's be truthful

Your Oct. 13 editorial acknowledging the courage of the Hawai'i congressional delegation in voting against the Iraq war resolution could have been even more forceful if you had brought up the notorious deceit of the Tonkin Gulf resolution instead of just mentioning it as an aside.

It authorized the start of the war in Vietnam in response to North Vietnam firing on an American warship. Unfortunately, it was revealed later that this never happened.

Similarly, George Bush has been making claims about Iraq in an effort to persuade Congress to pre-authorize war there, but his claims were basically contradicted by the CIA director's testimony before Congress just after his speech.

If we are to go to war, then the reasons for doing so should be truthful. It will be much easier to remember history than to learn this painful lesson again.

Remy Luria

Ginoza's opposition doesn't make sense

I'm disappointed that HSTA President Karen Ginoza has chosen to be confused by the special purpose revenue bond issue, claiming it "simply doesn't make sense."

Her statements are designed to mislead voters into thinking that their tax dollars will be diverted from public schools to fund private schools. Not true.

On behalf of the HSTA, Ginoza argues that private schools don't deserve support because they are not obliged to offer quality education to all of Hawai'i's children. She says, "Of course private schools have the right to choose their mission, but clearly that mission does not serve the public good."

There are 35,000 students that Hawai'i's public schools are not serving. There are more than 130 private schools where the teachers and staff work hard every day to offer quality education to their students. I hope Karen Ginoza and the HSTA can see that those students are Hawai'i's children, too — and that those teachers are their colleagues, not their adversaries.

And for the record, among the graduates of my alma mater, Maryknoll School — one of those private schools purportedly not serving the public good — are Department of Education Superintendent Pat Hamamoto, 2002 Honolulu District Principal of the Year Charlotte White and many public school teachers.

I have children in both public and private schools. In November, I'm voting "yes" on Question No. 2.

Camille Domaloan Michel

Have private schools do work through DAGS

There are interesting arguments in the debate over the proposed state constitutional amendment to allow private schools access to state bonds to finance construction and renovation projects.

I understand that state taxpayers would not be responsible for repaying these bonds and that private schools provide a needed service in educating many Island children. But I am disappointed that our legislators seem more interested in supporting private schools than in fixing our dilapidated public school campuses.

Maybe it should be required that private schools use the money raised from the state bonds to hire the DAGS to do their construction and renovation. Now that would be interesting.

Scot Drown
Waipahu

Sacred Falls Park needs to stay closed

It has taken me a few days to gather my thoughts regarding two of the letters I have seen in the online paper regarding the judge's ruling in favor of the plaintiffs from Sacred Falls. I really hope the two people who wrote the letters on Sept. 30 and Oct. 12 never have to go through what the families of Sacred Falls have endured over the past three years.

It really irritates me when people make comments on something they know no details about. Luckily for the families, the judge did decide the state was liable. It is a victory we have waited a long time to hear. Taking responsibility for one's actions is one thing; allowing people to walk into a death trap is another.

The opening of Sacred Falls would allow thousands of tourists back into the park that took eight lives and hurt more than 50 people. This case is close to my heart. My ex-husband, my best friend and my then-9-year-old daughter were at Sacred Falls on that May 9.

The park needs to stay closed. The appeal shouldn't take place. Let the park be. It has been closed for three years. Let these eight people rest in peace.

My now-13-year-old will never forget May 9. She's reminded every time it thunders, every time Mom is not within reach. I can never just kiss this one and make it better.

Debbie Nichols
Jacksonville, Fla.

There's too much noise

I don't see how visitors sleep at night with the noise of motorcycles and racing cars. There's one motorcycle, nightly between midnight and 2 a.m., near McCully, that you can hear all the way to Diamond Head. Closed windows and earplugs don't work, and apparently the police don't either.

Norman Chalmers