Letters to the Editor

Teachers must get support in classroom

Thank goodness for Walt Novak's "Teacher abuse ... " open letter to Superintendent Pat Hamamoto (Focus commentary, Aug. 18).

I was a new high school teacher in the Leeward District until recently. Being turned in by a counselor for asking for the family phone numbers of three disruptive students and being pulled out of class by a vice principal for referring three students in the first two weeks was just too much. I wish to add my voice to the primal scream.

Teachers must be supported in establishing a great learning environment in the classroom and removing disruptive students. We are failing our children.

Kim Hunter
Makaha

SAT test scores were covered well

My compliments to The Honolulu Advertiser for its coverage of the SAT test scores. Test scores are all too often misunderstood and misused.

The staff of The Advertiser did all of us a good service by publishing an accurate and fair story, followed by a thoughtful editorial cautioning us on the use and potential abuse of SAT scores.

Randy Hitz
Dean, UH-Manoa College of Education

U.S. intervention in Philippines is growing

Your front page on Sept. 11 rightly focused on the victims of last year's attack. Including their names made us more aware of their great numbers.

Your readers may also appreciate knowing that about 4,000 to 7,000 innocent noncombatants have died, by various estimates, in Afghanistan, killed by bombs or artillery fire.

Over 150 persons joined on Sept. 11 at the Federal Building and 'Iolani Palace in a moving candlelight remembrance of all victims of terror and state violence.

The escalating U.S. intervention in the Philippines is growing into a nasty war that could expand and turn the hapless Philippines back into a martial law regime. Much of this so-called U.S. war for "freedom" against "terror" in poor countries is becoming destructive rather than supportive of democracy.

To train troops for the Philippines and other incursions, the U.S. Marine Corps wants to reinitiate use of Waikane Valley lands of the Hawaiian Kamaka family. The remilitarization of the Philippines may lead to the greater militarization of our Hawaiian Islands.

This Philippine-Hawai'i connection brings back the history of the ceding of Pearl Harbor to the U.S. over a century ago, since the harbor was soon needed as a refueling site for U.S. warships "pacifying" the Philippines between 1898 and 1910. Many Filipinos died then at American hands as they fought the U.S. occupation. How many more Filipinos must die now unless we call a halt to such inanity and war?

John Witeck

No more reminders; just live your life well

No truer words can be said than those expressed by Bob Krauss in the Sept. 11 "Our Honolulu" column.

I don't need reruns of that tragedy to remind me of the significance of the day. We get reminders every day on television, radio and the daily newspapers.

What we need to remember, however, is to kiss and hug our loved ones (and not-so-loved ones) daily and as much as possible, love unconditionally, give praise to our respective God(s) and beliefs, say I love you and mean it, do a good deed when the feeling arises and expect nothing in return, and finally, respect others, including the elders and young ones (and vice versa).

In other words, live, walk and talk the lessons taught to us by our ancestors: aloha. It's not just a word, it's a lifestyle.

Laura K. Manuel-Arrighi
Wai'anae

Speeders are spoiling Enchanted Lake drive

My family and I live along Enchanted Lake's Keolu Drive. Day and night, I hear cars, trucks, buses and motorcycles race by as if it were the Indy 500 speedway. Too many drivers seem oblivious to the 25-mph speed limit posted around the entire stretch of the drive.

Kailua's Enchanted Lake is a residential neighborhood. The posted 25-mph speed limit is there for good reasons:

• It makes it possible for residents to get in and out of driveways and side streets safely.
• With three elementary schools fronting Keolu Drive, the speed limit safeguards children so they can get to and from school without incident. It is appalling how many drivers disregard the flashing "school zone" lights every morning and afternoon.
• It keeps the level of street noise down. Traffic noise rises as traveling speeds increase. Cars going at or near the 25-mph speed limit are much quieter than those going at twice the speed.

To those drivers who regularly go the speed limit, a big mahalo. To everyone else, when you travel down Keolu Drive, I urge you to consider your neighbors and friends who live there, and please, please ... slow down. And I promise to do the same in your neighborhood.

Cheryle O'Brien
Enchanted Lake

Genetically altered foods should be so labeled

If genetically altered foods are so wonderful, why do manufacturers fight efforts to label them?

If the Hawai'i Agricultural Research Center undertakes efforts to educate the public, the first order of business should be comprehensive labeling of GMO products. The public has a right to know.

Scott Crawford

Hana, Maui