Letters to the Editor
Chaplin's leadership helped save Advertiser
The Advertiser was dying when George Chaplin joined us in 1958, and he breathed new life into the paper. His drive and leadership, his participation in every facet of Hawai'i were principal factors in our renewed acceptance in the community.
Without George Chaplin, The Advertiser wouldn't have become the independent paper it was when he retired.
In personal terms, he was a great friend at a critically important time in The Advertiser's history, vital not only on the editorial side but to every department of the business side. He involved himself in the entire operation in ways few editors ever do, but there was never any doubt that the independence of the editorial department was always uppermost in his mind.
Thurston Twigg-Smith
Former Advertiser publisher
Doctor-assisted suicide is indeed euthanasia
Regarding David Shapiro's Feb. 5 column on doctor-assisted suicide: He stated that the current drive to enact a "death with dignity" law in Hawai'i "isn't about a slippery slope that could lead to euthanasia," but "about individual choice." I must disagree.
It is very much about a "slippery slope." One need only look at the Netherlands to see a graphic example of the "slippery slope" we face if we enact this law. Dutch doctors have practiced doctor-assisted suicide for more than 25 years. Two Dutch government reports, conducted in 1990 and 1995, found that 26 percent of doctor-assisted deaths in Holland were "without the explicit consent of the patient." The 1995 report stated that 21 percent of the patients who were killed without consent were competent.
Shapiro wrote that the bill now being considered by the Legislature would "prohibit euthanasia" and would contain "safeguards" that would "assure that treatable depression, loneliness, guilt and poor care aren't behind the wish to die." Well, you can be sure that the Dutch law contains those same "safeguards."
Furthermore, "depression, loneliness and poor care," not to mention fear, are always behind a wish to die. People don't contemplate suicide in a calm, detached state of mind.
There are alternatives to doctor-assisted suicide. Modern medicine and Hospice care can ensure that a seriously ill person does not suffer needlessly. And current law already allows people to refuse excessive and onerous medical procedures that are futile and only prolong the dying process.
Marc A. Kowalski
Hawaiians maintain their inherent rights
Regarding the Akaka Bill and federal recognition: An inherent right is one that abides in a person and is not given from something or someone outside itself. This inalienable right is not capable of being surrendered or transferred without the consent of the one possessing such right.
How, then, does Sen. Akaka, Sen. Inouye, Rep. Abercrombie or Gov. Lingle have the right to abrogate a Native Hawaiian's inherent rights through a federal process without each and every Hawaiian's consent?
The Akaka Bill does not address or correct 110 years of illegal procedure by the United States; it only continues the illegal military occupation.
John Kirkley
Honolulu could become best city for bicycling
Considering all the traffic problems in Honolulu, why isn't more action being taken to facilitate bicycling as a practical means of transportation? With its climate, this city should be an excellent place to commute by bicycle.
However, the lack of bike lanes and bike paths makes it quite difficult. The bicycle paths that we have are a good start, but unfortunately they often end at a highway with no means to connect to the next segment. Also, the designated bike route streets are frequently clogged with cars. Getting to one's destination on a bicycle can be an intimidating task, if not dangerous.
The number of cars driving our streets could be considerably reduced, subsequently reducing traffic congestion and gridlock, if there was a safe bicycling alternative. With adequate bike routes, lanes and paths, Honolulu could become the best city in the nation for bicycling. Let's work to make it so.
Karen Foster
'Curse' of the lava rock has never been proved
Congratulations to Stewart Dawson on his Feb. 9 letter exposing this falsehood of a myth concerning the "evils" of taking lava rocks.
There has never been actual proof of any curse or extremely unfortunate results occurring from this. This is just another piece of a huge pile of legends that some actually believe in.
For me being raised a Christian Hawaiian, I know which force is stronger, and it is not some lady who supposedly lives in a volcano.
C'mon, people, stop being so concerned with folklore and scary stories. We are above all of that. The concern for us as Hawaiians should be to bring our children up with the positive and effective history that will enrich their future. Not legends and bedtime stories.
By the way, the black lava rocks look great in my yard up here on the Mainland.
Jaymie Fuller
Fullerton, Calif.
Invasion would make weapons hunt harder
If the Bush administration really wants to "disarm" Iraq, exactly how would that be expedited by a U.S. invasion and bombing campaign?
If highly trained and experienced U.N. inspectors cannot locate and identify weapons of mass destruction, can we expect American GIs to find them?
Saddam may have weapons, but an invasion would significantly lower the chances of ever finding them. Currently, inspectors can look for them unimpeded, in any location, any time they like. After an invasion, there will be Iraqi snipers and booby traps, miles and miles of rubble and damaged roads; a demolished communications and energy infrastructure, destroyed records, and far less cooperation from Iraqis who know anything about hidden weapons.
An invasion would delay, for years, the search for weapons and their eventual destruction. Though the Iraqis are not cooperating as actively as they should, bombing will not improve the situation.
As France suggested, more inspectors would help, both to look for weapons and to monitor sites that have already been inspected.
Chief nuclear inspector Mohamed ElBaradei has asked for about a year. Give the inspections time to disarm Iraq without war.
Brodie Lockard
Kailua
Hitler foreshadowed Saddam's deception
As the U.S. government moves closer to a decision on war with Saddam Hussein, I hear echoes from the past — Europe and America in the 1930s.
The carnage of World War I had resulted in almost an obsession in Europe to prevent any further war. The political leaders of Britain and France were so vehement in avoiding another war they ignored and deluded themselves about the major threat to European peace — Adolf Hitler.
Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain believed Herr Hitler was a man they could deal or negotiate with. Any revelations and signs of the true nature of Hitler were either ignored or downplayed — the first concentration camps in Germany, the anti-semitic laws, the oppression of any political opposition, the secret build-up of the German armed forces, the propaganda and lies used against future victims of Nazi invasion, i.e., Czechoslovakia, Poland.
I see echoes of those perilous times in our present. There are political leaders in America and Europe who believe or want to believe Saddam Hussein is a man the world can negotiate with. They ignore the reality behind the smiles of Saddam — the one-man/one-party dictatorship in Iraq; the political prisons and torture chambers of Iraq; the use of mustard gas on Iraqi Kurdish men, women and children; the invasion of Iran; the use of poison gas on Iranian soldiers; the invasion and occupation of Kuwait; the missile attacks on Israel in the 1991 Gulf War; sanctuary for Abu Nidal, the notorious world terrorist, and now al-Qaida terrorists; the years of lies and deception to hide his program to create nuclear, biological and chemical weapons.
Is this a man the world can have honest negotiations with?
Theodore Taba
North Korea is more of a threat to U.S.
George Orwell's "1984" is here. With a straight face, the Bush administration tells us that we are in imminent danger from Iraq. Yet North Korea is hardly mentioned, and it is they who have nuclear capability; they who have a missile that can lob atomic bombs on South Korea, Japan, Hawai'i and the West Coast of the Mainland; they who threaten to do so.
It appears to me that Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld and Ashcroft care nothing about the safety or wishes of their constituency; they are determined to do what they want to do: Get hold of Iraq no matter what happens.
The whole world knows pre-emptive strikes are immoral, and this is the administration that believes it is holier than you and me. It would kill anyone, including us, to gain its objective. Such is the philosophy of compassionate conservatives. Tell them one thing and do another.
As Orwell wrote in his prophetic novel, war is peace and peace is war.
Cleo Kocol
Criticism against HMSA is now boring
It seems as if every time I open the paper I read a disparaging article about HMSA, and in almost every one of these articles, Dr. Arlene Jouxson-Meyers is prominently quoted. After speaking with several of my physicians and asking them how they felt about the issues, I do not feel that she represents the majority of the doctor's opinions.
When asked, my doctors had little to nothing to say about her efforts to "represent" them. In fact, most shook their heads and looked for distance from the subject. I don't know what HMSA did to Dr. Jouxson-Meyers, but her personal vendetta against it has become very boring.
HMSA has always been steadfastly there for me. Yes, it tries to control costs — after all, we consumers are screaming for relief against high premiums. Technology and all the mandated benefits the health insurance carriers have been required to fund certainly aren't making things less expensive when it comes to healthcare costs.
I also disagree with the physician's quote about recontracting with HMSA. The quote stated "... you have no choice. You either play ball with (HMSA) or you don't have a practice." I think it is all about choice — both consumer and physician choices. If the physicians don't like HMSA's reimbursement rates, then they should not sign provider contracts.
HMSA may be controversial due to its market share, but in light of other carrier failures, I like the fact that it is large, has purchasing power and cares about the community.
N. Ileina Conover
Privatization of zoo is off to a rocky start
Mayor Harris' mention of the possible privatization of the Honolulu Zoo in his State of the City address was a promising start to what will hopefully be a renewed commitment by the city to improving our zoo and transforming it into a facility we can all be proud of.
However, things seem to have gotten off to a rocky start at a recent City Council committee hearing on Resolution 03-33, which would initiate a public-private partnership with the Honolulu Zoo Society to manage the zoo.
As I watched the testimony presented to the council in opposition to the resolution, I was disappointed (and frustrated) that the council was not able to hear from the many community members who support the work of the society: volunteers who enthusiastically donate their time to support the zoo society's mission, Hawai'i families that participate in their educational programs, generous donors who have provided monetary and in-kind gifts, and schoolchildren who enjoy educational tours.
Furthermore, from the questions posed by the council members, it appears that the role and responsibility of the society to the zoo and the people of Hawai'i were often being confused with city obligations. Much of this appears to have been caused by inaccurate testimony. The majority of the problems with zoo operations attributed to the society actually had to do with city decisions and issues that the society has no control over.
Ironically, this testimony merely brought to light serious problems with current zoo operations that illustrate why a change is so desperately needed.
I urge anyone who cares about the Honolulu Zoo, and its future, to get involved. If you support the society, let it know. If not, don't just sit back and grumble or point fingers. Let's work together to support meaningful discussion and change, and a bright future for the Honolulu Zoo.
Jennifer Barrett
Volunteer, former staff member, Honolulu Zoo Society
