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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Saturday, July 12, 2003

Letters to the Editor

Super-secret police unit is acting outrageously

I've been following the scoop on HPD's "secretive" unit, CIU, and quite frankly, I'm absolutely outraged and sickened by the small-town, backroom mentality that appears to plague the department.

As for top-cop Chief Lee Donohue's snail-like pace and questionable handling of the department's internal politics and scandals, I don't buy it for a minute that a veteran officer with his experience and networking has no idea and influence about what goes on behind closed doors. The food scandal involving officers diverting prime rib and steaks into personnel stomachs to "boost morale" was somewhat comical, but this CIU supah-secret squad investigation and ongoing lawsuit that is going to cost supah-plenty bucks is frighteningly ridiculous.

I'm sorry for sounding pessimistic, but I don't trust the HPD or its brass; too many scandals and too much Gestapo-like secrecy. I'll leave my trust with JPOs and the other diligent officers who work patrol and beats and haven't been tapped for CIU, yet.

Chas LeRoy


Sexual promiscuity isn't acceptable either

Regarding the July 7 editorial "Sex offender registry must be discriminating": I agree "sex offenders are not all cut from the same cloth." However, sex offenders do have some things in common:

• Most do not have some apparent and obvious psychological disorder.

• Most do not spend a day in prison for their crimes, all of which, I might add, are violent, as the mere idea of forcing or tricking others into a sexual act is violent in nature.

• Most are men who adhere strictly to various unfair gender scripts and notions, one of which rears its ugly head in the last paragraph, when the author states "there's a world of difference between a promiscuous teenager and a violent sexual predator." Linking promiscuity and an overbearing sense of entitlement to touch, grope or even penetrate another person without her consent is misleading and flippant. We're talking about criminal behavior that damages our community.

The author states that the registry should be comprised of those considered a "threat to the community." Counselors of sexual-assault victims often say that regardless of the type of forced sexual act, the effects can be equally as traumatizing to the victim. In other words, the "threat" presented by one sex offender who repeatedly pinches young women in Waikiki, or the "threat" of another who repeatedly rapes (or perhaps, according to the author, was merely being promiscuous) is equal in the eyes of a community and in the eyes of victims.

Following guidelines presented by the author will only provide fuel to an archaic system that works for perpetrators and punishes victims.

Catherine Betts
Kahala


Prominent display of sports story shameful

Incredible! That's how I would describe Wednesday morning's headline — "UH volleyball under fire."

Who is in charge at your newspaper? Who decides what the headline will be? Is the most important thing that happened that day really associated with volleyball?

How dare you mention the poor quality of education in Hawai'i in one breath and then give such importance to a sport. What message are you giving to our youth? To our adults? You should be very ashamed of yourselves.

Jean-Jacques Dicker


Family Day sponsors proved hypocritical

The sponsors of the Family Day in Waikiki claimed their rights when an unwanted group attempted to join the festivities. They insisted they have the right to bar any group from their program. Their point may have been well made.

However, this did not keep the Family Day leaders from having a sound truck blasting a message and loud music at 9 in the morning on Kalakaua Avenue near the residences of hundreds of people. It jolted one of my family out of bed. The noise lasted almost two hours.

Apparently the Family Day people can violate the rights of others while insisting on their own.

Rev. R.J. Zimmerman


Two-party system keeping us honest

It is refreshing to see the debate between the governor and leaders of the Legislature over her 50 vetoes. Once you get past the partisan rhetoric, the voters are receiving an exchange of the two parties' differences over the budget deficit, etc.

This is a benefit of a two-party system — voters have a choice. Hopefully out of this clash of ideas, our leaders can present bipartisan solutions. If not, the voters will have a choice in the next election.

When you have one party in control of state government for too long, its leaders become arrogant and complacent. It is easy to listen only to special interests and major campaign donors. It is easy to sit on large majorities and just enjoy the perks and power. Leaders become reactive instead of proactive.

Ignoring a problem and only dealing with it when it has become a crisis or near crisis has been legislative policy for too long. Now that we have the beginning of two-party politics in Hawai'i, two strong parties can be a check and balance on each other. The winners are the people of Hawai'i.

Theodore Taba