Letters to the Editor

North Korean regime is starving millions

Regarding the March 16 article "Koreans in Hawai'i not fixed on North": Unfortunately, the truly bad news coming from North Korea is not the threat of war or nuclear weapons, but the continuing deaths of millions of political opponents of the North Korean regime.

An estimated 3 million people have starved to death in the past decade, not by a natural famine but by a government-induced famine in which food is directed away from political opponents.

Last year, satellite photos confirmed the existence of immense gulags that kill thousands of political dissidents each year. Furthermore, a refugee community of 300,000 North Koreans hides in northeastern China and can be sent back at any time by Chinese authorities. Although this violates treaties China has signed, the United Nations has looked the other way on this issue for years.

I sincerely urge you to look behind the politics of war and see the heartbreaking human cost.

And to Korean Americans: If we don't speak out, who will?

Alice Jean Suh
Research associate, Chosun Journal
Cambridge, Mass.

Criminals have it way too easy here

I was watching the news the other night, and the lead story was how the Legislature was working on a fireworks bill but didn't want to address crime.

My house was burglarized twice; while the police caught the guy, our system let this double-digit convict out. He was ordered to pay me 10 bucks a month in restitution. After several months of receiving nothing, I called his parole officer and was told they cannot find this guy and to forget about ever getting any money.

The money wasn't the point; the point is that my kids were afraid to go in the house, all of my family heirlooms are gone, never to be replaced, and my family still feels violated while this guy continues to be free.

These criminals have it way too easy in Hawai'i.

Marcus Badley
Mililani

Don't blame dot-com failures on paradise

I beg to differ with John Duchemin ("Working in paradise not the advantage high-tech advocates believe it to be," March 18). The failure of the dot-com economy did not kill Square USA, World Point or Ohana Foundation.

Square USA was so busy with character design, it forgot that the goal of a movie is to tell a story, so it failed at the box office. World Point helped itself to huge offices and a staff of something like 11,000 translators around the world — not software, people. Not exactly your streamlined high-tech model. The Ohana Foundation's model was predicated on re-purposing old material for "new" educational purposes — done by a staff that was largely inexperienced in the education field, proving that not anyone can be a teacher.

Working in paradise was neither an advantage nor disadvantage. These dot-coms, like so many others, failed because their business model was flawed, and the fix came too little, too late or not at all.

Gloria Garvey
Principal, The Brand Strategy Group

'Three strikes,' school reform should pass

We support what Gov. Lingle is trying to do regarding legislation to:

• Pass the "three-strikes" program to incarcerate repeat offenders.
• Establish seven locally elected school boards to give local communities more control over their neighborhood special needs.
• Pass campaign reform to prohibit contributions by those eligible for sizable government contracts such as architects, contractors and engineering firms. Increasing the amount of permissible contributions to PACs is outrageous and only sidesteps the integrity of campaign reform.

And what's wrong with a "Get out the vote" effort? The Democrats have been using this technique for years, and suddenly it's wrong for the Republicans to do it?

The voters elected Linda Lingle as governor because they liked her agenda. As representatives of the people of the state of Hawai'i, it is the legislators' responsibility to listen to the voters.

Roberta L. Gee
Robert D. Gee

Motorcycle racket is disturbing Waikiki

The deafening roar of motorcycles in Waikiki, especially on Kalakaua Avenue, at all hours of the night, appears to have become increasingly worse. The riders seem to take delight in gunning their engines

Could the reason for apparent non-enforcement for reduction of such noise be that no law against such exists? Or might the lack of concern for such be a part of the overall picture to go easy on tourists who are the most logical riders and who rent the motorcycles from local merchants?

Compared to the numerous ambulance sirens, vocal noise from people exiting the bars and even the lesser disturbance of garbage trucks in the early morning, the noise of the motorcycles is by far the worst. All people, including tourists, are obviously extremely upset by being denied a fair night's sleep as a result of this problem.

Stan Lee

Hawai'i is already leader in peace efforts

The March 16 Focus section printed a commentary by John Griffin entitled "Hawai'i has role in American 'empire.' " He mentioned that Hawai'i should look beyond war and toward peace efforts. Specifically, a friend of his suggested a peace monument or institute on 'Aiea Heights overlooking Pearl Harbor.

I'd like to point out that Hawai'i is already an international leader in peace efforts: peace brokering, peacekeeping and (sometimes) peace enforcement. There are several organizations based in Hawai'i that focus specifically on peace operations and promoting understanding between cultures and governments:

• The Center of Excellence in Disaster Management & Humanitarian Assistance
• The Asian-Pacific Area Network
• The Virtual Information Center
• The Center for Civil-Military Relations

I must warn you, however, that these aren't altruistic, idealistic or banner-waving people spouting sound bites. These are dedicated, quiet professionals working to foster a greater understanding between peoples. They provide training and information assistance so other countries can enjoy prosperity and peace.

Incidentally, while the Center of Excellence doesn't sit in 'Aiea Heights, it does overlook Pearl Harbor — it's based at Tripler Hospital.

Tracy-Paul Warrington

Long-term-care plan needed by the elderly

I am 78 years old and cannot afford long-term-care insurance. Tax credits for long-term-care insurance will not help me, since I can't afford the insurance anyway.

I am worried about how I would pay for long-term care if and when I need it. I am hopeful that the Legislature will support all of us who share the same fears and needs and pass a bill to provide affordable long-term care.

Kimi Matsuda

A lesson on speeding

The Honda carrying the five people who died should be loaded onto a trailer and taken to all the high schools on O'ahu. It might benefit some of the young drivers to actually see what can happen.

T.L. Gonsalves
Kane'ohe