Letters to the Editor

Gasoline monopoly continues to gouge us

I've just returned home from school and was surprised to see our still-sky-high gas prices.

With a little "studying," I've learned that we have done it to ourselves — we allowed a monopoly to take over. The evils of monopoly are well known to all who study the real world.

Is there a fix? Not in the near term. I don't see it when you consider the huge investment for a competitor and our rather small market, plus environmental rules.

I'd like to think the answer will come in new technologies — but what do I know? I'm just a student.

Eaton Kuh

Desecration of graves for education wrong

I read the article on the Kawaihae case and was shocked that it was back in the news. I thought reburial took place and that it was over.

I was even more shocked to hear that a grandson of Mary Kawena Pukui was challenging the reburial and saying that there are instances when it is appropriate to remove funerary possessions from Hawaiian graves for educational purposes. I do not recall Pukui ever writing that in any of her works. It would seem to contradict the cultural values and 'olelo no'eau she was sharing.

I recall that when they dug up all the bones at Honokahua back in the 1980s that archaeologists said the same thing — that it's not desecration, but education.

I remember thinking how awful that was: desecrate in order to educate. I wonder if Pukui would ever endorse this modern-day saying.

I know I surely don't share that view because it would mean that none of our ancestral graves would be safe from desecration. If we accept this mana'o, we would be right back where we started in the 1980s before the burial laws were passed to protect our iwi kupuna and ho'omoepu.

Kihei Nahale'a
Hilo

Attack in Saudi Arabia recalls assault in 1979

John Witeck's May 20 comments on Saudi Arabia and the war with Iraq are broad and vague.

I served in Saudi Arabia (American Embassy, 1980-1983) for 3 1/2 years. My contacts with Saudis and others were close enough to obtain some insight to their views concerning Americans and the Middle East.

The entire region is volatile and rife with historical and tribal unrest and conflicts. The politics and governments are varied and not understood by most "outsiders." They are not unified. As the late Israeli Moshe Dayan stated: "It is a good thing, otherwise Israel would not stand a chance."

Saudi Arabia is home to the two most holy sites in Islam, to which Muslims try to make at least one pilgrimage ("Hadj") in their lifetimes. This invites the majority of law-abiding Muslims and, of course, the few bad ones.

Trouble has been festering in the Mideast for ages. Most Saudis I knew enjoyed Americans as friends and allies. The few disgruntled ones spouted the Palestinian-Israeli crisis.

The recent attack in Saudi Arabia is not unlike the unpreparedness of the attack of a holy site in Mecca in 1979 (Iranian Shiites took over, and mass casualties and destruction occurred).

Terrorism has been rising for a long time now. We and others have made a stand. There will be more attacks, but the attackers will suffer and diminish.

The comments about the United States being reckless and against a fourth-rate force in Iraq are also unjustified. If not us, who? If not now, when? It was a coordinated attack against a power-hungry, country-expanding regime that was notorious in its quest to rule the region through force and intimidation. There were no sanctioned outcries from Mideast countries because they are secretly happy his regime is through.

Greg Casler
Kailua

Avoid school 'pork' with random selection

It's a shame to have to spend at least two to three minutes reading about how our "Republicans and Democrats are accusing the other of playing politics with the construction project," as stated in the May 18 story, "Schools: parties accuse each other of 'pork barrel.' "

Obviously schools on the DOE priority list need work done to avoid serious health and safety issues or lawsuits. However, the schools that are not on the DOE priority list also need construction and repair work.

So, then, Republicans and Democrats should stop pointing fingers at each other and let's see if we can work something out to fix all schools that are in need of construction or repairs.

Gov. Lingle, please don't "cherry-pick" when deciding on restricting money for certain projects. Let's all remember that the money for construction projects is not to help our lawmakers shine during the re-election period but instead to help our students, teachers and administrators in the schools work in a safe and suitable environment.

Toss all the names of schools in need of construction or repair into a hat and shuffle them. Then pull names out to see which schools are going to get the needed funds. This way, no one will be able to point fingers and the governor won't "cherry-pick."

Let's stop this shamefulness, get down to business and provide all our schools with what is needed.

Joyce Choy
First-year teacher