EDITORIAL
Don't judge a book by its ragged cover

Few can honestly say they don't pass sweeping judgments based on the way people look. Perhaps it's a primal self-protective reflex or just plain old snobbery. But once in a while, we look beyond the stereotype and are rewarded by the sweetness of humanity and touched by its frailty.

That appears to have been the case for Akal Security guards William Fonoti and John Chun, who patrol Honolulu International Airport and chase away vagrants, including octogenarian William Demacose.

This week, however, the security duo decided for a change to hear what Demacose had to say, according to a story by Advertiser transportation writer Mike Leidemann.

Demacose apparently had $900 stashed in his jacket collar and wanted to buy a one-way ticket home to California to see his family. But because of his disheveled state, he couldn't get near the airline ticket counter, thanks to heightened airport security since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Fonoti and Chun were so moved by Demacose's predicament that they mobilized to help him reach his destination. Like the fab five from "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy," they got Demacose cleaned up, groomed and dressed so he could pass security without arousing suspicion.

So there they were Monday night, waiting to help Demacose onto his 9 p.m. flight, but the old man was nowhere to be found.

Finally, they tracked him down at the departure gate, where he had been waiting with white knuckles since 4 p.m. Demacose was so worried he'd miss his flight that he dared not leave the gate, even to pose for a photo for the Advertiser story of his ordeal.

The lesson here, of course, is that though our biases are frequently validated, we owe it to ourselves and others to listen to what people have to say regardless of their appearance.

Whether you're making people sit in the back of the bus because of the color of their skin or chasing them from the airport because of their shabby attire, it all adds up to discrimination.

Fonoti and Chun ought to feel proud for looking beyond the façade and helping a homeless man get home.