Letters to the Editor

Drivers cutting into line are creating a problem

OK, I understand there is a bus strike, thus leaving more cars out there, but more cops are needed out there enforcing traffic rules.

I live in military housing in the Salt Lake area, and I also work downtown. I take Nimitz and Dillingham to get to work. When traveling on Nimitz, diamondhead-bound, I see signs that clearly state "H-1 East, Dillingham, or Waikiki." I patiently wait in the Dillingham lane for 30 minutes. There are many knuckleheads out there who will block cars on the H-1 East on-ramp just to get to the Dillingham exit.

This is very frustrating seeing people who cut in front of you who were not waiting like everyone else. You will see a lot of people who feel like me because they refuse to let these guys in so they end up blocking the lane for the people who want to travel on H-1 East.

Where's the aloha?

Anti-gay letter writer has his facts all wrong

Steve Williams rails against Mitch Kahle's claim that a person's sexual orientation is not a choice, saying "... there never has been, and never will be, any scientific evidence to support his contention, and there is plenty of circumstantial evidence against it."

But Williams has got it exactly backward.

While he offers up only some fallacious arguments that betray his own shallow understanding of genetics and evolution, real scientists and real doctors have long ago decided that it is abundantly clear that sexual orientation is not chosen.

Gay people universally report "discovering" their orientation at a median age of about 13; some male homosexuality appears to be a heritable, maternal trait; twin studies and analysis of birth order has consistently revealed strong evidence that both genotype and in utero conditions play a role in determining someone's sexual orientation; and let's not forget the abysmal track record of the religious "conversion" therapies.

Greedy anglers could cause demise of fish

Shame on The Honolulu Advertiser for spotlighting wanton greed and heedless abuse of an endemic Hawaiian fish in a lavish front-page photo spread (Aug. 30).

The recent run of the 'aweoweo is a rare event, newsworthy to be sure. But to feature admittedly "hobby" fishing enthusiasts who boast of catching over 1,000 of the little fish in the last few days is a tacit sanction of greed.

These tiny fish, according to angler Ron Casuga, "hardly get any meat, but taste good ... " That may be because so many extremely small fish are being taken. Keeping only the larger fish and enjoying a modest couple of 'aweoweo meals should be enough to celebrate this rare fish run.

In Canada, when the salmon run occurs, as the fish struggle against the current to spawn upstream, thousands of spectators stand on the banks of the major salmon spawning rivers to watch this miracle of nature. Anyone who casts a line into the river would be viewed very negatively.

These fish are tiny. There are lots of them. It's fun to fish when there are fish biting. Moderation is the key here. Catch some, enjoy them and leave the others to thrive and increase. Otherwise the old legend that an 'aweoweo run foretells the death of an ali'i may well hint at another demise ... that of a small endemic Hawaiian fish.

Let's make bus drivers civil servants again

How dare the bus employees ask for more money at a time when others are taking pay reductions or reduced hours just to keep their jobs. What part of "no more money" don't they understand? They thought they would cripple our city, but instead the people of Hawai'i have come together to help their co-workers, neighbors, etc.

Is it an inconvenience? Sure, but we are handling it. They have failed to hold our city hostage.

I think it's time to put an end to this and I call on our City Council to make bus workers civil service employees once again. This is the people's bus. We pay for it through bus fares and through our taxes. Let's give it back to the people.

Call out National Guard to ease bus strike woes

Here is a solution to your bus problem: Have city leaders make a formal request to Gov. Lingle for help from the National Guard and Reserve.

These men and women can drive the buses and stop the destruction to your local economy.

O'ahu and the entire state are suffering because the bus drivers are not willing to look at the big picture. When you treat the local people as poorly as the drivers are treating their customers, it trickles downs and affects all aspects of your tourist-dependent economy.

Kailua was a beautiful bedroom community

In response to Karl Meinhardt's letter "Revitalized Kailua is visually appealing": Kailua, during the later part of the '80s and early '90s, was neglected by Kaneohe Ranch. Foodland closed down, and the property became a haven for homeless vagrants and drug addicts.

But, Mr. Meinhardt, how long have you lived here in Kailua and how can you imply that Kailua was a visual wasteland before 1995? Kailua was a beautiful bedroom community to grow up in and raise a family. It did not need all this so-called increased foot traffic to make it so.

Let's look at who really benefits from all this increased appeal: the retail sector, restaurants and a vacation rental market — of which most are illegal. I think most Kailua residents live here for the natural beauty or because they have lived here for generations, not because of the curb appeal of storefronts and increased foot traffic.

We must work together to pass the Akaka bill

Despite the combined efforts of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Gov. Lingle, our congressional delegation and countless grass-roots organizations, the Akaka bill did not make it to the floor of Congress for a vote before the Fourth of July recess. We are now working to ensure the bill is voted on the floor of Congress before it recesses again for the holiday season.

In 2004, both Republicans and Democrats will be concentrating on who will occupy the White House for the following four years. As most lobbyists know, members of Congress become extra cautious during an important election year. Congressmen who may or may not have an opinion about the bill will not vote for it if they feel it will upset their colleagues or prove to be controversial for them in their own elections.

It is a sad day when doing the right thing could be considered controversial. No matter how many historical facts are presented, no matter all the legal justification offered, getting Congress to do the right thing is easier said than done.

The political status of Native Hawaiians is a serious matter that should never be used as political leverage between Democrats and Republicans. By doing so, our effort to achieve federal recognition becomes much more difficult.

If the Native Hawaiian community and the public are to believe that both political parties are working together for the best interests of our community, they must prove it by ending their finger-pointing.

Passing the Akaka bill is the first real step in correcting egregious acts done against us over 110 years ago. The political blame-game must stop. How can we convince others of the importance of the bill if we cannot work together in good faith at home?

Don't liken Hawaiians to others oppressed

Tiffany Simon (Letters, Aug. 25) and other malihini need to learn that we cannot make comparisons when it comes to the events that occurred in the Hawaiian Islands a century ago. She asked if the protesters could answer the questions, and the questions asked had to do with whether Hawaiians suffered slavery and if so, was it at least for 400 years. She also asked if Hawaiians ever had burning crosses in front of our homes.

We don't have to suffer the exact things that other people have suffered. Does each person need to feel exactly what someone else feels in order to say, "I know how you feel"? Is she implying that we are less than blacks, Japanese or Jews?

From what I have heard so far, "racism" cries are coming mainly from malihini and very few from the local people. If anyone is a racist, it is probably those who cannot adapt and assimilate to the cultures of the Hawaiian Islands.

Jones Act critical to our merchant marine

Regarding Jim Henshaw's and others' remarks about the Jones Act: I was in the merchant marine for 35 years as an engineering officer. The only reason there is an American-flag merchant marine is the Jones Act.

When I started in the 1960s, we had almost 600 ships under the American flag. Now there are fewer than 150 deep-sea vessels. We were subsidized by Uncle Sam in order to operate. Operation Desert Storm ran out in 1995. A new subsidy arrangement was made, but the ships that were covered had to be made available to the government upon request. This is the only way to make sure that cargo of whatever nature could be controlled by our interests to get to our troops in time of need.

Foreign-flag vessels have repeatedly demonstrated over the last 30 years that they cannot be relied upon. During Desert Storm, foreign-flag ships refused to take cargo into the Persian Gulf. They were offloaded in a port near the gulf, and the cargo was loaded on American-flag vessels. There are many other instances during and since Vietnam of this kind of thing happening.

The merchant marine may be civilian, but there has never been any lack of manpower to go into war. Again, this is primarily due to the Jones Act. Without it, there is no merchant marine that we can depend on. That should be justification enough for the Jones Act.

Educational reach is extensive

This is in response to Richard C. Monks' claim (Letters, Aug. 25) that Kamehameha Schools only improves schooling for a few students of Hawaiian ancestry and should partner with the public school system.

Since the 1960s, Kamehameha Schools has actively partnered with the state Department of Education. With the adoption of our Strategic Plan 2000-2015 in September 2000, KS revived its partnership with the DOE and vigorously pursues opportunities to extend its reach to more Hawaiians throughout Hawai'i. KS services are not limited to K-12 populations; preschool children, adults and families in Hawaiian communities on the Mainland and around the globe are also served.

In 2002-2003, the KS Extension Education Division served 60,000 learners through nine major programs and another 40,000 through its distance-learning multimedia offerings. In partnership with the DOE and others, Extension Education served K-12 students through the following programs:

• Enrichment Program: 2,500 students were in KS/DOE summer schools, Hawaiian immersion, tutorial and leadership programs. In addition, 4,500 non-KS students participated in KS summer programs (e.g., Explorations).
• Literacy Enhancement: 583 students in two DOE schools on the Leeward Coast received year-round tutorial services in reading and writing.
• Hawaiian Studies Institute: Two major culturally based programs were presented to more than 8,800 students in grades K-4 and 7 and selected high schools in the DOE.
• Kamehameha Scholars: 87 seventh-grade students, currently in the DOE, have been selected for this program, which will give them enrichment experiences and the guidance of assigned mentors through their senior year in high school. Each year, a new cohort of seventh-graders will be selected for this program.
• Career Education and Lifelong Learning: About 800 students in grades 6-12 in DOE schools participated in career exploration and planning activities throughout the year.

Kamehameha Schools is committed to the implementation of its strategic plan to extend reach through Pauahi's Legacy Lives. The success of this implementation relies greatly on partnerships, not only with the DOE, but with other agencies and organizations that serve Hawaiian communities.