IRAQ WAR

GOAL REMAINS UNCLEAR IN THE WAR IN IRAQ

In a Nov. 10 article on Page A5 of The Advertiser, Condoleezza Rice said that Democratic control of Congress did nothing to deter the Bush Administration from continuing its mission until "the goal that took us to Iraq" is reached.

Now, is that goal still the original "goal" of finding Saddam's stock of weapons of mass destruction? Or is it one of the "justification" goals that popped up after the "mistake?"

What has this mistake cost? Most precious: 150,000 Iraqi civilians and 2,845 American soldiers, dead. Add to that $173 billion in U.S. debt. And we ask why we don't have affordable healthcare, and there so many homeless — it's all connected. The list goes on, including our loss of credibility in much of the world.

Army 1st Lt. Ehren Watada, is on trial for what he feels in his heart and soul is the "truth." No matter what the outcome, he will go on as a "hero" in history, unlike George W. Bush.

Watada is fighting for all our soldiers who trustingly put themselves into the hands of our president. He risks court martial and years in prison for this. A lot of us should share his courage.

Our precious soldiers are risking and giving their lives for Bush's cause. I pray it is not for his mistake.

CHARTER SCHOOLS

BOE MUST RECOGNIZE

SUCCESS OF CHARTERS

Your editorial about charter schools and Jim Shon totally misses the point. The Hawai'i Board of Education fired an administrator who by all measures was doing a very good job. Simply, the BOE did a disservice to public school children (yes, charter schools are public schools).

Charter schools are, by contrast, all about serving children. It takes nine of 13 BOE members to fire an administrator. That means when they fired Shon, a big majority of the BOE shrugged off the increasing and measurable success of charter school children, including higher-than-average test scores and increased parental satisfaction. That is a fact.

Before being approved, all charter schools must submit to the BOE a Detailed Implementation Plan that communicates its "detailed expectations and accountability."

The schools are examined straight up front from the start.

What reciprocal details and accountability is the BOE providing to charter schools? That is the question.

RAIL TRANSIT

NEW RAIL LINE MUST GO TO AIRPORT AND WAIKIKI

Now that the elections are over, the people of O'ahu need to turn their attention to the pressing issue of the construction of a light rail system.

How much longer can our political leaders stick their heads into the sand and continue to pretend that a light rail system that does not include the airport and Waikiki is viable?

There is no way on earth that a light rail system has any hope of recovering a significant part of its construction costs if it does not service the airport and Waikiki.

The fact that powerful interests are opposed to such service does not alter economic reality. If a light rail system is not going to service the airport and Waikiki, it needs to be voted down because it will be a white elephant.

EHREN WATADA CASE

WATADA DISREGARDED OBLIGATION, HONOR

The controversy surrounding Lt. Watada should not be about the moral ethics of the Iraq war. It should be about an individual's moral and legal obligations. As a civilian, Ehren Watada had every right to question and challenge the Iraq war.

However, the day he voluntarily took the oath as Lt. Watada, his duty became to fulfill his military obligations. He has chosen to disregard this and with it, his honor.

I must reflect on my past memories as a Mainland pre-teen interned for four years at Minidoka, Idaho during WWII. I remember Chet Sakura, one of four brothers and Yukio Suzuki, both living in nearby barracks. All five were among the many AJA's(Americans of Japanese Ancestry) from Minidoka who volunteered for the 442nd, while behind barbed wire. They volunteered to make things better for the rest of us. I still remember the grief of the Suzuki family when they were told of Yukio's death in action.

Time has passed and things have changed for the better. I thank the AJA volunteers who made this possible.

However, one thing has not changed and that is the meaning of obligation and honor, something that Lt. Watada has not been taught. A person's word is for him to keep. He will probably spend time in a federal prison reflecting on his decision. It is ironic that young men from two different generations have differing views on the meaning of honor.

SPEEDERS

LET DRIVERS 'GO WITH THE FLOW' OF TRAFFIC

While I support HPD in its quest to stop high speed and reckless driving, I disagree with ticketing drivers who are "going with the flow of traffic." When you get your diver's license you'll learn the basis of all our traffic rules are "what is reasonable and prudent."

When setting speed limits, considerations are said to be made for congestion, driveways, crossing of major thoroughfares, etc. Yet, when you compare our streets to those on the Mainland, our boulevard, highway, and freeway speeds are well below their counterparts.

It is reasonable and prudent to demand the elimination of "speed traps."

In my commute, the most obvious trap is H-3 town-bound at Halawa where there are no driveways, wide shoulders, you exit to freeways in all directions, yet the posted speed limit is 35.

I'll support the "slowdown," but I ask government to play fair and decriminalize driving at a reasonable and prudent speed.