THURSTON AVENUE

LIKES HIS STREET, BUT DOESN'T LIKE THE NAME

Re: "Isle street names range from stately to silly," (Island Life, Feb. 24).

It's good that Hawai'i's street names now must have Hawaiian names, even silly ones. I live on an older street, and as much as I like living on Thurston Avenue, I despise it perpetuating the name of one of the villains in Hawai'i's history.

A street named after the author of the "Bayonet Constitution" and a leader of the gang that stole Hawai'i from Hawaiians? That's just pilau.

DARFUR

ERS INVESTMENTS MUST MAKE MORAL SENSE, TOO

Your recent editorial "Genocide in Darfur demands state divest" (Feb. 21) rightfully pointed out the need for all of us to be concerned about the staggering atrocities occurring in the Darfur region of Sudan.

While U.S. companies are prohibited from doing business in Sudan, the investment community continues to hold stocks in some of these worst-offending foreign companies. For example, Warren Buffet's Berkshire Hathaway is a large investor in PetroChina, whose parent company is active in Sudan. The Sudanese government then uses the revenue to fund its campaign of ethnic cleansing in Darfur.

House Bill 34 directs the Employees Retirement System to divest from a limited list of roughly two dozen out of the 400 foreign corporations doing business in Sudan. By being selective, it puts economic pressure on the Sudanese government without hurting community-based investments that benefit the people.

It's not certain that divestment will end the genocide in Sudan. However, by doing so, we affirm our belief that investments are not only about how many cents you earn on the dollar, but how much moral sense it makes as well.

PEDESTRIANS

ATTITUDES AND SAFETY MEASURES MUST CHANGE

I recently visited Salt Lake City, Utah.

Not only was the city friendly for walkers, it was remarkably safe. The crosswalks are visibly marked for both pedestrians and drivers. There is sufficient time for all pedestrians to safely get across the intersection.

At crosswalks without traffic lights, there are flag receptacles, filled with bright-colored flags: You pick one up, wait until it is safe, proceed across the street holding your flag and then deposit your flag into the waiting receptacle.

I urge O'ahu to implement proven safety measures that other cities have implemented.

Lives can be saved through limited financial expenditures, and we don't have time for task forces or committees to study the problem.

There is a problem: People are dying. Period. Start something and do it now.

We need to take an offensive until education efforts make a difference, and drivers and pedestrians make more of an effort to take care and be aware.

Hawai'i should be a mecca for walkers and bikers, but it is not. Our climate is ideal for getting out of the automobile and walking, biking or taking the bus.

But our attitudes place the rights of the car on the road over everyone else. That attitude needs to change. It starts with each of us, but it needs the support and vision of our government and policymakers.

RESIDENTS CAUSE MOST OF O'AHU'S ACCIDENTS

Regarding Lance Bateman's letter (Feb. 26, "Crosswalks: Military, visitors not complying with the law"): What is he talking about? What island is he and his cab-driver friend living on?

If anything, the military and visitors are more cautious than us local residents, and more often than not, they are victims of accidents caused by local residents.

Most, if not all, accidents involving pedestrians have been at the hands of us local people, rushing somewhere, not paying attention or just not being courteous.

Let's start educating ourselves before we begin to blame our military and visitors, shall we?

BUMPS AT CROSSWALKS WOULD HELP SLOW CARS

It's about time the city and state realize that simply painting stripes on the street or installing flashing lights does not make it safe for pedestrians in crosswalks or bicycles in lanes.

Traffic would slow down for raised crosswalk bumps. Raising every crosswalk to 3 to 4 inches, and installing roadway "speed bumps" before the crosswalk, is an effective solution.

Drivers will not risk damage to their cars by speeding over the bumps. Slowing the car down before it gets to the bump is the only way to reduce pedestrian fatalities.

Think about it.

RESPONSIBLE JAYWALKER BALANCES RISK, SAFETY

I am nobody's libertarian. But I cringe every time I see that another pedestrian has been struck while crossing the street.

I feel bad for the pedestrian, of course, but I also sense that the government's reaction will be to ticket jaywalkers more diligently rather than foster greater intelligence and personal responsibility.

I believe that, when there are no cars within a perilous distance, one should be free to jaywalk at one's own risk.

As a frequent, cautious jaywalker with at least 20 years of experience, I know that in a battle between car and human, the car wins every time.

But I've also learned to balance safety and efficiency, and jaywalk only when there is no risk that I will injure or even inconvenience myself or others.

My travels are so smooth and satisfying that I wonder why the whole island cannot follow this paradigm of common sense and personal responsibility.

It's worked for the East Coast.