LENDING A HAND

EVERYONE PITCHED IN DURING KAILUA FLOODING

I want to publicly say mahalo nui loa to local fire departments, the Red Cross, Zippy's and my neighbors for their kokua during the recent flooding.

TAX RELIEF

FAMILY CAREGIVERS NEED FINANCIAL HELP

During a ceremony for National Caregiver Month, Gov. Linda Lingle said she would push for expanded tax deductions for family caregivers during the next legislative session. I hope legislators listen.

When people decide to care for a family member at home instead of putting them in a long-term-care facility, they're taking on heavy obligations that may require them to leave the workforce.

As it turns out, they're also saving taxpayer money. Therefore, I believe providing caregivers with more tax relief isn't just the right thing to do. It's the common sense thing to do. Thanks, governor!

DEATHS

TRAFFIC LIGHTS NEEDED AT BUSY CROSSWALKS

With the number of pedestrian deaths from car accidents, why does the state of Hawai'i not have traffic lights installed where people cross the street?

For example, near Alvah A. Scott Elementary School, there is a crosswalk with no traffic light.

People assume cars will stop, because the pedestrians dart out in the street where they see a crosswalk. I have seen near misses happen because the pedestrians believe they have the right of way.

Even on Kamehameha Highway, children just walk out into the street.

Why doesn't the traffic division look at helping to save lives instead of doing nothing until something happens to a pedestrian?

TRANSIT

WEEKEND SYMPOSIUM WAS ALREADY CONDUCTED

Mayor Mufi Hannemann and the City and County of Honolulu will convene the 2007 Transit Symposium tomorrow. National and international transit experts will be in Honolulu to share their successes and challenges in designing and implementing mass transit systems and transit-oriented development.

The collective talent and expertise brought together for this event is tremendous and is an extraordinary resource for government, private sector and community leaders and representatives.

More than 300 people have signed up for the symposium, and countless others will be able to access symposium activities, free of charge, through news media coverage, posting of the symposium video on the Honolulu High Capacity Transit Project Web site, and coverage of the forum on the Honolulu High-Capacity Transit Corridor's monthly television show broadcast on the 'Olelo public access network.

The symposium has been designed to be informative, cost-effective and as accessible as possible.

Honolulu League of Women Voters President D. Piilani Kaopuiki (Letter, Nov. 8) says the symposium date and cost should be changed. Readers should know that at a League forum held on a Saturday last month, fewer than 75 people attended. And in keeping with the League's stated position, most of them opposed a fixed-guideway rail system.

O'AHU RAIL SYSTEM WILL IMPROVE LIFE

I often visit my daughter in Mililani from Tustin, Calif. She is an engineer working on the plan for a new mass transit system for Honolulu, specifically the light-rail system.

I understand that many O'ahu residents are resistant to this change in commuting and their way of life. It is a well-known fact that Southern California residents are car-dependent also. However, our expanded 12- to 14-lane highways have not relieved congestion and have caused spillover to our surface streets to the point whereby buses cannot serve their customers in a timely fashion.

Pasadena, a once-vibrant cultural city in the 1980s, experienced the crush of urban sprawl. Since the establishment of a rail line to Los Angeles, the city is now a mecca for shopping, arts and entertainment. It has become an attraction not only for its residents but for its visitors.

These light-rail systems are easy to use, comfortable and are more enjoyable than the road rage resulting from sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic weekdays as well as weekends.

It would be wise for the people of O'ahu to heed history and support their city officials in forward thinking for the benefit of the local population and visitors, who support the state's main industry.

TOURISTS

AIRPORT'S WIKI WIKI SHUTTLE BUS HOT, SMELLY

Gov. Linda Lingle finally did the right thing by improving our airport concourse ("Work to begin on $45M Honolulu Airport project").

I can remember returning from Japan two months ago and riding the Wiki Wiki. It was dreadful. The shuttle bus was hot and smelled.

Let's not forget that most of the people riding the Wiki Wiki are tourists, and they deserve better since they're the ones helping our economy.

MILITARY ROLE

WE ALL MUST CONDEMN PAKISTANI SITUATION

Recent events in Pakistan attacking the rule of law through the suspension of that nation's constitution, the detention of several members of the Pakistan Supreme Court, and the physical attacks and arrest of more than 1,500 Pakistani lawyers represent an unwarranted and historic attack on the rule of law.

The Hawaii State Bar Association joins the American Bar Association and state and local bar associations throughout the United States in condemning these actions.

The existence of an unfettered independent judiciary is essential to the administration of justice and to the existence of any lawfully elected government. An impartial and independent judiciary is the cornerstone of any democracy, and efforts to manipulate the judicial system, in the name of terrorism, cannot be accepted by a free society.

The state bar calls upon all of its members, and all of the citizens of the state of Hawai'i, to condemn these unlawful actions and to support the brave efforts of Pakistani lawyers and judges who are placing their own personal safety at risk by leading the resistance to this unacceptable interference in the administration of justice.

VIEW OF BUSH

BUSH HYPOCRITICAL IN REMARK TO MUSHARRAF

I cannot help but express my dismay, though certainly not surprise, at the arrogance of George W. Bush's "you need to take off your uniform" remark to Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf.

Who does Bush think he is, daring to dictate to another nation's leader? It seems that invading and occupying Iraq, and possibly Iran, is not enough to satisfy the obsession for world domination that drives our dictator-in-chief as well as Vice Dictator Cheney.

What hypocrisy: Bush telling Musharraf that "he can't be the president and the head of the military at the same time," while he himself manages to wheel and deal in that dual capacity with little or no opposition from both Congress and the American electorate!

MAJORITY AGREE WITH KEILLOR'S ASSESSMENT

I agree with Tom Freitas' Nov. 6 letter that the Focus section of The Advertiser should provide serious discussion on issues of importance. However, he then goes on to denigrate columnist Garrison Keillor as being nasty and mean-spirited for referring to President Bush as the "Current Occupant" and also as a "small dim man." Well, facts be told, about two-thirds of the country think our president is not doing a very good job.

Syndicated columnists have a unique ability to influence public opinion and the national debate. A recent study at mediamatters .org reviewed all the syndicated writers by examining their language. Their study concluded that 60 percent of the syndicated columnists are conservative, 20 percent are progressive/liberal and only 20 percent give balanced reporting.

Given this study, I hold regular conservative columnists like George Will and Charles Krauthammer partly responsible for perpetuating myths about Iraq and the war. Their well-crafted words have also contributed to our national debt being at levels that our children will not be able to pay off. And, they have a total circulation that is three times that of Garrison Keillor.

The written word is still a powerful media source for thinking citizens. Letters, editorials and syndicated columnists all play a very important part. It is expected that letters to the editors will be received with diatribes. What is most troubling is the fact that only 20 percent of the syndicated columnists are rated balanced in their writings.

EXPLETIVES

TAKE 'DOG' TO TASK FOR HIS CRUDE LANGUAGE, TOO

Because of Duane "Dog" Chapman, the use of inappropriate language is, once again, in the news. His boorish tirade is an exhibition of two important concerns: words of prejudice that attack the dignity of humanity and words of incivility that attack the moral fiber of our society.

Much has been written about the "n-word" so I want to focus on the second concern: his use of "four-letter words." It's a sad commentary on our times that little has been said about this abuse of the English language.

While I can understand the occasional expletive when experiencing sudden pain or extreme emotion, I cannot understand the necessity of using obscene words in everyday conversation.

This inability to express thoughts or feelings without using words that degrade religion, sexuality and bodily functions has been increasing for at least two generations, probably since the 1960s.

Language that was constrained to the locker room is now heard on the elementary school playground. Perhaps it's a matter of verbal laziness with adults and ignorance with children.

It would be too easy to find blame with the movie industry and the lyricists of contemporary music. I think we are all guilty: guilty of inaction at the very beginning of this cultural revolution — perhaps during the Free Speech Movement in Berkeley — and guilty of not expecting more from ourselves — we who mold the speech patterns of succeeding generations.

Educators, religious leaders and, particularly, parents need to step forward. We could be the beginning of a counterrevolution for genuinely colorful, thoughtful and respectful communication.