MAHALO

TWO GOOD SAMARITANS HELPED PEOPLE IN NEED

I would like to send my heartfelt thank-you to two kind strangers who assisted my elderly parents at the Waipahu McDonald's on June 11.

It was very hot that day, and my mom fell and broke her arm and was not able to move. My dad is very weak and did not have the strength to help my mom.

These two kind individuals put a towel under my mom to keep her cool and held an umbrella over her until emergency services arrived.

On behalf of my parents and I, we appreciate very much your kindness in helping strangers in need.

HEALTHCARE

CHANGING BEHAVIOR IS KEY IN TREATING OBESITY

Thank you for spotlighting childhood obesity as a serious health problem in Hawai'i and our nation ("Childhood obesity shows signs it's leveling off," May 28).

At Kaiser Permanente, we wholeheartedly agree that behavior modification and consultation with a nutritionist are key aspects of prevention and treatment of childhood obesity.

Our physicians work with nutritionists, as well as behaviorists, nurses, pharmacists and social workers, to address this important social and medical issue.

As a total-health provider, Kaiser Permanente is an integrated system that incorporates patient visits with all of these team members.

In addition, we are working with the American Academy of Pediatrics Hawai'i chapter to provide the Pediatric Obesity Tool-kit to all of our healthcare providers involved in taking care of our keiki.

Kaiser Permanente maintains an online electronic medical record system that makes it easy for our physicians and care providers to identify and coordinate care for our at-risk children.

A leveling off of childhood obesity is definitely positive news, but, as the article points out, the full impact of the childhood obesity epidemic will continue for the next few decades.

As a community of health providers, we need to step up our efforts to combat and prevent childhood obesity, which can lead to adult obesity with its related health issues, such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes.

PRESIDENTIAL RACE

ONLY FAIR SEN. CLINTON SHOULD GET VEEP NOD

When is my beloved Democratic Party going to wake up and smell the coffee?

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi put impeachment of the George W. Bush administration off the table. Party Chairman Howard Dean promulgated a rule that disenfranchised millions of Democrat voters in Michigan and Florida. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid just wants to be loved by everybody.

This is why the Democratic primary and the votes are so screwed up. The Republicans finally did something right. They went with winner-take-all in their presidential primaries. The dumb Democrats got over-democratic and went for proportional distribution of the votes for the presidential nominee.

If they had gone winner-take-all, Hillary Clinton would have been the obvious nominee. This does not take away from Sen. Barack Obama, who scored a fabulous victory both for him and for our country.

My question is: Why stop now? It seems not only logical but extremely fair that Clinton should be the vice presidential candidate — the combined strength of these two superb Democrats can almost guarantee victory for the Democratic Party in November.

To consider anyone who was not involved in that strenuous race that Obama and Clinton were in would be a disastrous mistake for the Democrats to make.

TRUSTS MCCAIN TO BE STEWARD OF COUNTRY

What people like Keith Haugen ("Obama should just say 'no' to McCain's idea," June 8 letter) don't quite get is that a man of Sen. John McCain's stature doesn't need a love fest in an arena of fainting children to get his point across. The polls have them running dead even.

Here we have a man who has served his country with distinction and honor, has been vetted countless times and passed with flying colors. Contrast this with Sen. Barack Obama's paper-thin resume, with not one accomplishment of note in service to his country.

In a town hall meeting, every wart shows up, and I personally want to know who this guy Obama really is. Slick oratory and crafted speeches don't tell me a thing about a person — let the town hall meetings begin!

I know who John McCain is, and I respect and trust him to be the steward of our country in very troubling times.

IRAQ WAR ALREADY LOST, DESPITE FINAL EPISODE

Recently I turned on the radio and was surprised to hear Sen. John McCain chanting over and over about the war in Iraq being winnable.

Of course, I don't think he has a clue as to how this mission is going to be accomplished.

Doesn't he know this war has already been lost, regardless of the final episode?

Iraq might be reconstructed, but never the lives of those innocent souls who die and continue to die in the process.

DEMOCRATS

PARTY UNITY IMPERATIVE TO REFORM CRISES IN U.S.

While Sen. Hillary Clinton's supporters may understandably be saddened by the Democratic primary outcome, I am perplexed when some claim they will vote for Sen. John McCain instead of Sen. Barack Obama.

Obama's and Clinton's stances on various issues are remarkably similar to each other, but contrastingly different from McCain's.

For those who lived during the second-wave feminist movement, the 1973 Supreme Court case of Roe v. Wade legalizing abortion was a major triumph. If Clinton women vote for McCain, they are electing someone who writes in his campaign Web site that Roe v. Wade "is a flawed decision that must be overturned."

Furthermore, although Sens. Obama and Clinton co-sponsored and voted for the 2007 Senate Fair Pay Restoration Act, Sen. McCain opposed it.

Unity in the Democratic Party is imperative to reform the multiple crises that afflict America today and to continue upholding the rights women have fought for throughout history.

Sen. Barack Obama will be the one to do just that — not only will he lift America from its troubled economic, social and political problems, but he will also lead Americans and the entire world toward a newer direction of meaningful change.