MARKING A DAY THAT BROUGHT US TOGETHER

New York City's remembrance of those who served in the rescue and recovery of the 9/11 tragedy speaks to one of the most healing acts that we, as a global community, can take.

That day, and for weeks thereafter, countless servicemen and women and tons of volunteers joined together to care for one another and those who were lost, and I feel so fortunate to have been one of those people. It was the strongest example of the goodness of the human heart and the essence of humanity I had ever witnessed.

Strangers worked side by side in mourning and in hope to nurture one another back to a place of safety and wholeness, extending the kind of support, love and care one would give their own family. It was truly uplifting seeing that despite the negativity in our world, where individuals have become isolated and wary of each other, people will be brought together in a most beautifully human way when it truly counts.

Though now far removed from my old neighborhood and the morning I watched the towers fall, I remain hopeful for the future in seeing people celebrate with care the giving spirit of human nature.

Sharleen Alejandro | Kailua

RAIL TRANSIT

CITY WORKSHOPS VERY INFORMATIVE

I'm a member of the Pearl City Neighborhood Board, and I've been attending all the city's rail station workshops to date, including the recent meeting on the Pearlridge station. It was well attended and our community got the opportunity to provide input, ask questions and learn all about rail. These meetings are very informative and the public gets a chance to be involved with this important infrastructure project that will change our city, which I believe for the better.

I encourage everyone to attend these meetings and provide your input. It's also an opportunity to educate yourself so you can learn more about rail that is coming our way.

Cruz J. Vina Jr. | Pearl City

SOCIAL SECURITY

SO MUCH FOR HELPING THE DISABLED, ELDERLY

The government can spend $800 billion in the name of "stimulus" but can't give Social Security recipients a basic cost-of-living increase for next year. Then after Medicare goes up, Social Security beneficiaries end up receiving even less in 2010 than in 2009.

I thought President Obama was going to champion the rights of the disabled and elderly. Not so much.

Patty Abrams | Honolulu

LAW ENFORCEMENT

HAWAI'I CRIMES MORE LIKE MAINLAND

I use to believe we were different from the "Mainlanders." With all their crime and no "aloha." Now I think our islands have become just like them, and worse.

As a person who was born and raised in Hawai'i, I am horrified by the crimes that happen everyday on our islands. We are no longer "paradise." Murders, rapes, molestations, and other horrific crimes happen in our state every day.

What has happened to our society? There needs to be tougher laws for these criminals! Why should we pay for them to be imprisoned? They have three meals a day and shelter. What about the men, women, and children they have murdered, raped or molested? What about their rights? Since these people have made our islands a little version of the Mainland, we should enforce laws like the Mainland, including the death penalty.

Alice Lenchanko | 'Ewa Beach

PUNGENT BUS RIDERS

COUNCILMAN TO BE LAUDED FOR COURAGE

Highly offensive odors that create a disruption and make people queasy, create an unhealthy and unsafe environment for passengers.

Chicago libraries, for example, have a rule that patrons "should not enter if they have neglected their bodily hygiene so that it gives offense and constitutes a nuisance."

Ruth Lednicer, Chicago libraries spokeswoman, said, "If they do and it gets to the point where it's offensive to others and becomes a disturbance, we will ask them to leave."

An exception should be made for those who have a debilitating condition certified by a physician that prevents them from attending to their personal hygiene.

Honolulu Councilman Rod Tam has a longstanding record of listening to his constituents and supporting their legitimate concerns. Tam is a man ahead of his time. For example, he once supported a "naps" bill that would allow workers to take a short nap on their lunch hour or during a coffee break. Research including a Harvard University study shows that a power nap boosts performance back to morning levels.

I applaud Councilman Tam for his courage in representing his constituents' wishes as far as protecting the right to breathe Hawai'i's pure, fresh and clean air while riding buses.

E. Kam | Honolulu

HEALTH CARE

Do insurance firms have 'death panels'?

I wonder if it would be appropriate to call insurance companies "death panels" when they deny coverage to people with preexisting medical conditions or to cancer patients when their benefits have run out?

Grace Craver | Kane'ohe

BIKING SAFETY

LAW SHOULD CONSIDER PEDESTRIANS, TOO

Our City Council was debating a new law that would make it illegal for a driver to pass within 3 feet of a bicyclist on Honolulu streets.

I might agree with this proposed law if the same law would make it illegal for a bicyclist to pass less than 3 feet from pedestrians on Honolulu sidewalks. Hardly a day goes by here in Waikiki where I'm nearly run down by high-speed bicyclists passing within inches of me and other pedestrians on Waikiki sidewalks. With bicycles, skateboards and now the new fast-moving electric tricycles showing up in ever increasing numbers, taking a walk on Waikiki's sidewalks is a risk hardly worth taking.

Robert Vogtritter | Honolulu