FERAL CAT POPULATION IS OFTEN HEALTHY, FED

June Paraskevi shows her hatred of cats (Letters, April 21). Her emotional accusations of how bad feral cats are for Hawai'i are not supported by any references to official information or studies.

I see cats in city parks and the people who feed and care for them daily. These selfless people make sure the cats are neutered, properly fed, and receive medical treatment. Most of the cats look healthy and content; their main problem is people who try to maim or kill them, either by throwing objects or letting their dogs chase them.

A 4-year-old feral cat from one of the parks who had to have her eye removed after being injured was recently adopted. The cat was thoroughly checked by a vet prior to the adoption and found to be completely healthy and free of any parasites or disease, with only a few fleas that were easily dealt with. She has adjusted well to her new home and is a wonderful pet.

Paraskevi mentions that feral cats disrupt her sleep. Based on my experience, Honolulu garbage trucks are a greater deterrent to a good night's sleep than feral cats.

VOLUNTEERS

CANCER SOCIETY SAYS MAHALO TO HELPERS

Last week, April 18-24, was the 37th annual National Volunteer Week.

On behalf of the American Cancer Society Hawai'i Pacific, I want to recognize and celebrate the efforts of more than 12,000 Hawai'i volunteers who impact our community in ways that could not be done without their personal commitment to creating a world with less cancer and more birthdays. Nationally, there are more than three million volunteers who are making a difference for people facing cancer.

Every day, our dedicated volunteers contribute to helping people stay well, get well, find cures and fight back against cancer through a variety of roles and Cancer Society efforts.

Such programs include: driving patients to and from treatment and providing one-on-one support as survivors to newly diagnosed patients.

Volunteers also speak with lawmakers about issues that matter to people touched by cancer. And many raise funds for local services and cancer research while celebrating the lives of those touched by cancer and remembering loved ones lost.

Volunteers are the foundation of the society. Thank you to those who give your time, and invest in saving lives in our community.

AFGHANISTAN

FACTS DON'T SUPPORT COLUMNIST'S STAND

The column on Afghani-stan of leftist pundit Eugene Robinson, ("What are we gaining from Afghanistan war?" April 19), is proof that the left will seize upon any argument, regardless of its merits or supporting facts, for getting out of Afghani-stan.

It suggests that President Obama is making a mistake by focusing on the populated Afghan heartland and abandoning remote outposts, and that this change in strategy makes the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan even more porous, which will upset Pakistan, our reluctant ally.

History teaches that this is a spurious argument. It goes back to America's failure in Vietnam, where the U.S. did not adopt this strategy, and runs through Iraq, where Gen. David Petraeus successfully applied this strategy to turn that war around.

The tragedy of Wanat that has been prominent in the pages of The Advertiser recently, is another example of the difficulty in maintaining remote outposts in what would most likely be a futile effort to seal the Afghani-stan/Pakistan border. Is it not obvious that to realistically attempt such a seal would as a practical matter take a wholly disproportionate and wasteful number of American troops and equipment?

HB 444

BILL'S PASSAGE WOULDCIRCUMVENT LAW

The claim that not passing HB 444 violates the fundamental civil right of individuals to marry whoever they wish is not valid. Inherent in marriage are limitations, limits on who can marry (no relatives, no minors, only two people), etc. What people do in the privacy of their own home needs to be kept private, and to insist that a law must be created to make what they do in private acceptable in public is not right.

The main advocates for passage of HB 444 seem to be those who are in favor of same-sex civil unions. This involves a choice people make knowing that current state laws only recognize a marriage that is between one man and one woman. Passage of HB 444 would circumvent the state law. The majority need to let their voices be heard.

REPUBLICANS SAY YES?

HEMMINGS OMITTED A FEW CRUCIAL DETAILS

In trying to make his case about the upcoming congressional race, Sen. Fred Hemmings omitted some important details about Republican leadership and values (Letters, April 23).

When he says "Republicans say yes to cutting waste, inefficiency and exploitation from government budgets," we can assume he's not referring to the congressional Republicans from 2001-2007 who proposed spending which more than doubled the national debt and was approved by a Republican president.

When he says Republicans "say yes to personal liberty " he's obviously not referring to a woman's freedom over her own body or a person's inalienable right to happiness by marrying whomever he or she chooses.

When he condemns "exploited government programs that create dependency" he obviously wasn't referring to the Federal Reserve or the Treasury Department bailing out major corporations over the past two years.

When he says "Republicans say yes to the Constitution rather than activist judges who make rulings based on popular opinion" he loses sight of U.S. history by forgetting that school desegregation and interracial marriage were certainly not popular when those courts outlawed those examples of discrimination.

Speaking in generalizations is an easy and simple-minded way to make an argument. Details reveal the truth.