DRUG TESTING

TEACHERS MUST LIVE UP TO CONTRACT AGREED TO

Professor Richard Miller may be an emeritus scholar of law, but his math is seriously skewed to fit his view of random drug testing of public school teachers.

Using his figures, there were 13,404 educators eligible to vote in the union contract ratification; 8,449 cast their ballots (63 percent), 4,955 did not vote (37 percent), 5,176 out of 8,449 voted "yes" (61.26 percent). 3,273 voted "no" (38.74 percent). His figure of 43 percent of eligible voters is irrelevant because the 4,955 who chose to not vote gave up their rights to be heard in this argument.

Had they voted, they may have reversed the results to favor the HSTA's stance.

Their objection on constitutional grounds should have been brought up before the vote. He and the HSTA maintain that randomly drug testing teachers is a threat to basic rights. What about parents' rights of assurances that those entrusted with the education of their children will be drug free and examples of good citizenship? That good citizenship encompasses living up to a contract entered into and agreed upon by all parties concerned.

ELECTION 2008

LINGLE DECISIONS BASED ON WHAT'S BEST FOR ISLES

Senate Majority Leader Gary Hooser's partisan rant (Letter, Sept. 7) in which he accuses Gov. Linda Lingle and Lt. Gov. Duke Aiona as being "out of touch" because they support Sen. John McCain and Gov. Sarah Palin shows how he is blinded by party politics and cares little about what is in the best interest of the people of Hawai'i and our nation.

He feebly tries to make a case of support for Sen. Barack Obama because he is allegedly the state's "favorite son." Just because Obama is from Hawai'i is not a valid reason to vote for him for president.

Sen. Obama has never once called or met with Gov. Lingle to ask if there is any way he could help Hawai'i. This is not the behavior you would expect from someone Hooser calls "a favorite son." Sen. McCain has met with the governor in Hawai'i as well as in Washington, and has spoken to her by phone on numerous occasions on issues that affect Hawai'i.

Hooser fails to explain why Obama's planned tax increase on thousands of Hawai'i small businesses is something we should support or why we should take his word on anything after he flip-flopped on public financing of his campaign.

Hooser says the governor and lieutenant governor will lose votes in their next elections for supporting McCain.

Gov. Lingle and Lt. Gov. Aiona make their decisions based on how it will improve lives and make Hawai'i and America stronger for future generations.

That is the reason they put their confidence in Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin as the best candidates to lead our nation.

Hawai'i residents are concerned with results — like those Governor Lingle and Lt. Governor Aiona have consistently delivered — and have no tolerance for the partisan games Hooser insists on playing.

ELECTION 2008

DON'T NEED PARTISAN, PARTY-LINE POLITICS

Senate Majority Leader Gary Hooser suggests in his Sept. 7 letter blasting Gov. Linda Lingle that Hawai'i politicians should only act based on perceived popular opinion.

Nice that he is using this forum for partisan attacks on a popular twice-elected governor who herself supports women's right to choose, environmental protection and Native Hawaiian recognition. Are Hawai'i voters then also "out of touch?" Was Sen. Barack Obama's support of Sen. Dan Akaka over Rep. Ed Case during the last election the "hope" and "change" we needed to fix the broken status quo here?

Hooser's partisan and party-line politics are just more of what we don't need. He asserts Democrats should be the only ones in control. Senator, we need the balance of a multi-party system. Both Democrats and Republicans have shown that they are not fit for majority rule. Both have also shown to be subject to hijacking by special interests and extreme left/right-wing groups.

I believe my own sense of right and wrong and my ability to navigate with some degree of intelligence the not-so-black-and-white political landscape to be a better guide and indicator of where I should cast my vote than partisan rhetoric that does zero to help this state or this country.

Recent poll numbers not good sign for U.S.

The recent surge in Sen. John McCain's and Gov. Sarah Palin's poll numbers only goes to prove old H. L. Mencken right again when he (sadly, I think) commented that "No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public."

That a majority of the people polled can't tell when they're being lied to and played for fools is, well, not a good sign for our country's future.

DOESN'T NEED HANSON EXPLAINING FEMINISM

I am fairly offended by Victor Davis Hanson's Sept. 11 column, "Hypocrisy abounds in reaction of Palin."

As a longtime feminist, I do not need to have Mr. Hanson explain to me what constitutes feminism in today's society.

Vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin is not a victim of feminist hypocrisy in the media. She is the victim of equality — in short, the exact same outrageously unprecedented media scrutiny to which all candidates have been subjected in this new media age. She chose to accept the nomination knowing that unfounded suppositions and unfair accusations have become a regrettable but accepted part of today's norm — just ask Hillary Clinton.

I am an avowed independent who was also a vocal Hillary supporter. But as disappointed as I (and the other 18 million like me) am, I would appreciate it if those around me, including friends, family and Washington political pundits, would not assume that they know how I am going to vote in November.

Gov. Palin has been remarkably transparent in her platform, and for that I am grateful. It helps me to understand where she stands on the issues and, in the end, isn't that what should be determining my vote?

This is turning out to be a very interesting and unpredictable political race.

It is certainly not the race that I would have hoped for. But each side has chosen their candidate and if the Democrats lose, I would also appreciate it if they would not try to blame us women.

TRANSPLANTS

ORGAN DONORS HELP SAVE LIVES OF OTHERS

My oldest son's first best friend passed away as a teenager while waiting for a heart transplant.

My son's soccer coach received a liver from another gentleman who suffered a serious accident.

My son's uncle on the Mainland had a liver transplant more than six years ago, but now needs another liver to survive. He's only 52 years old.

I have religious beliefs and my family is in the funeral business. I believe the best gift we may give another human being is another chance of life.

When the family of a person who passes on makes a decision to give vital organs and tissues of this loved one, a team of transplant specialists await with a willing soul ready to take a chance at a longer and better life.

Hawai'i had a dozen liver transplants last year, with 44 candidates currently on the waiting list. Nationally, 6,493 liver transplants were performed. with 16,164 now on the waiting list, according to United Network for Organ Sharing.

With only one in three candidates receiving a liver, only families of potential donors can change that statistic.

With the severe shortage of donors, not all patients who need a liver are placed on the waiting list. With your help, my brother-in-law could be number 16,165 on the waiting list.

Let your family know you would like to be a donor.