ALLOW MESSAGE OF TOLERANCE IN SCHOOLS

As long as the Legislature continues to deny equal rights to families on the basis of sex (sexual orientation), it continues to legitimize the homophobia our students experience in school.

Despite the BOE's persistent prohibition against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, the results of the 2007 Hawai'i Youth Risk Behavior Surveys indicate that 13.3 percent of our high school students continue to report that they have been harassed because someone thought they were gay, lesbian, or bisexual; 18.5 percent of our public high school students seriously considered committing suicide — this is the highest rate in the nation.

The DOE serves more than 45,000 high school students. This means that more than 6,000 students are being harassed because someone thought they were gay, lesbian or bisexual, and more than 8,000 students have seriously considered committing suicide in the past year.

Even if only 13.3 percent of these 8,000 students who seriously considered committing suicide did so because they could not endure the homophobic harassment, it would still leave us 1,100 children in anguish every year.

For the sake of these 1,100 students, I urge the Legislature to fulfill the constitutional promise of equality for all citizens once and for all. Allow the positive messages of inclusion and tolerance to trickle down into our schools.

ROADWAY DEATHS

HPD HIGHWAY PATROL NEEDED TO SAVE LIVES

How many people have to be killed on our roadways before the state and county figure out that the best way to solve this problem is to provide HPD with the budget necessary to create a highway patrol division of its traffic enforcement department?

I have said this before and I will say it again. For the safety of all of our citizens and tourists, something has to be done. Yet it appears that the Legislature would rather turn a blind eye.

Stepping up enforcement of speeders is not going to solve this problem. The expense involved in creating a state highway patrol will be much more costly than the much simpler solution that is staring them right in the face. Why can't they see it? Why won't they do it?

Where are our lawmakers? Where is our governor, our mayor, our county council? It's past downright frightening out there!

MARTY MCCLAIN

AUCTIONEER WAS OF GREAT HELP TO SCHOOL

Several days ago I read in your paper an obituary about Marty McClain. As noted, he was an auctioneer and in this capacity helped a number of groups raise money for their causes. Such was the case for Island School (Lihu'e, Kaua'i). On March 14 we will hold our 30th Annual Auction, and I would be remiss were I not to acknowledge our gratitude for Marty's assistance to us in years past. He was a kind man and effective in his work, and he made a significant contribution to us in a time of need.

ECONOMIC STIMULUS

OBAMA SHOULD SUSPEND CAPITAL GAINS TAX

If President Obama was serious about turning our economy around, all he has to do, without spending one "stimulus" buck, is to appear on national TV 30 minutes before the stock market opens (4 a.m. Hawai'i time) and announce to the nation that he will be suspending the capital gains tax on investors for the next three years.

Every fund manager and individual stock trader, who have been wisely shorting this market, would immediately place their "buy-to-cover" orders, causing the largest bull-market rally in history in its wake.

The only flaw with this idea (and my guess as to why it will never happen) is that it will disprove President Obama's long-held philosophy.

Obama believes that suspending the capital gains tax will not create any additional tax revenue, that the taxes not collected from investors would be more than the taxes paid by the new employees hired to fill the demand for goods fueled by the new money coming back into the stock market.

It's a gamble that President Obama is not willing to take, at our expense.

PEGGY CHUN

LATE ARTIST'S SOUL WAS A MASTERPIECE ITSELF

I last saw artist Peggy Chun in her motorized wheelchair at an Art Walk. She could not communicate with the man talking to her as Lou Gehrig's disease had stripped her of all movement. I saw all ego evaporate in the face of raw reality.

I did not know she would die two weeks later. I should have said her soul was a beautiful painting in itself. She gave for the pure joy of sharing.

Her undaunted spirit, facing a family disease that took her twin sister, made any complaint of mine shrivel in comparison. I saw perspective far exceeding that found in any masterpiece. I saw perfection imperfect against pure-hearted purpose.

The bright, whimsical colors of her art reflected courage of a celebrated life, but whose seeds are in all of us.

I see it in her painting hung in the lobby at work every day when I leave and I remember Peggy Chun. She was a soul of beauty, warmth, and encouragement — a true artist painting eternal beauty with her very life — for us all.