Editorials

Tsunamis still present lethal threat to Hawaii

FIFTY years after a tsunami devastated Hilo and Laupahoehoe, a memorial program was held at the Hawaii County Building. The 159 people who died in that disaster should be remembered, but this exercise has to do with the present as well as the past.

Although vast improvements have been made in the tsunami warning system since that terrible day, the fact is that the threat of tsunamis is still very real. Because the last major tsunamis to strike Hawaii occurred many years ago, it is easy to become complacent and ignore their awesome potential. The passage of years also means that the young people of 1996 can't fathomthe destructive power of tsunamis because they weren't born yet or were too young to understand.

Although improvements in the warning system can save thousands of lives, Honolulu has learned that a tsunami alert can produce traffic gridlock. No one has figured out how to avoid a catastrophe if a major tsunami struck at the rush hour. Even if, miraculously, few or no lives were lost, the property damage would be staggering. Hilo reacted by banning construction along the downtown waterfront, but that is not an option in today's Honolulu.

This 50th anniversary is a reminder that tsunamis can be lethal and that they can strike at any time. Hawaii's youth must learn to keep this threat in mind and waste no time in responding to tsunami alerts. It could be a matter of life and death, as it was 50 years ago.

Roy Price, vice director of state Civil Defense, notes that, "Invariably, we have a couple hundred people grab their surfboards and head for the beach to try to grab the big one. That's nuts. If you live in Hawaii, you've got to understand how to react to this thing." Instruction on tsunamis should be as much a part of the school curriculum here as fire drills.


Other editorials, in brief:

Rush for exitpapers

TENS of thousands of Hong Kong residents have delivered a resounding vote of no confidence in China by besieging the colony's immigration offices over the weekend to beat a deadline to apply for British overseas citizenship. This status would not entitle them to reside in Britain but would give them special passports enabling them to enter Britain and 80 other countries. The point is that these documents could make it possible for them to leave Hong Kong after China takes over next year if they find life under Communist rule intolerable. China is scheduled to take Hong Kong back from Britain on July 1, 1997, ending a century and a half of British rule. Beijing pledged it would respect Hong Kong's free-wheeling political and economic system for 50 years. But as the takeover date approaches, faith in that pledge is ebbing fast.

Age discrimination

WHEN Congress enacted the Age Discrimination in Employment Act to protect workers 40 and over, it had no intention of allowing companies to discriminate by using employees in their early 40s to replace older workers.The U.S. Supreme Court has affirmed that position, assuring employees who have evidence that they have been victims of age discrimination in hiring, firing or promotion of an effective tool in protecting their rights.





Published by Liberty Newspapers Limited Partnership

Rupert E. Phillips,CEO

John M. Flanagan,Editor & Publisher

David Shapiro,Managing Editor

Diane Yukihiro Chang,Senior Editor & Editorial Page Editor

Frank Bridgewater & Michael Rovner,Assistant Managing Editors

A.A. Smyser,Contributing Editor



Text Site Directory: [News] [Business] [Features] [Sports] [Editorial] [Community] [Info] [Stylebook] [Feedback]