Police should not be expected to shy away from using force in the immediate instance of grave personal danger. They are in enough danger during the chase of criminals, let alone when a person suddenly and violently threatens police authority.

It would be nice to be compassionate to any mother who has lost a child to violence - be it from police trying to stop crime, or from drive-by shooting, or from participation in senseless gang activity. But where were the mothers of such children when guidance was needed? Who should have been teaching them to respect their community . . . other people's rights . . . the law?

Who really set the kid up? Not last night or the night before, but months, or years ago when good guidance was appropriate and obviously needed.

Ray Thiele
Kailua

n Teen-age car theft is now a capital offense carrying the death penalty? Or do you get terminated for bumping a police car? Will the officer(s) who gunned down these teen-agers lose their jobs ?

n Marines who murder "their own kind" are found so detestable (by their own kind to whom they are turned over for judgment) they may also get the death penalty.

n Marines who murder sailors (not their own kind) get four years in prison.

n Sailors who help Marines murder and assault another sailor are charged with involuntary manslaughter and will get seven years (longer sentence for lesser crime because after all they were both in the same branch of the service) and a court martial.

n HGEA union leaders can molest children and not even lose their jobs? No need to even mention the potential sentence of a judge rattling some gourds in the guy's face and threatening him with 10 years (yeah, right) after he already got a deal from the prosecutor by pleading no contest.

Well, all I can say is, it's just lucky these people (adults) weren't carrying an ounce of drugs or "thinking about buying any." The combination of these crimes could land them in jail for up to 60 years and they not only may lose their jobs (another crime and punishment story), but probably will give everything they and even their relatives own to the police department as a confiscation deal.

It's a wonder everyone in Hawaii isn't using some kind of drugs to cope with this so-called justice.

Dale L. Pratt
Kaneohe

Therefore, I have a few questions for Budget Director Malcom Tom. The City Council wants to cut seven positions totalling $1 million from the city payroll. But Tom says that, since the city has an $11 million surplus, why cut essential services provided by the deputy directors?

In that case:

nĘDid the original budget provide for an assistant/secretary to the deputy directors? Is the deputy director a doer or another administrator? Is this an indirect way to provide the directors with a raise? Do all directors require a deputy?

nĘCould the $11 million surplus be used to pay for past shortfalls? Are there any debts with higher interest rates that should be paid down? Can we predict in 3-5 years that the city will be in solid financial shape?

nĘLastly, do we need to spend all that has been made available through taxation, rent, user fees, etc.? Or is the philosophy to spend it or lose it? I've heard that this happens, which is sad because it is wasteful.

Chester Obara
Pearl City

Borreca could have added that:

Dole went into the Army as a 190-pound football and track star. He came out a paralyzed man of 120 pounds, who was given little chance to live or even walk again. He was hit after dragging his wounded radio operator into a fox hole.

One difference between Inouye's and Dole's arm injuries is that the bullet that hit Dole also fractured the vertebrae in his neck (hence his one-year paralysis).

If Senator Inouye indeed said that Dole was "realistic, pragmatic and flexible," and "he would be a reasonable president," then clearly the camaraderie of their relationship transcends partisan politics.

Rep. Gene Ward
Co-Chairman
Dole for President-Hawaii