Tobacco is more harmful
than marijuana, by far

Billions of taxpayers dollars are spent fighting marijuana wars, restricting its use for medicinal purposes and imprisoning marijuana users. Meanwhile, tobacco is seldom treated by our government as an enemy and more than 3,000 children start smoking cigarettes every day.

People who defend tobacco because it is legal need to bear in mind that the total state and federal excise tax on tobacco products is $9 billion, one-tenth of what it costs us to take care of smokers as they die (C. Everett Koop, M.D.).

Continuing the drug war against marijuana is no more than a smoke screen hiding the truth about the hideous tobacco industry.

Will our political leaders ever accept the facts, listen to the wishes of the electorate and take a rational approach to the issues of marijuana and tobacco?

Graham Ellis
Pahoa, Hawaii

Alcohol and marijuana
are pharmacological cousins

Marijuana is not a "narcotic." It is considered an "intoxicant" whose closest relative (in terms of physiological effect) to other common drugs is alcohol, though it is somewhat less toxic than alcohol.

As with alcohol, marijuana has its pros and cons. But the longstanding ban against its use, and the squandering of scarce tax resources on futile enforcement efforts, makes about as much pharmacological sense as declaring cognac illegal.

Dr. Martin Blinder

Hah, there is no justice
in this crazy community

Judge Marie Milks' View Point column (Jan. 10, "Criminal justice is a healing art") was a stale presentation of liberal ideas. If the justice system would open its ears, it would hear the cries of "no justice" from victims and their families in case after case in Hawaii nei.

The policeman assaulted on the North Shore is just the latest example of "feel-good" justice. The victim gets beaten twice: once by the punks and then by the court-charade.

"Crime control lies primarily in the community," indeed. That fellow who carries a .45 automatic in his back pocket should hang around the North Shore more often. Geev 'em, bra', I say.

And another thing: Wouldn't it be great if just once these defense attorneys, who claim that "they are just doing a job" defending punks, would be the victims themselves?

I can see the headline now: "Attorney had no watch, can't say when he was raped, case dismissed."

John M. Shubert

Criminals rule the streets
as the law-abiding cower

What has become of Hawaii? In the last two weeks our son's bicycle and now fishing poles have been stolen. I am willing to bet that the thieves have criminal records.

Hawaii's criminal justice (revolving door) system is pathetic, and I am being kind. The mainland police officer who was robbed, beaten and nearly killed was told, "They didn't mean to hurt you" by a jury who must have slept through the trial.

The vandals who desecrated the signs near Aloha Stadium were let off without as much as a fine. The case of "Boy" Carvalho is self-explanatory and is as disheartening as so many cases here in "paradise."

Knowing what you know now, do you feel safe in your homes? Are you secure in your children's safety? Can you effectively protect yourselves and your family from criminal predators without threat of prosecution?

Maybe we all should have voted for Orson Swindle - or maybe even Pat Robertson.

Michael Sakalauskas
Kailua

Economy must be priority
of this year’s Legislature

The governor and Legislature must address the state's economy as the first order of this upcoming session.

The "nice to have'' issues such as pay raises and more government hiring will become feasible as the economy improves and not until then.

Toshio Chinen
Pearl City

Cayetano courts unions
by granting them pay raises

After 30 years of island living, my wife and I left for the mainland. We are often asked, "How could you leave paradise?"

After reading your online edition - and following the Legislature's dilemma over a $100 million shortfall in the state budget while the governor intends to give state employees a pay raise - I now have another reason to give those people who ask that question: Irresponsible state government which kowtows to the unions.

Harry Williams
Incline Village, Nev.
(Via the Internet)

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