Father has gall blaming
government for son's abuse

I was appalled to read that the father of a 4-year-old boy, allegedly severely injured by his Kailua mother, sued the state for damages because he believes government acted negligently in returning his son to the care of the mother (Star-Bulletin, Oct. 3).

Several questions immediately come to mind: Why was the father not taking care of his child? What did the father do to keep his son from being returned to the mother? What responsibility did the father take in raising his child?

It is indeed a senseless tragedy that never should have occurred. But it is ludicrous for anyone to think that the government has the responsibility to take care of one's child.

Government may sometimes intervene when the child's welfare is at risk.

However, government has limited resources and many cases to handle. It is not a foolproof system.

This father should have been taking care of his own child and protected him from harm. He was the negligent one.

Amy Sato
(Via the Internet)

Abuser didn't deserve
sympathy for crime

The Sept. 23 letter by Dale F. Leslie argued that the media portrayed a Kailua child abuser as a horrible person, instead on focusing on the fact that the woman was most likely a victim of her own upbringing.

The media never made subjective judgments about the woman, but merely presented the sickening facts -- that she tortured and attempted to kill a 4-year-old boy. If a stranger had done this to the child, no one would be lamenting that it was due to a "loveless" upbringing.

In my eyes, there's no excuse for any adult to abuse anyone, let alone a defenseless 4-year-old. There are many people who are raised in less than desirable circumstances, yet they don't attempt to kill children.

People need to quit making excuses for deplorable behavior, and realize that each person makes decisions that have consequences, good or bad.

Maybe the letter writer should visit that little boy in the hospital. He'll probably never have a chance to complain about being the "victim."

Tina Shaffer
Kailua
(Via the Internet)

Early childhood education
gets much funds, attention

We applaud your front-page Oct. 6 coverage of the Star of the Sea Early Learning Center's outreach to Maililand transitional housing project. The early childhood program is an example of what our community can do if we work together to make the first five years of every child's life a priority.

On behalf of our foundation, however, I do want to clarify our name, which was misrepresented in the article. The foundation made a $25,000 grant for the Maililand program from its Henry and Dorothy Castle Memorial Fund.

This fund, established in 1895 by Mary Castle in memory of her son and granddaughter, supports early childhood programs. The trustees of the foundation have committed an increasing amount of their annual income to the fund in recent years.

In that regard the trustees, along with two other Hawaii foundations, are also supporting the start-up operations of the Good Beginnings Alliance. The alliance's mission is to create and sustain public-private community partnerships for early childhood education and care, which will enable young children to reach their full potential.

Susan E. Jones
Grants Administrator
The Samuel N. and
Mary Castle Foundation

The people deserve chance
to vote again on Con Con

It is unsettling to observe a growing concern about the independence and integrity of Hawaii's Supreme Court. Recent court decisions, including the rejection of the 1996 Con Con vote and questions about the selection of Bishop Estate trustees, have contributed to an apparent erosion of confidence in our high court.

Federal Judge David Ezra, in a devastating finding, concluded that when the Hawaii Supreme Court threw out the Con Con vote, it violated our 14th amendment rights to due process of law and the constitutional guarantee of fundamental fairness in elections.

Now, the spin doctors are at work. One recent letter claims that Judge Ezra "tacitly acknowledged" the correctness of the court's decision that a blank ballot is a "no" vote.

He did not. The judge was very careful to explain "it is not the job of this court to determine the adequacy of the Hawaii Supreme Court's decision" and "therefore (we) will not address whether its decision was reasonable."

Thanks to Judge Ezra, voters will have another chance to approve a Con Con!

Ed Michelman
(Via the Internet)

Hanauma is becoming
a great big ashtray

Quickly, I would like to tell you why there is a decrease in the number of people visiting Hanauma Bay. Where did the bottom of the bay go? You cannot see it with all the scum and filth in the water.

We have been coming to Waikiki every year since 1977. These past five years, we have noticed a terrible change. The entrance fee to the bay is not a deterrent; it's the sight of the water. You used to be able to see the fish in Hanauma when you were standing in six inches of water. Now, you're lucky to see anything but cigarette butts and other crap.

It is also disgusting to go to Hanauma and to sit on the beach among all the cigarette butts! Everywhere you look -- cigarette butts or other litter. I have never seen so many people so ignorant about dropping their cigarettes wherever they please.

It is truly disgusting.

Christine Bigelow
(Via the Internet)

Rats have rights too,
so don't mistreat them

As an animal-rights activist, I'm indignant about people's fear and hatred of the "lowly" animals -- rodents and rats -- in Waikiki.

Even in overpopulated India, rodents are raised in temples. Remember the great Gandhi quote, "A nation is judged on how she treats her animals."

It is time for folks to wake up to this fact. The meek shall inherit the earth.

Herbert A.K. Yuen

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Bishop Estate Archive

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