Loveland improves children's lives

The parents of Loveland Academy students who complained to the Department of Health about the school's use of a particular sensory integration method ("Therapy or Threat?," Star-Bulletin, March 14) have now jeopardized the best program in the state for autistic children, my daughter included.

If the complaining parents' children have been in the program for any length of time, I'm willing to bet they have made progress. If the parents didn't agree with their children's therapy, I hope they discussed their concerns with the school before taking it to the DOH. If they couldn't come to a consensus, they should have pulled their children from the program. If other parents disagree with the therapy, let them take it up with the school themselves.

My daughter has made significant progress at Loveland; I can't imagine her having done nearly as well anywhere else. I have total confidence in the school's owner/director, teachers and therapists. If some parents don't feel the same, perhaps their children don't belong there. I'm angry that a blanket decision was made for us -- the majority of parents -- whose children need a program like Loveland.

Marlene Nakamoto

U.S. ought to fight war on Third World despair

Your March 18 article regarding the attack on a Christian church in Pakistan crystallized and reinforced an opinion I've held ever since President Bush declared "war" on terrorism. As long as the conditions breeding disaffection, frustration, despair and hatred exist, we will never stamp out acts of terrorism, no matter how fervent our jingoistic breast-beating and lavishing of billions of taxpayer dollars on the military-industrial complex.

Our calamitous military-security-intelligence failure on Sept. 11 showed the folly of military budgets of $300 billion and surely another $100 billion on security and intelligence -- soon to be a collective half trillion-plus dollars a year if Bush has his way. We must become a true nation under God and channel those incomprehensible amounts into free enterprise-generating industries and other pursuits of peace, justice, freedom, and improved health across the world.

Such endeavors -- not our reputation as the arrogant, hypocritical bully, the leading weapons merchant to the world -- will bring slow but sure equilibrium and an enhanced quality of life to all of God's children. Such positive investments in humanity will mitigate the root causes of terrorism and will win the "war."

Robert H. Stiver
Pearl City

[Quotables] "The purest form of basketball being played today is by women. I think there are purists out there who find the women's game more interesting." Jim Donovan University of Hawaii associate athletic director, recalling a prediction by UCLA basketball coach John Wooden in the wake of a winning season by the UH Wahine. "If this were Kahala or Manoa, the dump would be gone tomorrow." Mabel Spencer Waimanalo Neighborhood Board member, on Air Force plans to cover over a toxic landfill on Bellows Field with dirt and grass.

Coach's harsh words hurt team effort

I am appalled by the remarks made by University of Hawaii volleyball Coach Mike Wilton in the Feb. 21 Star-Bulletin . He was quoted saying, "If I had my dog here, I would have put him in (the game). At least I know that he's going to get after the ball".

A good coach takes responsibility for his team. Wilton blames the players for everything. I have been a fan for many years, watching our players work really hard to bring home the championship, yet always falling short. I blame the coach. He doesn't have the leadership skills to guide the players to victory. It is time for a change.

J. Borges
Mililani

Voter lottery would bring people to polls

According to recent stories in the Star-Bulletin, Hawaii has the worst record of voter registration and participation in national and statewide elections.

If we truly believe in a responsible form of government, then we should be doing everything possible to get as many qualified citizens to register and to vote for the candidates of their choice. How do we accomplish this? In Hawaii the answer is simple: create a voter lottery.

Every resident who voted in the primary election would be eligible to win the "primary voters' jackpot," consisting of $1 for each person who voted in that election. The winning number would be drawn after the polls are closed and the winner would be the voter who had the number on his or her ballot receipt. The same procedure would be used for the general election.

The jackpot money would come from the taxpayers in the form of a tax check-off. Taxpayers could check off on their tax returns $1 for the voter jackpot. However, because there will be two years between elections to build up the voter's jackpot, the payoff could actually be much larger than suggested above (one half of the two-year jackpot money for the general election winner; one-quarter for the primary election winner and one-quarter for administrative and advertising expenses).

Because the winners will be the talk of the state, almost everyone who is eligible to register and vote in the next election will do so.

William T. Kinaka
Wailuku, Maui

CarePlus would turn citizens into slaves

The CarePlus long-term health care program is another giant step into socialism, another feel-good program to take money from earners and give it to non-earners.

Economist Walter Williams of George Mason University correctly labels U.S. taxpayers as "tax slaves." He explains that medieval lords took 30 percent of a serf's production; our governments take more than 40 percent of our earnings. Yet we claim to be free people.

Free people do not surrender 40 percent to government masters. The founders of our nation must be writhing in their graves.

J. C. Gilbert

Year after year, Corky does a great job

The grim drawing on March 6 of Yasser Arafat and Ariel Sharon with bloody hands once again shows the greatness of Corky Trinidad as an editorial cartoonist.

Charles E. Frankel

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