Angels are no panacea against isle crime

Move over, Honolulu Police Department! Neighborhood Watches, get lost! We don't need you anymore. Hawaii now has its own "vigilantes committee," and they call themselves the Guardian Angels. They even come equipped with their own handcuffs ("Guardian Angels chapter welcomes first members," Star-Bulletin, Nov. 22).

With their presence in the state, criminals are already on the run. The state will save millions by getting rid of the police, the courts and jails and letting the Angels handle our crime problems. Gosh, we won't even need security guards or school crosswalk patrols anymore, either.

The Angels are already training more troops and you can expect to see them in your neighborhood real soon. Don't you feel much safer now?

Students must strive to meet new standards

The joy of attending public school in Hawaii is suddenly reserved for students who are serious about growing up. With more than half of our public schools in jeopardy, No Child Left Behind panic is setting in. On average, our public school teachers earn about $1,000 a week and carry three times that much Department of Education overhead on their shoulders. No wonder they feel overburdened.

Teachers should urge parents to advise their kids that education has become a serious business, and they are required to measure up to new national standards. Parents and teachers who realize and participate in this endeavor will appreciate the fruits of their labor.

Pupils can get help with their learning

Here are some suggestions to our public elementary school students who are having difficulties with their studies:

To the students at my alma mater, Likelike Elementary School: try, try and try again until you get it. Aloha.

UH should avoid classified research

It is extremely refreshing to read Professor Karl Kim's letter concerning classified research ("University scientists shouldn't perform classified research," Star-Bulletin, Nov. 26). In a few lines, Kim has very clearly shown all the compelling reasons why classified research should not be accepted generally by any institution of higher learning, but particularly by the University of Hawaii.

All the congratulations to Kim for his courage, clear mind and persuasive reasoning.

Shame on the Board of Regents, which stumbles from one disaster to another. Does any one of them sometime give a thought to what their mission is and then rise up to the honorable task of directing the highest educational institution in the state?

Fungus might lurk in Christmas trees

Individuals who find themselves suffering from persistent lethargy, fevers and unusual coughs after visiting Vancouver, B.C., may wish to check with their physicians regarding the possibility that they have been infected with the tropical fungus cryptococcus gattii, recently reported to have appeared in Vancouver in 1999. This is an unusually virulent form, having now infected nearly 60 people and killed four.

As the natural host for the fungus in British Columbia has been identified as the Douglas fir (in Australia, the fungus apparently prefers eucalyptus trees), it might also be a good idea to check the country of origin of the Christmas tree you may be considering purchasing this year.

The appearance of this previously rare infectious tropical fungus in British Columbia has been attributed to the temperature rise due to global warming.