Panhandlers thwart one's right to meander

Surrendering to the subconscious need to abuse myself, I made a trip to Wacky Wacky, (Waikiki to the non-lay people). After a beautiful sunset, I walked up Kalakaua Avenue. Or rather, I began to run the entertainment gauntlet. Every few feet I came across someone exercising their right to free speech. Their message was clear: "Watch and give me money, or keep walking." One fellow stopped midshow, gave me stinkeye, then adamantly pointed at his tip hat without a care of violating my right to free-meandering.

People involved in auto accidents show more respect for my right to look. If anyone should put out a tip hat, it's someone involved in a wreck. Panhandling performers are a pain in the posterior.

Gays face much worse than discrimination

According to Laticia Kubo, "Gays face no discrimination in modern-day America" (Letters, Nov. 6). Apparently, Kubo never heard of Matthew Shepherd, who was tied to a fencepost in Wyoming and beaten to death.

A little closer to home, Kenneth Brewer was beaten to death in his own condo. The killer never denied he killed Kenneth with his bare hands. He served only one year in prison. Due to time served before the trial, he walked away five days after sentencing.

Apparently, Kubo doesn't remember the two men who robbed some gay campers on Kauai, set their tents on fire and called them names as they drove off.

Has Kubo ever walked on a school campus and heard "faggot" or "dyke"? If she had, she would never marginalize the violence faced on a daily basis by the gay community. The students can't go home and tell their families for fear of being ejected from home and losing their families. A student of color can tell his family of the terrors of a school campus. Not so with a gay student.

No one has a corner on beatings, murder or violence, regardless of race, color, creed or sexual orientation. Kubo needs to get her head out of the sand and use some common sense and understanding about the hate-filled speech that she sows. It is written: "You reap what you sow."

GOP throws rocks from its own glass house

Ethics and honor are personal traits that aren't monopolized by either political party. With the arrests and convictions of local Republicans Dalton Tanonaka, Galen Fox and Brian Blundell, and misdeeds of erstwhile Republican Bev Harbin, let's hope the GOP will stop its sanctimonious attacks on Democrats.

Combine this with the beltway arrests of Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Tom DeLay and ongoing criminal investigations of Karl Rove and Bill Frist, and it's obvious that hypocritical Republicans have more than their share of sleaze.

Don't use their day for antiwar agenda

As we pause to celebrate Veterans Day, amid the misguided call for our president to withdraw our troops, we must remember that threats to our nation will not go away. Regardless of our foreign policy, our enemies despise the American way of life and everything we hold dear.

We go to war with specific rules of engagement to prevent unnecessary casualties. Our enemies go to war against our civilians and against our children to destroy our way of life. Their sole purpose is to kill an American, doesn't matter if that American is in uniform, or on their soil or ours. The United States is committed, and we will defeat this opponent.

Remember the men and women who are in uniform protecting our freedoms. They're honorable people. Some have been severely wounded and will be handicapped for the rest of their lives. However, they ask about their buddies, they ask about their units, and many of them want to go back, because that is what standing up and fighting for a purpose, for values, instills in a person.

People and organizations endanger the peace and confuse all issues when they obscure the truth. America was unquestionably and cowardly attacked and we have responded and will continue to respond.

Using this solemn holiday in order to advance one's agenda against this effort is a disservice to every veteran -- past, present and future.

A real fan supports team in bad times, too

In response to the Nov. 8 letter to the editor regarding the University of Hawaii Warriors winning more games to attract fans to the stadium, a fan is one who supports the team, win or lose. Perhaps that person has never had children who participated in sports?

Passersby helped ease post-crash situation

I was recently involved in an accident on the H-2, and must express my sincerest and deepest appreciation and gratitude, and acknowledge all the humongous-hearted people who stopped to help and offer support. To be involved in an accident is scary, but to have your own children also involved, and be unable to help them, is beyond words.

A man in blue (unknown name) helped my girls, ages 5 and 2, out of the car and made sure they were OK. He gave them slippers off his own feet so that they would not step on glass. "Chris," a military medical tech, checked them and me. "Tracy," a person of true aloha, stayed with me the entire time and also helped my husband clean out my car after the ambulance had taken me away.

Words cannot express how deeply touched we are by the kindness of these people. I hope somehow these words reach them. Thank you.