Preemies think they're people, too
If the judges followed the law in the recent ruling regarding whether a hapai woman can be liable for harm to her child (
"Ice addict cleared of killing newborn," Star-Bulletin, Nov. 30), then the law indeed needs to be looked at.
There is currently a case on the Big Island where a woman is being kept on life support to allow her child to continue to develop before being delivered (Star-Bulletin, Dec. 2). Again, if it is not a child or person, then what is? And why the big deal in trying to save it?
I have two preemie/fetus nephews who were 10 and 12 weeks early, respectively. One is now 8 and the other 5 years old. Funny, they look, act and talk like very healthy children. Won't they be surprised when I tell them they might not really be "people."
There seems to be an infinite number of lawyers representing women's rights. Even Saddam Hussein has a multitude defending him. Who will represent and defend the predelivery-room children?
Norio Hataye
Kaneohe
Alcohol ban would show true aloha
Lt. Gov. Duke Aiona's proposal
to ban alcohol consumption at University of Hawaii football games has forced the people of Hawaii to take a closer look at what we want our state's reputation to be. Alcohol consumption at tailgates and inside the stadium, while an admittedly enjoyable and traditional activity, does contribute to unruly behavior.
This unruly behavior is evident to all who attend UH games, and therefore taints the reputation of our university and our state. We must remember that students and alumni from visiting schools mark their calendars with trips to Hawaii. Attending a game at Aloha Stadium might be their only "non-touristy" contact with locals -- their only chance to see truly honest aloha spirit.
It seems clear, then, that if we want to be proud of a first-class school and want a reputation that is built on an actual feeling rather than canned kindness, then supporting Aiona's proposal is necessary.
Sherelle Perreira
Makawao, Maui
Let's do the math on light-rail project
Doing the math: The state of Hawaii has just given a tax break of $6 million to Aloha Airlines. If Aloha had charged $5 per ticket more to the last million passengers it would neither be bankrupt nor would it need to be bailed out by the taxpayer. So one way or another the bills have to be paid.
The same applies to mass transit. The projected cost of the rail line is $2.8 billion. At a bond interest rate of only 5 percent, this results in payments of $140 million per year. The estimated number of passengers is 70,000 per day or 25 million passengers per year. Consequently, each trip on the rail is subsidized with $5 per passenger and has to be paid by the taxpayers, in excess of the operating cost of the system.
When will our legislators and City Council members do the math?
Klaus Wyrtki
Honolulu
We should protect Hawaii from diseases
Because various types of viruses are spreading in Asia, Europe, Canada and within our country, we who live in Hawaii, a major tourist destination, are in greater danger.
Our public health laws should be improved, and more education on prevention of the spread of disease/viruses should be taught from preschool to the colleges and universities. All employees working in the tourist industry and restaurants should be required to attend a certain number of class hours on prevention. All restaurants should have the blue ultraviolet-light lamps within their lavatories to determine if one's hands are free of germs. Restaurants that have buffet food tables should have a see-through glass shelf (sneeze guard) about 12 inches above the various dishes to minimize the spread of germs by customers who cough or sneeze.
Our custom of shaking and holding hands should be stopped. Instead, a person can apply the Japanese custom of bowing the upper half of the body. Anyone with a cold or flu should be required to wear a mask over their mouth and nose while in public, except in financial institutions such as banks.
Our city and county councils can start corrective actions now and our state legislators, who will start their new session in January, can create new health laws to take effect immediately upon passage.
Wilbert W. W. Wong
Kaneohe
Remember history and those who sacrificed
As I write this on Dec. 7, it is the 64th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack. I should have known this automatically when I first opened my calendar this morning, but it only hung in the back of my mind throughout the whole day as a date that sounded really familiar. I only realized that it was
the anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attacks after logging on to starbulletin.com and reading about the memorial ceremonies that took place this morning. I struck my forehead with my palm in frustration at my own absentmindedness.
Anyhow, it is great to know that more people went out to participate in the ceremony this year. It is so very important that we remember our history, as there is so much to learn from it. Being unappreciative and forgetting about the lives that were sacrificed for our well-being is the worse crime anyone could commit. Thank you, Star-Bulletin, for reminding us of this important day.
Howard Leung
Junior, Moanalua High School