You cannot exclude gays in a democracy
In his May 25 letter, James Roller displayed a fundamental misunderstanding of the role of judges. Their task is to interpret and apply the law in a fair, even-handed manner. If the case against same-sex marriage or any other issue is too frail to stand up in court, what should judges do? Rule in favor of the weaker argument just because it has more "crowd appeal"?
Courageous, independent judges struck down popular laws prohibiting interracial marriage. Who would call that judicial activism?
Even among people of faith, there is no uniformity of opinion on same-sex marriage, yet the federal marriage amendment would choose one exclusionary perspective and enshrine it in the Constitution. It would create a glaring exception to "liberty and justice for all."
As stated by R. Claire Snyder in "Gay Marriage and Democracy" (2006), "legal equality is the necessary foundation for all forms of democracy. You simply cannot advocate discrimination against a minority group and also portray yourself as a supporter of democracy."
Kent Hirata
Honolulu
Drivers need to lower fuel consumption
The fact that global warming is melting the polar caps, and that devastating climate changes are already bringing about bigger and more destructive storms and other man-induced ecological disasters, does not seem to have come into the awareness of the average American.
Stark warnings like Diana Leone's "Northwestern Isles vulnerable to rising sea levels" (Star-Bulletin, May 25) should bring home to us that on our own islands rapidly rising sea levels soon will endanger people and animal species. Yet I'm astonished to see that drivers of gas-guzzling, high-emission vehicles don't seem to see the connection between their transportation choices and global warming, already amply demonstrated.
Everyone should know by now that pollution and global warming and other major dangers to our health and economy are caused primarily by fossil-fuel burning, i.e. gas consumption. As the major leader of world policy, the United States is dragging its feet on policy-making and massive public education aimed at reducing global warming. It's up to us as individuals to demand that our leaders make meaningful policy changes to avert impending bigger and bigger ecological catastrophies. Until they do, it is up to us to voluntarily change our reckless gas-guzzling, high- pollution driving habits.
Elena E. Maroth
Honolulu
Hawaii's senators vote against U.S. interests
Our two senators in Congress are not representing mainstream America. Having a Republican in the White House and majority in the House and Senate, our two partisan senators and Rep. Neil Abercrombie were always in lockstep against the programs of the Bush administration. That's why the enemies of America in the Middle East were emboldened to fight our forces there. Consequently the war is prolonged with uncalled-for casualties.
And lately our two senators voted against the wall to be built between the United States and Mexico, and that is too far for Hawaii voters to tolerate. Why wait for a young politician to replace them?
Bernardo P. Benigno
Mililani
People should vote on Turtle Bay expansion
I feel the Turtle Bay 5 hotel project should be decided at the polls. This is an island issue that affects all of Oahu and its people. We are dealing with some very serious issues here that could adversely effect the entire island. Be smart and do what's right for the people of Oahu, not rich developers from the cement jungle of the mainland who care only about filling their bank accounts.
Joseph Grassadonia
Editor in chief
OnFitness Magazine
Part-time Hawaii resident
Australians hungry for isle bananas
Do the banana growers of Hawaii know that the cyclone that flattened the town of Innisfail in Australia also flattened the banana plantations of Queensland?
I have just been to the supermarket here in Wollongong, south of Sydney, and found two lonely hands of green bananas at three or four times normal price.
The situation is not long term of course, because banana trees regrow so quickly and I suppose the domestic banana supply will recover within a year, but in the meantime, we in Australia are coming into winter and you are coming into summer, so there should be a good market for any Hawaiian banana growers who have the enterprise to export to Australia.
Marguerite Wells
Farmborough Heights
New South Wales, Australia