Fines on illegal rentals follow set procedures

We appreciate the editorial support for our efforts to seek greater compliance with zoning regulations on the issue of illegal rentals (Star-Bulletin, June 19). We wish to clarify that:

Kalakaua school provides Safety Net

Kalakaua Middle School and Principal Randal Tanaka are to be commended for making significant organizational changes to better meet their students' needs. Based on longitudinal and qualitative data, and with input from faculty, staff, students, parents and community, they have modified course offerings to provide increased language arts and mathematics learning opportunities during the school day while also crafting a state-of-the-art after-school program.

The program, called the Kalakaua Safety Net, provides art, music, band, sports and tutorial options for students after school. Benefits include increased learning opportunities, reduction of latchkey students, and change in the culture of school and learning in Kalihi.

While many schools across the nation are cutting back on programs in response to No Child Left Behind, Kalakaua Middle is creatively working to provide more for its students.

Fanatics, not Muslims, are cause of problems

It is obvious that Stephen Curty (Letters, Star-Bulletin, June 22) does not understand Islam. How many times has it been said that the religion of Islam promotes peace within and without humanity? It does not promote violence in any shape or form. It is the fanatics and the fundamentalists who happen to be Muslims who create the violence.

Jews and Muslims lived in peace for many years throughout ancient history. It is only in modern times that the Palestinians are fighting for their land. The Palestinians also had to fight the Christian crusaders. During this time, the Muslims and Jews lived peacefully together. Also, when you say Palestinians, please do not forget that there are Palestinians who are Christians as well!

Fundamentalists and fanatics almost always promote violence. When Hitler killed millions of Jews, the Catholic IRA killed thousands of Protestants, the Ku Klux Klan killed African Americans, we did not say that Christianity promotes violence.

We need to have more dialogue. Let us all stop this silly religious violence. That's not the intent of religion.

Racial preferences will lead to our downfall

The opinions of Star-Bulletin political columnist Richard Borreca, Office of Hawaiian Affairs trustee Oswald Stender and Wall Street Journal columnist John Fund, in the Insight section of your Sunday, June 18, issue, are very informative.

The refusal of the Democratic Party, which controls both houses of our Legislature, to hold a second Constitutional Convention to allow voters to decide issues such as term limits for legislators; increase of the state excise tax; and pushing for the creation of a new Hawaiian government entity based on race, along with other issues, is a disservice to the majority of the people.

Two basic principals of the U.S. Constitution are freedom of religion and freedom from racial discrimination for all citizens, so as to create harmonious relationships to bring about the well-being of all Americans. Race prejudice is a disease, such as a cancer that causes illness and death. If a Hawaiian government, based on one racial descent, is created and which will lead to sovereignty, the harmony within our society will cease to exist. Conflict will spread from our 50th state to the other 49 states of our great nation. It will lead to the downfall of our country from within.

Ruling against schools will hurt everyone

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will probably err again regarding the the admission policy of the Kamehameha Schools.

Yes, the admission policy of the Kamehameha Schools favors those of Hawaiian ancestry. Its mission is unique. It is a private not public institution. It takes no federal money. If the Kamehameha Schools were the only educational opportunity in the state, there might be merit in the case. However, it is not.

A ruling against the Kamehameha Schools will take away the right of private institutions and perhaps individuals to associate with persons of their choosing, and it also means that all gender-based admission policies that allow all-girl or all-boy schools also might be struck down.

The irony is that none of the plaintiffs would have taken a second look at Kamehameha when it wasn't college prep and was cash poor. What fuels this covetous behavior is a pervasive lack of confidence in our public education system. It seems that kanaka maoli again will pay the price, but this time we will have company as there will be an erosion of everyone's individual rights.