Only the guilty would oppose being searched
The American Civil Liberties Union needs to think globally. Using dogs to search for drugs in schools is fine with me (
Star-Bulletin, Jan. 24). If you have nothing to hide, there shouldn't be any resistance.
Roberta Doi
Honolulu
Watch out -- they're armed with nothing
Recently an airport security guy confiscated my 4-ounce shampoo container because he said the maximum allowed is 3 ounces. I pointed to the airport's own sign that says 4 ounces is allowed, but that didn't seem like a good argument to him. It was too late to check my bags, so he confiscated my mostly empty 4-ounce container.
But here's the interesting part. The container is semitransparent, and obviously contained less than 1 ounce of liquid. Apparently the empty portion of the container posed a threat. Or to put it another way, the airport confiscated my 3 ounces of nothing so that I couldn't use that nothing to blow up the plane.
What they didn't seem to realize is that my carry-on bag was not entirely full, either. There was a whole bunch of nothing in there, along with the clothes and shoes and belt. And if I were to combine my bag of nothing with the nothing that other passengers smuggled aboard, that would make a huge stockpile of lethal nothing.
For a fleeting moment I considered reasoning with the security guy. But one look in his eyes told me that thinking wasn't his sport. And on some level I have to agree that we shouldn't let airport security use too much of their own judgment. Sooner or later, some security person would allow a hand grenade on a plane because the passenger "didn't look angry."
Roger Dunn
Honolulu
Using taxpayers' money isn't charity
Two questions for the good ministers and activists from Faith Action in Community Equity, who want the state to confiscate $55 million in taxes and hand it over to them so they can buy half of Kukui Gardens and run it, purportedly for the benefit of the poor (
Star-Bulletin, Jan. 25):
» How much money from their own pockets are they chipping in for this good cause?
» Can I borrow a copy of the New Testament they're using, the one that quotes Jesus as saying, "One thing thou lackest: go steal from your neighbors, using Roman centurions to enforce this theft, sell all that swag and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me." Because my version of the New Testament has a less expansive view of charity, one where charity consists of donating your own money.
Jim Henshaw
Kailua
Why don't we connect the dots on energy?
Can you connect the dots? Many people are complaining about the backed-up traffic on the H-1 resulting from accidents, road maintenance and so on, then they complain about and vote against the alternative rail system. Then they complain about the gas cap law, thinking that it raised the price of gas in Hawaii. Has the price of gas come down since the law was canceled? Isn't our price of gas still the highest in the nation?
People want cheap gas so they can drive as much as they want to, without thinking that global warming is real and actually applies to Hawaii. In a state where we have all the alternative energy sources available (wind, waves, biofuel, geothermal and solar), we want cheap gas so we can continue to pollute the environment. Can we please connect the dots?
Vernon Wong
Waipahu
Don't waste our troops' lives in Iraq
Regarding the letter "Withholding funds would betray troops" (
Star-Bulletin, Jan. 17): As a retired military man, I feel compelled to say a few things.
It is my opinion that no soldier or sailor has ever died in vain while fighting for their country. Having been put in harm's way by their president, as military personnel it's both their job and their duty to go and fight when called upon. Many think that this war in Iraq is no different from Vietnam.
Whether they are killed in vain is another matter. It is apparent that the majority of Americans think this war is not a just cause and want us out. This is the United States of America, not the Kingdom of "W." We should leave as soon as possible, not escalate our involvement. To keep our warriors there one day longer than necessary is a waste and dishonor of their very lives.
Keeping them there places them in jeopardy; cutting funds intended to escalate, "surge" or "augment" this war will save lives. It's a slap in the face to every man and women wearing a uniform to imply otherwise.
Peter T. Cady
St. Augustine, Fla.
Formerly of Waipahu