Race doesn't matter to someone that angry
If the recent
assault incident at Waikele was a hate crime, then the accused would have a lot more people to beat up.
Yes, there is a sort of colonial astigmatism at work in Hawaii. Yes, our communities are heavily stratified on economic, social, political and geographic terms. But let's not get carried away here.
A rose by any race, color, religion or national origin (by federal standards -- disability, gender identity or expression, or sexual orientation as expanded by state statute) still would have gotten beaten by any man who has a serious anger management problem, as demonstrated by past behavior.
Kristi Sue-Ako
Kakaako
If that's not an alleged hate crime, what is?
"Waikele beating does not meet hate-crime standard" (
Our opinion, Star-Bulletin, Feb. 28)? Under the same logic and reasoning, if this incident happened, say, in the southern United States, where a white man's car was accidentally (minor) hit by a black man's car, the white man could start calling the black man the "n-word" assault him and that would not be considered a hate crime -- even if the white man was a white supremacist.
And if this case is not in the least motivated by race, then the 16-year-old would have done the exact same thing to a couple who were Hawaiian and started calling them "f---ing Hawaiians" and proceed to assault them as well.
Wayne Morohoshi
Honolulu
There's no excuse for leaving the scene
Too many accidents across the nation and clearly in Hawaii have drivers fleeing the scene ("Pedestrian is killed in Makaha hit-and-run,"
Star-Bulletin, Feb. 27); this is unacceptable! I don't care if the driver is scared, drunk or drugged up -- no excuse is justifiable for fleeing. This act all by itself should dictate an immediate revocation of a driver's license. How can anyone flee an accident, especially when it causes injury?
Put serious consequences on a serious problem before it gets out of hand. Lawmakers, for once get ahead of the problem.
Jimmy Gomes
Austin, Texas
Formerly of Hawaii
Put down the phone and use turn signals
This is my 23rd year in a row as a tourist in Hawaii. I read the Star-Bulletin online each day and enjoy the articles. I thought
yesterday's "Corky's Hawaii" cartoon with the tourists looking at the flowers at the crosswalk really hit the spot -- sort of!
I travel a lot and I don't think I have been in a city where there are so many drivers who don't use their turn signals for lane changes or turns. I can see where the pedestrians can get confused because they don't know where the cars are going.
Also, I think this must be the cell-phone user capital of the world. When you have drivers and pedestrians using cell phones and nobody using turn signals, it's a disaster waiting to happen.
I jog a lot and I usually stay on the sidewalk, but if I have to use the road, I run with the traffic. The reason being, drivers look left and then turn right. If you are walking or running against traffic you are right in their gunsights.
I might add that being a runner, I still can't run from one sidewalk to the other when I have the green walk signal without it changing.
Dick Matzen
Tacoma, Wash.
Accused child abuser doesn't deserve a deal
Regarding
Tuesday's article "Woman vies for plea deal in grisly assaults on child": Why should anyone accused of committing such heinous and torturous crimes against another person, let alone a defenseless 10-year-old child, be granted any plea deal?
I am a mother of three, and what this woman allegedly did (along with her two accomplices) totally disgusts me. If she didn't want the responsibility of caring for the child, she could have contacted social services.
This woman, if found guilty, needs to be punished to the full extent of the law. How can she sleep at night?
Andrea Hartsock
Waianae
Speed humps the best way to slow drivers
It's about time for the city and state to realize that simply painting stripes on the street or installing flashing lights does not make it safe for pedestrians in crosswalks, or bicycles in lanes.
Traffic would slow down for raised crosswalk humps. Raising every crosswalk three to four inches and installing roadway "speed humps" before the crosswalks is an effective solution. Drivers will not risk damage to their cars by speeding over the humps. Slowing the car down before it gets to the hump is the only way to reduce pedestrian fatalities.
Think about it.
Robert Kinslow
Honolulu