Jervis' fame shouldn't let him off the hook
I see that Honolulu city prosecutor Peter Carlisle has not yet indicted Gerard Jervis for allegedly driving under the influence (
"Twit vandals egged him on, neighbors say of Jervis' crash," Star-Bulletin, March 11). I hope Jervis' influence and notoriety will not exempt him. His alleged 0.1 alcohol level was above the legal limit, regardless of his vigilante intentions. He should be indicted and prosecuted just like the rest of the public for this.
MADD should press Carlisle to do the right thing.
Joseph Alexander
Waipahu
You can't buy that kind of humiliation
1 dozen eggs ... $2.
Repairs to SUV and BMW ... $10,000
Embarrassment to student athletes and a prominent attorney over a "silly" prank ... priceless!
Charles Ma
Honolulu
Fired-up students could be unstoppable
It was a historic day Tuesday as Campbell High School rallied at the Capitol for air-conditioned classrooms. Theirs was the voice of every public school student in our state. By representing themselves, they have shown us how unbearable conditions in the public schools really are.
These students are now empowered and unstoppable. Instead of math they are studying government funding. Imagine how things could change if all the public school students rallied together to initiate a day where every legislator had to shadow a student in these hot classrooms. Or they sponsored a bill for a special tax that would pay for the air conditioning for all schools. Or they partnered with corporations and initiated an adopt-a-school program to help fund this basic need as well as others.
Tourists are treated better than our public school students, yet these students are the ones who will have a major impact on our economy. They are our future workers in business, education, tourism and health care. The least we can do is give them a chance to succeed in cool, quiet classrooms Is anyone listening?
Jodi Endicott
Kailua
Fallon's resignation carries a lot of weight
While the mainstream media are focusing on the resignation of New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer for a stupid sex scandal, a much more serious resignation has just occurred. Do you remember Adm. William Fallon, who was commander of all the armed forces in the Pacific and was recently named Central Command chief of all the U.S. forces in Iraq? Well, he was the main person at the Pentagon against a war with Iran. It seems that he was pushed out for going against the administration's wishes ("Hawaii senators react to Fallon's resignation," Star-Bulletin, March 11).
Thank you, sir, for standing up for your principles. I hate to think what's going to happen to this country now.
Ivona Xiezopolski
Kaneohe
Veto of torture bill stains the nation
President Bush vetoed the bill, HB 2082, which would have prohibited torture. Vice President Cheney lobbied Congress in an attempt to block the anti-torture legislation.
American citizens must recognize that what they allow the government to do to one person can be done to anyone, including you or me. Bush has assumed the authority to name anyone he chooses as an enemy combatant, hold them incommunicado and have them tortured. It's a small step from justifying torture in a CIA black prison to justifying torture in a police investigation. Of course, Bush does not call it torture. He calls it an intense interrogation. He has been very good at changing the definition of words to suit his purposes.
What is even more disturbing is that right-wing talk shows are supporting government-sponsored torture. I never thought I would see the day when Americans tortured prisoners.
I was a teenager during World War II. We knew our prisoners were being treated badly, but I was proud of the fact that our government treated our war prisoners according to the Geneva Conventions.
It is generally recognized that torture doesn't work. The victim will tell you anything you want to hear in order to stop his agony. Moreover, when the U.S. government legalizes torture, we send a signal to the world that torture is OK.
Waterboarding has been torture since the Spanish Inquisition. Being forced to stand for days on end becomes excruciating. Torture is degrading to both the victim and the tormentor. It is degrading to our country and to every citizen who allows torture to continue.
Tell Mr. Bush and our representatives in Washington that you deplore torture.
Bill Sager
Kaneohe
Get your ears ready for 'Honolulu Overture'
How enlightening it would be if a local TV reporter asked a colleague in New York City for a recording of the "El" to play locally. This is the "elevated train" -- not subway -- that runs through residential Astoria on steel tracks. Its sound is a prelude of what's coming to Honolulu.
Maybe a short sequence of this with a closing of chirping birds could be mandated as cell phone rings for City Hall employees and legislators. Birds would be chirping "Cheap, Cheap, Cheap."
Coming soon: Oahu's new cacophony. Shouldn't you hear it first?
J. Arthur Rath
Aiea