Pastor's remarks should be discussed

Regarding your editorial of Friday, May 2 ("Keep the pastor's remarks out of the presidential race"): You've missed the point and obviously must have missed his performance at the National Press Club on April 28.

It is not the blatant racism inherent in the Rev. Jeremiah Wright's remarks that should be kept out of the presidential race (though that in and of itself should warrant your condemnation). It's the fact that Sen. Barack Obama tolerated those remarks as evidenced by his continued association with Rev. Wright right up to the point where it became politically inexpedient to do so.

It is this lack of judgment and obvious demagogic political opportunism that absolutely must be a matter of discussion in this presidential race.

Rail doesn't fit today's commuter needs

Nancy Bey Little's opinion ("Don't let auto lobby derail another train," Letters, May 2) reflects one that many people who support rail hold -- that because it "worked" back in 1890 and/or 1925, it will work now.

Her letter demonstrates that many rail supporters don't realize that our country, including Hawaii, has changed dramatically in the last 100 years with respect to people's attitudes on personal transportation, and are now much different than our great-great-grandfather's were.

A typical family is managing not only getting to work, but taking the kids to soccer practice, or karate, dance, music lessons, medical appointments, or car repair. A rail system may work if small, electric cars, like golf carts, were available at every stop so that riders could go to their ancillary errands and then back to the train station for the long ride home, where they were able to leave their personal vehicle to go home in.

The problem with rail is not the auto industry. It is really a matter of practicality and the ability to go where you need to go when you get off the rail. Providing inexpensive, electric carts at each stop, with a monthly paid swipe card system to manage the billing, would go a long way to making our enormous investment in rail worthwhile.

Farm Dole acreage with inmate labor

The state should buy the Dole acreage that is up for sale. Then it should farm the land using our prison population. Many benefits can be derived from this kind of enterprise. The prisoners will be working toward rehabilitation, good for their health to work as an exercise in the open air, and produce food for their needs. Any surplus can be sold to the public at bargain prices.

Prisoners would learn to work with others for the common good, sweat to gain confidence and gain respect for themselves that they can contribute to society in a positive way and hopefully will appreciate life in this process.

Bratty children will become bad adults

Everything centers around children; my timing in life is off. When I was a child we were taught to respect our elders, older people went first in buffet lines, young people were taught to give up their seat on the bus to someone older. There used to be an unwritten common courtesy in honor of older adults.

Now everything is for the kids, putting adults in a secondary position. Swimming at the public pool is geared around children, and adults must schedule themselves around the kids. When I was a kid the children were scheduled around the adults.

Children cannot be spanked by their parents since everyone is afraid their kids will report them to human services.

All children have to do is say that some adult touched them inappropriately and that is enough to indict. The adult may be innocent but in the meantime his or her reputation has been tarnished.

Adults no longer have control over their children, bestowing upon them angel status.

Recently on an airplane trip a child was kicking my seat, and I said something and the father said give the kid a break. My father would have told me it is not polite to kick seats and made me stop.

Most kids are not angels in fact quite the contrary. The world has let children take control. My timing is off. When I was a kid adults had the control, and now that I am an adult children have control. Until things are turned around society will continue to produce spoiled brats who become selfish, crooked adults.

Spam Jam Festival was great event

My wife, Heather, and I tweaked our schedule and, like tigers on the prowl, we burst quietly toward the sixth annual Waikiki Spam Jam Festival held May 3 merrily on Kalakaua Avenue.

We enjoyed the various Spam activities there, such as the Spam contest, entertainment by Natalie Ai Kamau and Halua Hula Olana, Pali and especially Kapena, mingling with Spam fans and eating Spam. Hopefully, we didn't have a Spam nightmare last night about no Spam left for us in Hawaii!