Ag land protection bill will triple urbanization

Some legislators are using doublespeak in claiming that Senate Bill 2646 will protect important agricultural lands. Actually, the bill authorizes the urbanization of virtually triple the amount of land that is currently classified as urban. Imagine this state with three more cities the size of Honolulu. Imagine the traffic. Imagine the sewage. Imagine the crowds at the beach.

Imagine sustainability.

Junta's obstinence worsens disaster

I was part of our nation's effort to provide humanitarian aid to the people of Aceh when the earthquake and tsunami devastated Banda Aceh killing 150,000 people, and I see the same human suffering now taking place in Burma.

The big difference was that the government of Indonesia put the people first, not preservation of the power of its military leaders. Aceh immediately received aid from about every country in the world, including letting the U.S. Army do a whirlwind cleanup and restoration of power and water supplies.

The reputation the U.S. military gained from this humanitarian effort still lingers to this day in Aceh, where it was said, "the Americans left as fast as they came in." The good will and the many lives saved by our nation's troops in Aceh could be replicated in Burma, if only its leaders would think more about saving lives than preservation of its dictatorship.

In situations like this, massive dysentery and cholera breakout within a few weeks and more deaths will occur if aid doesn't arrive soon. The clock is ticking on how quickly Burma will let the rest of the world help it get out of the natural disaster. Otherwise I see a man-made disaster in the making led by the monks and freedom-fighters who just a few months ago where put down in a rebellion against the military junta.

Clearly, Burma has shown the world its true colors and the brutality of its dictatorship and doesn't deserve a seat at the table of civilized nations.

Obama has addressed critics forthrightly

Rarely have I been more stunned than I was with Terry Allard's May 11 letter in which he states: "Sen. Barack Obama and his supporters keep trying to dodge the issues of Rev. Jeremiah Wright, the Weathermen and other friends and associates of this presidential candidate."

Have we ever seena candidate who has dealt more directly, completely, forthrightly and, yes, more successfully, with attempts to hang guilt-by-association on them than Obama? To accuse Obama of trying to dodge these issues tells me that Mr. Allard hasn't seen cable news for a long, long time. Won't somebody please bring him up to speed?

Bad-tempered humans might muzzle bark park

My dog and I were enjoying a typically beautiful Hawaiian day at the wonderful McInerny Bark Park when a "guy" comes up to me and says in a threatening manner, "Do you have insurance for your dog? Your dog jumped on my wife and another lady." I was dumbfounded. Just minutes before and many times after this "guy" threatened me, other dogs jumped on me with mud on their paws. I expect it as part of the dog park experience.

Have we become such a litigious society that a person has to worry about being sued when you are in an environment specially created for dogs to play and have fun? There are everything from puppies to senior dogs running, jumping in the pool, rolling in the dirt, shaking water at and bumping into people. All of this during their "play period." They are there to interact with other dogs and enjoy the freedom and fun of a larger space in which to play.

When I go to a bark park, I dress accordingly and am prepared to leave a little dirtier than when I arrived. That's part of the deal. I bring a towel and wear dark clothing.

So does this mean we have to buy liability insurance for our dogs, which will then lead to stricter rules, and eventually the end of bark parks? I am saddened by these events.

There is a higher power than the church

When the pope said in Yankee Stadium on April 20 that "Obedience to the authority of the church is the foundation of religious faith," it caused me to cringe. I believe that there is a higher power than the church and that is God and his word, the Holy Bible.

If the church says something that disagrees with my Bible, I will take my stand with the truths of the Bible over the church.