Big Island teachers ask for
understanding, support

Every parent wants the best for his/her child, including a safe environment, adequate shelter, sound values and a quality education. Teachers, like parents, want the best for children but are hindered by state budget cuts and limited supplies.

Just as a parent would sacrifice lunch money for a school field trip, teachers sacrifice their personal needs to provide necessary classroom supplies to ensure that learning continues to take place. This is becoming more and more difficult, as teachers' personal resources shrink because of increases in the cost of living.

Help us to convince our leaders to provide adequate state funding for education as well as to settle our contract fairly and quickly.

Cheryl Aue, Celeste Volivar-Fry,
Corinne Kanno, Shaleen Douglas,
Kyle Kaaa, Vera Nakamura
Big Island

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Senate reorganization
signals positive reform

We have heard a lot of mixed comments about the Senate's new organization. I am impressed and hopeful.

Modern business has been moving toward more cooperative, horizontal styles of management. The old, top-down, boss-with-the-iron-fist model of management is being modified toward the quality circle model.

This generation of legislators has grown up with mediation, arbitration, conflict management.

I see the Senate's buddy system of committee leadership as workable and a natural stage of community evolution. The two co-chairmen will need to discuss their work load, and decide how to distribute it between themselves and with members of their committees. They will have to be prepared to explain committee decisions to the rest of the Senate and to the public.

I like that a lot better than a bossman who decides all by himself. Let's give them a cheer and wish them well.

Marilyn Bornhorst
Chairwoman
Democratic Party of Hawaii

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Gay marriage detractors
preach message of hatred

It's quite telling to read your letters to the editor on same-gender marriage.

Those in favor of it use phrases like, "It is bigotry and intolerance they should fear, not same-gender marriage," "Gay and lesbian couples live together and commit their lives to each other," and "Same-sex marriage is about building a bridge of understanding between gay and lesbian people and the rest of society, for who among us does not understand when two people say they are married?"

The detractors use phrases like, "Those who are attempting to change God's sanctity of marriage will have to answer to him on Judgment Day."

Or "Nature's law is that only a man and a woman can produce children - not a man and a man, or a woman and a woman," or "Making Hawaii the Sodom and Gomorrah of the Pacific certainly won't win any points from mainstream Americans and foreign guests, who have been supporting the island economy for many years."

Gays preach acceptance. Bigots preach hate.

Whom should we really fear?

Gary Rimar
Clawson, Mich.
(Via the Internet)

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Don’t blame game
for murderous rampage

The Dec. 5 Associated Press article, "Vampire killings put popular game in the sunlight," was irresponsible.

Clearly, the murders were committed by individuals with serious problems. But in attempting to divine a motive, the writer turns to the role-playing game, "Vampire: The Masquerade," citing all manner of trivia involved therewith and essentially blaming the game for inspiring the murder.

The story contains basic inaccuracies, and the game is purposely twisted in a gory way, when, in fact, it can be played with any sort of mood in mind.

I sincerely hope that people are not frightened by what, admittedly, does seem strange. Let's try to remember that sick people are going to find an outlet for what troubles them, whatever that outlet may be.

Bret Heilig
Kailua

Why blame the general
for terrorist bombing?

The Star-Bulletin's Dec. 13 editorial, "Blame for military barracks explosion," implied that the general in charge of the U.S. military housing complex in Saudi Arabia should be punished for the terrorist bombing last June that killed 18 and wounded 500 U.S. airmen.

You failed to mention that our military is in Saudi Arabia to defend the oil interests of the United States, not to defend Saudi Arabia.

As such, military personnel cannot do as they please without approval from the U.S. State Department and Saudi Arabian leadership.

The general in charge had made his requirements known to his higher authority to improve security, and he was ready to take corrective actions.

If military commanders were punished for not being able to get what they believed was necessary for the safety and welfare of their troops, there would be no commanders. There would be no volunteers for the tough jobs in combat zones that could get officers fired, retired early, jailed or killed by terrorists.

Unfortunately, there will probably be many more bombings of military installations before the president, Congress and the American people are willing to pay more for better intelligence and security of our military forces.

Russel A. Noguchi
Pearl City

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Same-sex archive