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Feral-cat killer should be hailed, not prosecuted

With respect to your Feb. 6 article, "Judge finds city employee guilty in animal cruelty case," give me a break. How can a common-sense kind of guy like City Prosecutor Peter Carlisle let his office waste its time and my taxpayer dollars prosecuting this case?

Feral cats are a nuisance. They spread disease, are unsightly and pose a health threat -- not just to humans but also to legitimate, cared for, domesticated cats.

What's next? Are we going to arrest people for setting gluey rat traps? What about baiting ants with boric acid and sugar? Isn't that cruel? How about a fine for stepping on a cockroach or maiming a centipede (although you can't really kill those tough buggahs)?

Let's get some common sense here. Drop the charges against Steven Sakai. Pay him any lost wages and, in fact, give him a "sanitation" bonus for trying to keep city property clean.

Bradford P. Morriseau
Ewa Beach

Recount should be done impartially, thoroughly

It is indeed gratifying to note the sudden interest in key areas with regard to our rules of election. As to the matter of the Nov. 3 recount, and in particular the votes for the governor's race, it is proper that the supplier of the voting machines make that important count and do it in an honest, impartial and business-like manner.

That the Office of State Elections be allowed to observe the counting should be acceptable, so long as there is no interference.

The conduct and policing of the election itself should be strictly impartial and without prejudice. It is here that a number of improper events are alleged to have happened and need to be exposed and prevented in the future, if they did indeed occur.

Many of the irregularities said to have prevailed involve the improper use and handling of ballots and particularly absentee ballots. In a sense, we have here a case of the fox watching the hen house.

Corrective measures, however structured, must truly attempt to be devoid of political control and manipulation -- a tough but not impossible task.

James M. Greenwell
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

Marijuana never killed anyone, unlike other drugs

Sandra Lacar's Jan. 30 View Point, "Medical use of marijuana must not be allowed," is confusing. If marijuana isn't a medicine, why are patients being supplied marijuana by the federal government, and why is the active ingredient in marijuana (THC) used as medicine in pills (as she herself points out)?

Lacar implies that marijuana is cancerous. There is no evidence of lung cancer deaths from marijuana. Yet prescription drugs kill 100,000 people a year, compared to zero deaths from marijuana.

She suggests this legislation will increase abuse rates, but gives no evidence. In fact, usage rates have dropped in California after passage of medical marijuana laws.

Rhetoric confuses the issue. The facts speak for themselves.

John McClain
(Via the Internet)

QUOTABLE "Remaining fit in midlife can potentially have a major impact on the ability to remain independent in old age." -- Dr. Jack Guralnik, a researcher at the National Institute on Aging, on a study showing the grip strength of thousands of Japanese-American men participating in the Honolulu Heart Program provided an indication of how well their health would be in old age. "It's not about election fraud. It's about equipment failure." -- State House Judiciary Co-Chairman Avery Chumbley on a proposed recount of 1998 general election returns. "As a Christian, I feel that role modeling the gay lifestyle is damaging to the moral lives of children." -- The Rev. Jerry Falwell, maintaining that the Teletubby character, Tinky Winky, is a homosexual role model because he carries a purse, is purple and has a gay-pride symbol on his head.

Clinton shouldn't be in control of his papers

If the Senate backs away from removing President Clinton, Congress should indicate the seriousness of his activities by applying the same policy to Clinton as it did with President Richard M. Nixon.

Clinton should lose control of all his presidential papers and tapes, from 1992 on.

Control can be transfered to the General Services Administration. And any destruction of such materials would be a felony as they will, no doubt, be needed in future trials when Clinton leaves office.

Carol R. White
(Via the Internet)

Clinton has done a lot of good for this country

Sure, Bill Clinton has perjured himself, undermined confidence in his ability to govern our country and lost the faith of the American people.

However, he has also created hundreds of thousands of new jobs, helped precipitate the largest peace-time budget surplus in American history, helped promote peace throughout the globe, and ensured American stability through the 21st century.

Those of us from Hawaii, being accustomed to somewhat higher ethical standards than our counterparts on the mainland, are naturally appalled at the audacity of one of our leaders lying about his affair with an intern and the entire "right-wing conspiracy" ordeal in the Senate.

However, our senators are simply representing the wishes of the people. Unlike Trent Lott, the white supremacist leading this crucifixion, Senators Inouye and Akaka should be lauded for listening to the voice of the American people.

Reid Seino
(Via the Internet)

Politics is a big game governed by partisanship

Politicians are all alike. They, more than anyone else, understand that politics -- their calling in life -- is synonymous with partisanship. Yes, partisanship is what causes ALL of the Republican senators to feel that the trial of the president must go on.

And partisanship is what causes NONE of the Democrats to feel that it should. Partisanship is only decried by the group in the minority. It's all a game, complete with trash talk.

Bill Fong
(Via the Internet)

Clinton should be given a medical discharge

Since it appears the majority in the Senate will not remove Bill Clinton for high crimes and misdemeanors, and are looking for an "appropriate" censure, here is my suggestion:

Give him a medical discharge for pathological lying, sexual misconduct or delusions of grandeur.

Provide him lifetime medical care with a team of doctors like psychiatrists, psychologists, psychoanalysts and sex therapists.

Alexis Wong

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