Police are useless in enforcing laws

Why should we ban fireworks, when restrictions are not even enforced now? The police and fire departments aren't doing anything.

What do police say when you call 911? "Oh, when we get the chance, we will send someone," or "We're all tied up right now."

I remember when I was a "nice guy" and went to the fire station to get a permit to purchase fireworks. But then my neighbor across the way didn't, and he had illegal and better kinds of fireworks than I did! He got away with it, year after year.

If the laws can't stop people from taking drugs, do you think they can stop fireworks?

Wendell Enomoto
Via the Internet

Voters elected do-nothing Legislature

Have you ever noticed that, whenever there is a problem in Hawaii, the only way to get legislators to respond is to have someone lose a life?

My heart goes out to the family that lost a loved one this New Year's Eve due to fireworks. But the salient question must go to the deceased man's relative, state Rep. Nestor Garcia. Why did he sit on his thumbs last year when the governor wanted a total ban on fireworks? Yet now, because his cousin lost his life, suddenly he is considering a ban.

I must presume that those who voted for Garcia really meant nothing to him, because I'm sure if the victim had been just another Joe Blow, it would have been business as usual.

The truly guilty parties to this tragedy are our legislators. Yes, the very same ones who buried their heads in the sand while our economy went down the drain.

But they didn't elect themselves. Come on people, wake up! Put the real blame where it belongs: We elect them, they do nothing, we complain about them and then we re-elect them. We have no one to blame but ourselves.

John Shupe
Via the Internet

Pet is dead after being scared by explosions

On Christmas Day after dinner, instead of being greeted by our dog Kolohe, we came home to find the dead body of our beloved pet in a trash bag. At first, we were horrified at the thought of someone doing such a horrible thing.

But then we found the letter from Officer Bushaw, who explained that a couple living in a building nearby had heard Kolohe's yelp and found him after he had been hit by a car. His collar and rope were still attached to him.

He broke his rope and ran, something our dog never did. He must have been very frightened.

We don't think the people in our neighborhood intended to scare our family pet but fireworks are deadly for many animals, especially dogs. This year the bombs, which sounded like cannons, started a week before Christmas and were still going off three days into the new year.

If people can't control themselves, I think it's time to ban all public use of fireworks.

In closing, we wanted to thank Officer Bushaw and the couple who found Kolohe for bringing him back to us.

Lisa Valenti and family
Via the Internet

Quotables "I'm really looking forward to college. A lot of my friends are nervous about going away but I've done a lot of traveling with gymnastics, have already lived away from home on my own." Tacia LaBatte 17-YEAR-OLD CASTLE HIGH SENIOR AND HAWAII'S ONLY CURRENT ELITE- LEVEL GYMNAST Who begins her farewell tour this week at the Maui Invitational, then onward to the University of Utah "It would cost us about $150-$180 million to build (a prison in Hawaii), and therefore we would have to set aside or delay plans to build schools and other kinds of facilities." Governor Cayetano On why he supports housing Hawaii inmates in a prison on an Indian reservation in Tulsa, Okla.

Ban would lead to more accidental shootings

I've been living in Sacramento for two years now, so I miss the fireworks in Hawaii, big time. Just recently, we were allowed to light up little things like morning glories and wimpy fountain sparkly things that spray about six feet high. No firecrackers, jumping jacks or any of the stuff popular in Hawaii.

The reason they let us light up a little over here is because they hoped it would decrease the number of idiots firing their guns in the air. This doesn't justify illegal aerials, but it's still better than a bullet landing on your head while traveling a few hundred feet per second.

Personally, I think if Hawaii bans fireworks, it will merely increase the number of people firing their guns on New Year's Eve.

Mondo Aguada
Sacramento, Calif.
Via the Internet

Other things are more deadly than fireworks

I'm sure that Honolulu experienced a larger than normal amount of fireworks on the New Year's celebration, but why outlaw fireworks for all of Oahu and the rest of the islands because of it?

One person died while using an illegal aerial bomb. Many more people are killed on the islands each year in automobile and motorcycle accidents. The hospitals are full of people with cigarette- and alcohol-related illnesses, and many die from them.

Yet do we outlaw alcohol and cigarettes? Or automobiles and motorcycles? Do we outlaw guns? Absolutely not, so why outlaw fireworks?

Get your political priorities straight.

Tom Morris
Kapaa, Kauai
Via the Internet

Don't spoil the fun of majority in islands

This past New Year's Eve was one to remember. But people still insist there should be a total ban on fireworks. They complain about their health, their animals and the danger.

Well, I have just two words for them: So what? You have an entire year to prepare. Why should the majority of us have to suffer?

I empathize with those who have respiratory problems, but they -- as well as animal owners -- should prep for that night. As far as danger goes, I have been lighting fireworks for most of my life and have gotten only minor burns. But I am always careful and take responsibility if anything happens.

Besides, even if you ban it, people will still play with fireworks. I know that I will.

Troy Adams
Waianae
Via the Internet

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