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Majority voted for statehood

Why is the Hawaii congressional delegation trying to undo what the United States has done -- made Hawaii a state after getting the consent of the governed majority? And aren't those agitating now for "sovereignty" or a "nation within a nation" bona fide citizens of the United States of America?

It's a mess. If they're successful, we'll have to cut off a star from "Old Glory" and cast it far away. And don't think that isn't desecration of the flag.

Benjamin D. Jacobe Sr.
Aiea

North Shore folks shouldn't complain

I understand that the people on the North Shore are struggling with the road being closed, but I wish they would stop whining. It was their choice to live on the North Shore or to set up businesses in that wonderful place.

Part of the North Shore's beauty is that nature happens. Living there is a risk that they chose to take. If they want all the conveniences of town, like alternative road routes, they can always move into Honolulu.

While I sympathize with their plight and envy the North Shore lifestyle that they chose to have, they should be patient and let the state fix the problem properly.

Gerald Kalisik
Hauula

Publicity has helped boost video, book sales

There is no direct evidence that the two people on Oahu who killed themselves within 24 of the showing of the video, "Final Exit: The Practicalities of Self-Deliverance and Assisted Suicide for the Dying," had ever seen it. This was merely supposition by a medical examiner based on timing of the deaths.

In a city like Honolulu, with about 100 suicides a year, one could equally argue that it was coincidental. The deceased might have seen the plastic-bag technique on network television. Moreover, if the media had not made such a song and dance about the little video, it would have been watched, for the most part, by those for whom it was intended: the terminally ill.

All this press attention and the hysterical response of critics resulted in the sale of thousands of copies of both the book and the video. Thank you.

Derek Humphry
Author and Director
"Final Exit"
Junction CIty, Ore.

Quotables "In China, we believe you have to have something of your own before 30. (Then) if you make mistakes you still have enough energy to do something about it." Jeff Liu OWNER OF FOUR ART SHOPS AND A TRAVEL AGENCY IN HAWAII Who, at age 37, is now branching out into doing business on the Internet "If the regents don't want tuition increased, then fine, find the money elsewhere. This time, I'm not going to (bail them out)." Governor Cayetano Saying the University of Hawaii Board of Regents must live with the consequences of voting down a tuition hike after vocal student protests and an organized "sleep-in"

Pageant winners are more than pretty

I am the sister of Rant 'n' Rave writer Jennifer Chang, who mentioned in her March 7 column that I was a Narcissus Pageant princess.

Many people don't realize that the Narcissus Pageant is not just a beauty contest and that the judges aren't always male. Judges have been female celebrities, past beauty queens and females with distinctive places in society.

It takes more than just a skinny, pretty young woman to win one of these pageants. Judges look for someone who is personable, intelligent and has leadership qualities.

The year that I ran, all of the contestants had excellent educational credentials and bright futures. Throughout my reign as Narcissus princess, I met many other pageant queens and all of them were extraordinary human beings.

To win a pageant, it takes a person who is beautiful in more ways than one.

Paulette Chang
Tempe, Ariz.

Great ideas to combat teen-age drinking

Why the lack of media coverage of the historic Hawaii Youth Summit to Prevent Underage Drinking? The March 3-6 convention cost more than $60,000 to put on. High school students from Oahu, Maui, Kauai and the Big Island attended.

Although I wasn't a delegate, I covered the conference for Radford's newspaper, The RamPage. For three days, teens toiled from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., taking in knowledge about the harmful effects of alcohol on young people.

On the final evening, delegates forged recommendations on how to curb this problem, which were presented to key politicians at the state Capitol. Their top three suggestions were:

To encourage parents to support laws regarding their liability for underage drinking.

Creative sentencing for violators, like going to the morgue to see people killed in DUI accidents, holding signs on freeways, etc.

Changing the image of underage drinking through the media and education of parents and teachers.

Because underage drinking is a major concern in Hawaii, these ideas warrant more public attention.

Eric Barayuga
Senior
Radford High School

Elderly are just as precious as our keiki

Does this say something about society's values in Hawaii today?

Legislation is moving forward that would require criminal background checks for those who work in schools, but legislation has been killed to require criminal background checks for those working in adult residential care homes and other licensed programs serving the elderly.

The elderly in these programs are just as much in need of the safety and security of reliable assistance as that which we seek for our children.

Jeanne Paty

Cost of gas is higher outside islands

Sag Harbor, N.Y., is a wonderful place with almost no crime. However, the price of a gallon of non-premium gas at our local station is $1.79. That's higher than in Hawaii. Premium is $2.05 a gallon.

Here, we have to deal with the snow and cold, and can't ride our bikes or walk for part of the year. Plus, there is no public transportation as such. How lucky you are in Hawaii.

Susan Y. Oi
Sag Harbor, N.Y.

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