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Dems shouldn't brag about aiding Hawaiians

Now that the entire Hawaii Democrat Party, including our congressional delegation, has chimed in about how much they have done for native Hawaiians, maybe they can consider the other 95 percent of Hawaii's population who have been paying for all these race-based entitlements.

The Rice vs. Cayetano decision should have told everyone that being "native Hawaiian" or "Hawaiian" is a racial classification, not a tribe or political entity. Yet our Democratic delegation seems to take great pride in obtaining no less than 70 pieces of legislation benefiting native Hawaiians.

Denying rights to some that are available to another race is racism, especially when those claiming special entitlements have no history of civil-rights violations. The Supreme Court has said so, but only after 20 years and billions of dollars being shelled out to a single race.

Are Democrats now proposing that Hawaiians dump the U.S. Constitution, which has often been cited as the greatest document of freedom in the world? Maybe they should get the message that to mandate race-based entitlements is unconstitutional and should be offensive to all Americans.

Garry P. Smith
Ewa Beach

OHA Special

Rice vs. Cayetano arguments

Rice vs. Cayetano decision

Holo I Mua: Sovereignty Roundtable

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Don't penalize lawful gun owners

It's ridiculous for the Legislature to pass a law concerning the re-registration of firearms, such as SB 215. This bill would not change illegal gun trafficking or deter improper use of firearms. It would only punish responsible gun owners.

On the other hand, HB 2025 proposes to increase enforcement of current gun control laws and bring harsher consequences for breaking these laws. It would help to discourage criminal activity.

The goal of our Legislature should be to lower crime related to guns, and not to penalize those who use them legally.

Rebecca Pacheco
Tyffany O'Connell
Naomi Fox
Kailua High School
Kailua

Legislature Directory
Legislature Bills & Hawaii Revised Statutes

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Did DBEDT harass whistle-blower?

More than a month ago I requested access to public documents under Hawaii's Uniform Information Practices Act. These are necessary to support my assertion that the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism's attempts to eliminate the Alternate Energy Branch of the Energy Division are a pretext to remove me in retaliation for my whistle-blowing activities.

DBEDT finally responded to my request. I will have to pay $7,630 in fees just to review these public documents, plus 10 cents a page for copying charges. I must give DBEDT $915 as a prepayment, just so it can begin its effort.

The fees are equivalent to 36 days at my rate of pay. Even at my two-finger typing speed of 15 wpm, I could probably retype the documents in the same amount of time.

Are these documents really so difficult to access? Is it so damaging that DBEDT would try to circumvent the intent of the UIPA? Or is this further harassment of a whistle-blower? You be the judge.

David Rezachek

Quotables "Why single out a director for such an increase when no one else is receiving (salary) increases?" Eric Hamakawa Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee Questioning the wisdom of giving a pay hike to Dan Mollway, state Ethics Commission executive director, because his second-in-command makes more than him "If we were to contact them, it would be considered a form of harassment." Jodi Yip Sister-in-law of leukemia-stricken Honolulu Police Capt. Alvin Nishimura Expressing frustration that two unidentified people whose bone marrow tissue typing matches Nishimura, and who could make donations that might save his life, have changed their minds about being donors

HMA was wrong to oppose marijuana bills

I was disappointed in your March 9 editorial position opposing bills that would allow suffering patients to, with a doctor's supervision, try to ease their pain by smoking marijuana. It appears that you based your decision on incomplete and misleading information provided by the Hawaii Medical Association (HMA).

HMA cited the National Institute of Medicine's recommendation for more research into the therapeutic effects of marijuana as one reason to deny its use for seriously ill or dying patients. But it failed to mention that the institute described conditions under which "patients with debilitating symptoms (such as intractable pain or vomiting)" should be administered smoked marijuana.

The institute acknowledged that it would be years before research would produce a safe delivery system and that, "in the meantime, there are patients with debilitating symptoms for whom smoked marijuana might provide relief."

Since the public, lawmakers and newspaper editorial boards depend on the HMA for accurate and unbiased interpretation of scientific studies, its leaders should be ashamed of their less than complete description of the IOM study's results. And the Star-Bulletin should spend more time checking its sources.

Jeff Crawford
Kailua

Columnist doesn't get MADD's message

Charles Memminger clearly missed the point in his March 15 column, "When PETA meets MADD: Got trouble?"

As an attendee and spokesperson at the recent MADD Hawaii Youth Summit to Prevent Underage Drinking, I understand the dangers of underage drinking, which is MADD's real target in the recent debate.

Alcohol is much more dangerous for teens than adults, since key parts of the brain can be damaged by alcohol in the still developing brain of a teen-ager.

Perhaps Memminger is correct that PETA's new campaign will not lead to an increase in underage drinking. But MADD -- and we as a society -- cannot afford the consequences if he is wrong.

Drew Humberd
Senior, St. Joseph School
Ninole, Hawaii

Hawaii Girl Scouts bring home gold

Two Girl Scouts from McKinley High School, Gina Yamane and Janis Yim, were honored in Washington, D.C., for their work with Hospice Hawaii. They organized the first annual Ka Pilina Pulama Camp to help bereaved Hawaii children as they struggle to cope with the loss of loved ones.

Yamane and Yim received a Gold Award, the highest honor a Girl Scout can achieve. Their project was one of 10 selected from over1,600 eligible entries.

As a 1996 Gold Award recipient from Hawaii, I'm proud of their achievements.

Andrea Au
Sophomore, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, Mass.

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