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Next legislative mission: Reinstitute death penalty

In Hawaii today, you can murder 10 people and get away with no death penalty.

It is each person's decision to make the right or wrong choice. But if you commit murder, you shouldn't be allowed to live.

Next year's Legislature should introduce a bill to authorize the death penalty for any conviction of first-degree murder. This way, people will know what the penalty could be if they kill someone.

Mark Goo
Wailuku

State shouldn't charge a fee to view nature

What next? Charging a dollar to use Waikiki Beach, another to look at a view? Give me a break. Out of principle we should not be paying to hike Diamond Head. This is a natural gift from God.

Let's keep our priorities straight, or change our state motto to, "Aloha! Give me all your money..."

Jim Rosen

Japanese sabotage was a real concern

I am bothered by comments made in your April 24 story regarding changes made to the film shown at the Arizona Memorial.

If Pearl Harbor had been located near a large German population, any good commander -- considering the possible threats to public safety -- would have worried about sabotage from them. And Germans/Italians in the U.S. did deal with jail and disloyalty charges during wartime.

I am disappointed that James Tanabe used alleged statements from volunteers as an excuse for his actions. I volunteered for a year at the visitors' center myself and never heard a statement like the one he quoted.

When visitors to the memorial asked me why the planes were lined up, wingtip to wingtip, on the morning of Dec. 7, 1941, I told them: fear of sabotage. Would Tanabe have preferred an untruthful answer to avoid possible offense?

Jay Clark
Ewa Beach

Japanese in Hawaii were loyal Americans

I was saddened by Ronald Edmiston's April 27 letter to the editor. Despite the efforts of "local Japanese" (Edmiston's words) who fought in Europe and the Pacific, people like him still cannot separate Japanese Americans from the Japanese enemy of World War II.

Despite the heroic efforts of the "local Japanese," the battle of being accepted as Americans has yet to be won.

Again, using Edmiston's words, "liberals" and "the politically correct" have nothing to do with the written and proven history.

The Japanese people's "history of deception and lies" are Japan's history, not the history of local Japanese.

Finally, it disheartening to see Edmiston mention China and Korea in his letter. If one reads between the lines, his outrage goes far beyond the Japanese and Pearl Harbor.

Jerald S. Takesono
Kaneohe

Quotables "One of my friends had an accident. He missed the pit and landed on the concrete. He split his ear and had to have stitches. I was like, 'That's neat, I want to try.'" Kim Higa ROOSEVELT HIGH SENIOR WHO IS THE TOP GIRLS' VAULTER ON OAHU Explaining how she became interested in the track and field event that led her to become one of the best young vaulters in the state, with a personal best of 10-3 "It's one small step for the Democratic majority. But it's one giant leap for Gary Rodrigues." Jim Rath REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE FROM NORTH KONA Referring to the leader of the United Public Workers union who was at the forefront of successful efforts to thwart civil service reform during this past legislative session

Sprinkler legislation will be long process

This is in response to an April 14 letter ("Fire chief is generous with others' money") by Richard O. Rowland of Aiea regarding the retrofit of fire sprinkler systems for high-rise buildings.

Rowland wrote that "when told it would be very, very expensive, he (the fire chief) responded that money was not relevant when a human life was at stake."

For the record, I made no such statement.

I said that a retrofit bill would be a sensitive issue as it would be expensive and controversial. I also stated that, for such a bill to pass, we'd have to assemble a proposal making it feasible for all parties concerned.

The Honolulu Fire Department would have to justify the benefits of a sprinkler system, demonstrating that sprinklers stop the spread of fire, confine the fire to the point of origin, reduce the life safety risk of occupants as well as fire fighters, reduce the losses to building and contents, and reduce fire insurance rates.

The implementation period could be extended to make it more palatable. The City Council could review the possibilities of tax incentives, tax credits or other options. We have not yet begun to explore all the possibilities.

Attilio K. Leonardi
Fire Chief City and County of Honolulu

60 Minutes

Peters embarrassed himself on prime time

Ousted Bishop Estate trustee Henry Peters sure knows how to make "A" on national TV. On "60 Minutes" Sunday he showed the world just why the Bishop Estate trustees were given the boot.

The old boy network that gave him the trustee job was unable to protect him. As the song goes, "The times, they are a changin'."

I, for one, am very glad that the trustees did not buy any newspaper, let alone the Star-Bulletin, as Peters' suggested the estate should have done in 1992. Their sole purpose in owning a newspaper would have been to manipulate and hide the truth.

Peters should be a man for once and own up to his mistakes. He'll gain more respect if he does.

Dave Leatherman

Peters' statement about control was telling

How interesting that Henry Peters told "60 Minutes" that the Star-Bulletin was the one thing the Bishop Estate trustees couldn't control when they were in power. This implies that they COULD control the Legislature, the courts and any other entity which could affect its dealings.

Peters also forgot to mention that they couldn't control the parents who marched in protest of the estate's arrogance in running the Kamehameha Schools.

This was a creepy "almost," but I know the editorial staff of the Star-Bulletin wouldn't have tolerated being manipulated, and would have walked if the trustees had bought the paper.

Then the trustees could have handpicked their own news staff and made the Star-Bulletin their house organ.

Beverly Kai

Bishop Estate Archive

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