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Abuse of zoo animals should be reported
Honolulu Zoo keepers recently made another grisly discovery: a visitor had severely injured a monitor lizard by throwing a rock at it, resulting in the animal losing sight in one eye.It is heartbreaking to realize that this is not an isolated incident, but a constant problem. Most visitors come to enjoy the zoo with their families, but others tease and throw everything imaginable at the animals trying to get their attention.
We all need to be aware that this problem exists. Perhaps the next time you are standing next to someone who is about to throw something at an animal, you can speak up -- either to the person or to an animal keeper or security guard. All animals deserve our care and respect.
Carol Boyce
Idea about handy shelf is not so handy
In his Dec. 29 letter, William King expresses disappointment about the city's failure to follow through on his suggestion: to place a shelf accessible to drivers near the pay station in the Beretania Street underground parking structure.King says his left hand was holding unspecified items and therefore wasn't available to manipulate the parking money, causing him difficulty paying for parking with only one hand.
Therefore, a shelf would have allowed him to put down his items and use both hands for the parking money.
A great suggestion -- if robots were the drivers. But human beings, including myself, have this tendency to put something down and forget about it.
Probably one out of three drivers utilizing that shelf would absent-mindedly leave the item on it and drive on. The city would then have to open up a huge lost-and-found department for the parking structure. Bad idea.
Jim Harwood
Operetta is historically wrong but still fun
In your Jan. 1 issue, you printed a photo of a Kailua woman in Vienna next to a poster advertising the operetta, "Die Blume Von Hawaii" ("The Flower of Hawaii"). The caption noted that she and her husband did not attend the musical.She missed a charming theatrical event. My wife and I saw "Die Blume Von Hawaii" in Vienna in 1967. My review was published in the Star-Bulletin on Dec. 5, 1967. The hula dancers wore high-heeled shoes, with bunches of bananas riding on their hips.
The pleasant music was written by Hungarian-born Paul Abraham, and had its world premiere in Berlin in 1931. It was popular in Europe, and former Honolulu Symphony conductor George Barati knew the music and composer well.
I wrote in my 1967 review: "All operettas have silly stories, but this one is absurd. After Hawaii gained Statehood in 1959, Kanako Hilos, a leader of 'fanatic' Hawaiians, plots to overthrow U.S. rule and restore the Hawaiian monarchy." In hindsight, the updated plot doesn't seem too far-fetched.
There have been at least two attempts since 1967 to produce the operetta in Hawaii, but these have not been successful. That's too bad, because the music is pleasant and singable.
Even the Kailua couple that missed "The Flower of Hawaii" in Vienna might enjoy it.
As I said in my 1967 review, the operetta will never win an award from the Hawaii Historical Society, but it has pleased Europeans since 1931 and has spun its own island legend.
Charles E. Frankel
Quotables
"People thought you had to be
a celebrity to be on the wall.
Not so."Gene Kaneshiro
ELDEST SON OF TOSH KANESHIRO,
FOUNDER OF COLUMBIA INN
On the framed photographs that covered the walls
of the famous Kapiolani Boulevard restaurant,
which closed yesterday after
37 years in business
"It's not working. I could be next."
Jeanette Montenegro
A PROGRAM DIRECTOR AT THE
KALIHI-PALAMA HEALTH CENTER
Saying that a newly installed flashing light and
crossing signs on North King Street near Peterson
Lane won't make the busy thoroughfare any safer
for pedestrians to avoid being hit by cars
"This (crime) was not based
on need, but greed."Helen Gillmor
U.S. DISTRICT COURT JUDGE
Sentencing Peninatautele Fiamate to 17 months in prison
for two counts of mail fraud and
one count of food stamp fraud
Media ignore dangers of gay sexual activity
Finally, a newspaper has had the courage to state the obvious regarding anal intercourse: It is unhealthy.The Dec. 19 article by the New York Times with the headline, "Study: No consensus among teen boys about abstinence," referred to a federally funded study. It stated, "More than 1 in 10 boys had engaged in anal intercourse (with a girl.)"
The public risks of oral and anal sex are real. Anal sex can be particularly risky for young women as it often causes lacerations and microabrasions that can lead to infections. Why, then, is reporting occurring only now on the dangers of anal intercourse?
The reason is obvious: It's not referring to homosexual sodomy.
The same media outlets and so-called health educators who are trying to describe the dangers of anal intercourse to young women refuse to report the dangers of such sodomy and other even more dangerous practices and extremely violent behaviors being engaged in by homosexuals.
Indeed, the same media outlets and educators accuse as bigots those who have had the courage to say that homosexual behavior, for example sodomy, is unnatural and unhealthy. The hypocrisy of the politically correct media is nauseating and dangerous to the health of our young people.
Rich Logan
Gay activists determine media coverage
Regarding the Dec. 19 New York Times article, "Study: No consensus among teen boys about abstinence" -- it is obvious that social acceptance of homosexual behavior (such as anal intercourse and oral sex) has increased by leaps and bounds in the last eight years thanks to Bill Clinton and the homosexual lobbyists and their supporters.Clinton's contribution, of course, was that he didn't consider oral sex to be sex. Now our children are paying the price for this new definition. It is natural that people will follow the leader.
The federal study advised that parents and clinicians should take a broad view of sexual practices in their discussions amongst young people. I agree. So why don't you tell young people the truth about the dangers of sodomy? Why don't the media stop treating sodomy as a socially acceptable sexual practice?
You obviously can't do that because the homosexual activists wouldn't allow you to get away with it.
Bernie Wilkinson
U.S. Supreme Court decided the election
The presidential election of the year 2000 was of the people, for the people and by the U.S. Supreme Court.T. Ono
Hilo
Legislature must enact total fireworks ban
May the year 2001 be miserable for all those irresponsible individuals who, year after year, disregard the laws of our state and endanger the lives of our community.To those who allow their children to play fireworks on the sidewalks and streets, and who endanger their own kids and the public, may your property be filled with rubbish all year.
For a long time, the chiefs and former chiefs of the police and fire departments have pleaded with our legislators for a total ban on fireworks. Session after session, our deaf and faint-hearted leaders have come up with laws that cannot be enforced.
Losing one life was bad enough last year but to have another this year is inexcusable.
For those who say it is tradition, check your ethnicities. It surely isn't a Japanese, Filipino or Hawaiian tradition. Yes, it's true for the Chinese but only for the Chinese New Year.
If these are the excuses our lawmakers are listening to, they must be brain dead. Wouldn't it be great if at least one courageous legislator would come forward to push a total ban on fireworks? After all, aren't our health and safety important?
Tom Sugita
Pearl City
Who will pay for death by fireworks?
Will anyone go to prison for incinerating alive an elderly woman? I think not, even though we're all guilty for not insisting on tougher restrictions on fireworks.Rosemarie H. Tucker
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Letter to the Editor