Editor’s Scratchpad

Tuesday, April 10, 2001

Isolated irritations
on the picket line

For the most part, the aloha spirit has prevailed in the public's encounters with striking school teachers and university faculty walking their picket lines. With luck and a little courtesy, people will remain patient as the strikes continue.

Even so, there have been isolated instances of irritation. Police issued one citation and reported a handful of minor confrontations in the first two days of the walkouts by the Hawaii State Teachers Association and the University of Hawaii Professional Assembly.

As the strikes wear on, however, tempers could flare as pickets trudge slowly across streets, blocking busy motorists from their destinations or fans to athletic contests. This newspaper has been neutral on the issues but for strikers to harass ordinary citizens is to go too far.

Keeping perspective, then, becomes all the more important; strikers seeking support might try walking a mile in the other person's shoes.

--Cynthia Oi

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