Strikers' chanting is in poor taste

The first definition of scab in the Encarta Dictionary is "crust over a healing wound." The second is "offensive term."

"1-3-5-7, no scabs go to heaven! 2-4-6-8, He shall judge them at the gate." Besides it's religious connotations, it's not something I would want the kids mimicking on the playground. Yet, these are their teachers. If this is the mentality of our unionized educated and professional teaching staff, then I understand why education is so poor in Hawaii.

Perhaps they need to take their pay raise and invest it in the "School of Manners, Diplomacy, Democracy and Better Communication."

Sueann Carter

Strikes will leave lasting mark

As I walk the picket line daily, I think about the consistent damage done the entire school system in the past seven years: declining test scores, escalating repair costs, loss of qualified teachers, problems with recruitment, declining budgets, hostile actions, threats and comments about teachers' working habits from the state's executive branch. And now there's a state-wide K-16 teachers' strike -- the first ever in the nation. It all reminds me of a quote from the Vietnam era when a military leader stated: "We had to destroy the village in order to save it."

Seems a similar sentiment drives the mentality of our current governor -- and he is getting excellent grades for his ability to destroy.

Vincent Linares
Maui Community College instructor

"It's absolutely outrageous. The police want to create an atmosphere so people are fearful of protesting." Brent White, American Civil Liberties Union attorney, after he and two others were ordered by police to leave a public meeting on how the Asian Development Bank convention will affect the Ala Wai Community Park. "The resolutions are dead, dead, dead." Sen. Brian Kanno, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, referring to the demise of two proposals to study legalized gambling in Hawaii. "We might stock Murphy's...But things would have to get pretty bad." Kevin Dooley, A Dublin bartender, saying his pub may begin serving a different brand of stout if a workers' strike at Guinness breweries continues

Segregate me all ova da place

Regarding book segregation: I get one coming out pre-soon so dis column on book segregations had me tinking...wea I like MY book be in da store? My first name Lee so da bookstore manager might tink I one woman so I might get insai da Woman section. My last name Tonouchi so I might get put insai da Asian-American section.

And even though I no identify myself as Asian-American or as one woman ees still cool. Cuz if wuz up to me, I like my book be all ova anykine place. I figgah, da mo' places I stay, da mo' chance somebody going find me.

But wot if da store managers no like put me any oddah place besides Local Interest? Local books is cooooool so I tink das awesome, but still jus da fack dat dey can only see me ONE way would make me kinda tick off. I guess some people might go to da store and call-out da manager and have all kine debates as to da merits of various marketing strategies.

But me, I no waste time arguing, jus use da kine guerrilla tactics. Jus go to da store and move da book around and spread 'em out.

And no need be jus fo' YO' book. Go do 'em fo' ANY book dat you tink should be in sa'mo' sections. Den, and ony den can we move from dis kine book segregation and separation to book integration and harmonizations.

Lee Tonouchi
Aiea

Does HECO have performance anxiety?

When I came home the other night after testifying against HECO's proposal for huge poles on Waahila Ridge, sure enough, the power was out in my neighborhood.

No, not a HECO payback; just the same old faulty engineering for which they never apologize. Where I live the electricity goes out so often we call it RC, random current.

HECO claims it now needs backup power lines above Manoa and Palolo instead of spending the $15 million it says it will cost for underground lines.

Given its inability to deliver power consistently, it would be easy to conclude that HECO suffers from company-wide performance anxiety, as if giant steel/concrete poles on Waahila Ridge will somehow magically cure its uncertainty about delivering.

Hey, HECO, how about a little Viagra, followed by some alternative, renewable power generators in the back of Palolo?

Paul Berry

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