Gay activists unfairly defame Boy Scouts

I was greatly disturbed by the picketing of a Boy Scout fundraiser recently in Waikiki. The pro-homosexual marriage group Civil Unions-Civil Rights was out in full force, with a placard saying: "Matthew Shepard was murdered by an Eagle Scout." This is outrageous.

It is offensive that gay activists are showing up at public events to defame and criticize young boys who are members of this fine organization. For nearly a century, the Boy Scouts has offered young Americans the opportunity to strengthen their character, while learning about the outdoors and having fun.

The Boy Scouts teaches its members to be good citizens, to be future leaders and to serve their larger communities. In no way is it an organization that teaches intolerance or disrespect for any part of the community.

However, as a private organization, it does have the right and responsibility to teach young people to be "morally straight" and "clean."

Mary Papish
Kailua

Hotel construction is going too far

Hilton Hawaiian Village wants permission to stack buildings on top of each other, abut buildings and reroute all Ala Moana boulevard traffic, causing permanent traffic jams for all those going to and from Waikiki.

It will move its tour buses from Hilton property to Hobron Lane, Holomanoa Street and Dewey Lane.

Ocean views will be permanently blocked for thousands of taxpaying citizens. Surrounding property values will be decreased by 50 percent.

What's next? When is the Hilton take-over going to stop? Does Hilton have the city Department of Planning & Permitting in its back pocket? It does look like it.

What Hilton does with its own property is its business, but when it takes over public streets it's the citizens' business and it's not fair.

Max H. Watson

[Quotables] "Open discussion is the best preventive tool." Letha DeCaires, Honolulu Police Department detective, on free dialogue between parents and children concerning who the children are talking to over the Internet. A 30-year-old Oahu librarian was arrested this week after posing as a 17-year-old on the Internet and luring an Oregon girl, 14, to Hawaii to have a sexual relationship. "We're waiting to hear that you support us. The silence is deafening." Joan Lewis, Hawaii State Teachers Association vice president, speaking to the Hawaii Board of Education urging the BOE to take a stand on the teachers' contract dispute with the state. "We're at rock bottom." Evan Dobelle, University of Hawaii president, on UH's poor showing in a national ranking of U.S. colleges.

HPD is responsible for keeping roads safe

There has been a lot of recent news hype about racing on our roadways, including your Aug. 31 editorial, "Long-range strategy needed against racers." You say the issue is that "police plan a Labor Day weekend crackdown on highway car racers in the aftermath of last weekend's fatal collision." That's not the issue at all.

A small item on Page A2 on the same day as your editorial, "Family of slain tourist sues hotel for lax security," makes a different point.

To quote the attorney for the family: "In Hawaii, hotels are under a certain recognized duty to provide reasonable security." Most of us would agree with him and not just for Hawaii.

Since our highways are built, maintained, operated and policed by the government, why is the government not held strictly accountable, as is the hotel? Do we hold business to a stricter standard than we do government? Why?

Since there was, just weeks ago, a racing death on our government-owned freeway, where is the criticism of the police for laxity and dereliction of duty?

Please don't hold up complexity as an excuse. Running a hotel is much more complex than enforcing traffic rules and laws.

The issue is this: Where's the justified and appropriate outrage and demand for the police to do their duty continuously -- in the same way as is a privately-owned hotel?

Richard O. Rowland
President
Grassroot Institute of Hawaii

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