Editorials

Tuesday, September 11, 2001

America will unite
in response to our
second day of infamy

The issue: American cities
are struck by what appears to
be a coordinated terrorist attack.

For those of us who live with the daily reminder of the surprise raid on Pearl Harbor 60 years ago, the disastrous terrorist attacks on New York and Washington can only leave us thunderstruck. Just as national unity clicked into place in 1941, so should it in 2001.

From the early reports, it would seem that the nation's priorities in response are right: Rescue those who can be rescued and take every measure to prevent what could easily be follow-on attacks. At the same time, all of the intelligence and law enforcement capabilities of the nation should be brought immediately to bear to discover who did this. Early evidence points to the terrorist leader Osama bin Laden, believed to operate in hiding in Afghanistan, but that must be nailed down.

Then the critical issue: What do we do about it? Early comments from seasoned political leaders such as former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger hold that not only must the perpetrators be punished but all those who aided and harbored them. If indeed they are in Afghanistan, the residents of Kabul should be urgently warned to leave the city before American bombers appear in the sky over them.

Then the question must be raised and answered just as it was 60 years ago: How could our government be caught again with no warning? That question is especially urgent when the taxpayers spend upwards of $25 billion a year on intelligence that is supposed to learn these things.

In the coming days there will be more questions as America and particularly President Bush are tested by a second day of infamy. Meantime, let us pray to the God of our choice and to the Creator of all of us for the wounded and the families of our friends and compatriots who have perished in this calamity.

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Sexual exploitation
of children is a stain
on Honolulu

The issue: Commercial sexual
exploitation of children is a larger
problem than suspected in Honolulu
and other cities in North America.

HONOLULU'S most sordid edge has been laid bare in a national study of commercial child sexual exploitation in the United States, Canada and Mexico. No local estimates are given for Honolulu and 27 other cities that were the focus of the study, but case profiles of exploited children in Hawaii reveal a situation worse than most people can fathom. Law enforcement and human services need to be increased significantly to eradicate every trace of this odious blight from island society.

The three-year study by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania estimates that 325,000 children a year in the United States are subjected to sexual exploitation, including prostitution, use in pornography and molestation. Many of these children run away from home, flee mental hospitals, foster homes or other institutions or are thrown out of their homes by a parent or guardian.

"Child sexual exploitation is the most hidden form of child abuse in the U.S. and North America today," says Richard J. Estes, a Penn social work professor and co-author of the study. "It is the nation's least recognized epidemic."

The report says that 11,500 of the victims are foreign-born. Sexually exploited children in Honolulu were found to have come from Australia, Canada, China, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Laos, Mexico, the Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, even the Czech Republic, Poland and Russia.

The numbers don't adequately reflect the human catastrophe described in profiles compiled for the study by Jayne Bopp and the Rev. Pam Vessels of the Life Foundation in Honolulu and republished today:

>> The cases of "Jenny," "Sara," "Carrie" and Amy" illustrate the relationships that can exist between sexual assault and juvenile prostitution, and of child sexual victimization, mental illness and substance abuse. Child poverty is a dominant feature in two of these cases and family dysfunction is present in all four. The study found that many victims live in secure, middle-class homes, and their parents are unaware of their involvement in pornography or prostitution.

>> The experiences of "Linda" and "Tim" add insight into findings that both males and females use prostitution to counter depression and pain stemming from their being used as sexual objects and never having been loved or otherwise valued. The study says they also illustrate the challenges that the "adult survivors of child sexual assault" pose for law enforcement, health, human services and continuity of care.

>> The authors state that "Trish" and "Susan" exemplify the "sexual exploitation of children living in the general population that we encountered across the country." The cases also show the links between juvenile prostitution, child pornography and trafficking in children.

>> "Cathy" is said to be typical of most transgender youth encountered by authors of the study, as are the socio-economic, runaway, drug and employment challenges she faced.

>> "BG" and "Tony" are said to typify the "street pimps" encountered by the study's authors during their field work, including levels of violence, degradation and even physical branding that pimps use to maintain power over the children.

The authors say Hawaii officials told them that "the military are our biggest problem" regarding child pornography and prostitution. However, the study shows the scourge to extend far beyond areas surrounding military bases into other reaches of island culture. Honolulu was among the cities where the authors found "substantial adult prostitution markets."

The report calls for more education about the causes, nature and extent of child exploitation, along with earlier identification and greater supervision of sexually offending adults and juveniles. This sobering information about sexual exploitation of Hawaii's children should prompt intensive action throughout the spectrum of law-enforcement and human-service agencies.

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Alien plant wreaks
havoc in Hawaii

The issue: Miconia, an ornamental
tree imported from South America, is
taking over thousands of acres
of native forests.

The severe damage just one invasive plant like miconia can inflict on Hawaii's delicate environment should spur state officials to adopt a more stringent system to screen noxious species before they can take root in the islands.

When miconia calvescens was first imported more than 40 years ago, few could predict that the South American ornamental would so thrive in Hawaii's permissive environment that it would quickly propagate and overwhelm many native forests and mountainsides.

Now, the cost of eradicating miconia -- if it can be done -- is estimated at $49 million. However, the monetary toll is small compared to the ruination miconia causes to Hawaii's ecosystem. The plant kills native plants that feed and harbor endangered species and threatens the islands' watersheds because its shallow roots are unable to hold the soil on hillsides, leaving them susceptible to landslides.

Miconia infestation primarily affects about 12,000 acres on East Maui and 20,000 acres on the Big Island, but with one plant being able to produce several million seeds a year, the infestation could easily spread across the island chain. The state Legislature, which shortsightedly decreased funds for miconia eradication to $400,000 this year from $500,000 last year, should recognize that the invasion could also have an economic effect on Hawaii's cash crop, tourism. Our varied and unique native plants are certainly part of the allure of the islands.

Further, the state's present system for reviewing alien plants works backwards. If a plant is not on the state's list of banned species, it is allowed in. Officials are considering a system similar to one used in Australia and New Zealand where importers must show that a plant would not adversely affect the environment. This method would better protect Hawaii's fragile environment.

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Published by Oahu Publications Inc., a subsidiary of Black Press.

Don Kendall, President

John Flanagan, publisher and editor in chief 529-4748; jflanagan@starbulletin.com
Frank Bridgewater, managing editor 529-4791; fbridgewater@starbulletin.com
Michael Rovner, assistant managing editor 529-4768; mrovner@starbulletin.com
Lucy Young-Oda, assistant managing editor 529-4762; lyoungoda@starbulletin.com

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