Offer rescue workers free Hawaii vacations

After being stuck on the mainland, my first priority on returning home was to spend a day on the beach to rejuvenate myself.

It then struck me that the New York City and Washington firefighters and police so affected by the recent terrorist attacks could benefit greatly by spending time on our beaches.

It would be a significant gesture to the world if, as a state, we could offer a complimentary visit to those firefighters and police who need to rejuvenate themselves after such a grim experience.

Let's show the world that Hawaii is a place to recover from tragedy. Our hotels and airlines could use the vacancies to good advantage by filling them with recovering heroes.

Gene "Gino" Lancette

[Quotables] "The enemy of America is not our many Muslim friends; it is not our many Arab friends. Our enemy is a radical network of terrorists and every government that supports them." President George W. Bush In a nationally televised speech last night on the U.S. response to terrorist attacks against America. "I do feel that people give extra in times of crisis, and they dig a little bit deeper." Donna Bebber Director of development for the Honolulu Symphony, on the fund-raising challenge facing nonprofit organizations during a time of national crisis.

Cancelling games was right thing to do

Brian Durham criticizes the cancellation of baseball and other games in the wake of the terrorist attacks, saying that "these actions make Americans look like wimps and whiners" (Letters, Sept. 16).

Americans are not wimps. Americans are not whiners. But we are human. We Americans are a pretty resilient bunch, but like all humans, when a friend or member of our family is gone, especially when they meet a sudden, violent end, we need time to grieve, to reflect.

Kudos to the NFL, Major League Baseball and others for having the sensitivity and respect for a grieving nation to take time out of their schedules. We will continue our way of life, but first, let us heal.

Keith Higa

Attacks are a tragedy for the whole world

America is the great experiment and the hope of the world. American people contain the blood of every country. We need to ask ourselves how can we prevent tragedies such as last week's hijackings from happening again. The whole world is watching to see whether we will choose a new path or continue the history of retaliation through violence.

Can we as human beings living together on a delicate planet suspended in space, learn to live together in peace? We need the help of the whole world to answer that question.

Evil is the intention that takes seed in the mind that does not see life as one. So the enemy is our own thoughts of separation. Bombs will change nothing. Only we can change our thoughts. Peace begins within. Then the world around us will reflect that peace.

Lauri Clegg
Chairwoman
Natural Law Party of Hawaii

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Hikers take chances with safety

I'm tired of people suing the city or state because of their deep pockets, such as the families of people who were hurt or killed at Sacred Falls.

When you go off the paved sidewalks and enter the mountains you are always taking a chance that you may get hurt.

Some years ago, a man received permission from a land owner to hunt pig. He fell and broke his leg and then sued the land owner because he was allowed to go where it wasn't safe.

I feel for the families, but, hey, that's life. I sure hope my wife doesn't sue the state if I fall off a cliff the next time I choose to hike to the summit of the Koolaus or Mount Kaala.

Steve Rohrmayr

Boy Scouts teach discrimination

As one of the organizers of the Boy Scouts of America protest, I am glad Mary Papish (Letters, Sept. 8) and those who think like her saw our protest. I am sorry that she did not understand our message.

The reason we were out there was not to defame or criticize the boys who participate in scouting. We were out there to educate and enlighten the sponsors of the BSA to the group's policy of discrimination. Yes, the Supreme Court said it was OK for the BSA to discriminate, but that does not make it proper.

The BSA does teach boys and young men to be a positive influence in our society and is a great program. However, it also teaches that is it acceptable to discriminate against people based on their sexual orientation. That is what is immoral and unacceptable.

The BSA says that it is open to diversity, but how much diversity can you have when you marginalize any part of the population?

Michael J. Golojuch Jr.
Hawaii representative
Scouting For All

More laws won't stop street racing

Please do not try to solve the island's trouble with street racing with more laws. Tougher laws will not solve people's "need for speed." If someone can spend thousands of dollars to soup up his car, tougher penalties will not deter him.

For those who don't soup up their cars, but race on the street, tougher penalties won't stop them either. If they don't realize that the price can be death, the ultimate penalty, then they will realize it by dying or killing others. Throwing laws and money at the problem will not help.

Charles W. Santiago Jr.
Wahiawa

Fuel costs soar for airplanes

Our business is a small cargo airline, flying interisland with Douglas DC-3 aircraft. We have been in Hawaii for 31 years

In the past year, our fuel costs from Chevron have increased from $2.28 to $2.47 per gallon with no end in sight. This has put a considerable strain not only on us, but on our small business customers as well. We have increased our shipping prices to offset fuel costs, but are very limited in this respect due to the economy.

I question this constant increase in aviation fuel, particularly when the cost of automotive fuel is decreasing. Perhaps Chevron has decided to take money out of its right pocket and put it into its left.

Harry J. Clark
President
Genavco Air Cargo

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