National anthem gets no respect at games

After the national anthem was butchered on two consecutive nights -- University of Hawaii Wahine volleyball Nov. 9 and at the Warrior football game Nov. 10, I wonder what was worse: that both performances were by UH students who did not know the correct lyrics, or that some people disrespect the ceremony by not even removing their hats.

I realize that the anthem ranks 10 on a scale of difficulty, and performing in front of a large crowd may incite jitters, however, this seems a poor representation of so-called "recording artists" and/or "current University of Hawaii student(s)" particularly during our national crisis.

It seems the ill-prepared performers' ineptitude was exceeded only by the large number of people who disrespect the anthem and, yes, "Hawai'i Pono'i," by keeping their hats on their heads, talking and even conversing on their cellular phones.

Spike Nishii

Ehime Maru memorial inappropriate for park

Regarding the plan to erect a memorial to the Ehime Maru victims at Kakaako Waterfront Park: The lovely Kakaako park was built and paid for by taxpayers for the enjoyment and recreation of Honolulu residents and our visitors. It is not an appropriate place for gravestones. It was not the site of the Ehimu Maru accident, and a more appropriate place for reminders to families of victims is in their own hometown on their own island.

D.J. Henderson

[Quotables] "We never dreamed that we would be tested to the limits that we have been since the Sept. 11 incident." Susan Orr Manager of Queen's Emergency and Trauma Services, on the hospital's collaboration with the city to build a permanent decontamination facility. The facility would be able to decontaminate up to 200 people an hour and handle cases involving pepper spray, gasoline and anthrax. "The standards are a rope of smoke. They're Jell-O nailed to the wall. They're the exact opposite of standards." David Rolf Proponent of education reform and critic of the Department of Education's current system of education and accountability standards for students

Strike first in war against terrorists

Because of the limitless opportunities for attacks, the terrorist always has the advantage -- of place, time, weapon and surprise. Terrorists demonstrated on Sept. 11 that they don't play by any accepted rules or work out in the open.

Therefore, the only way left to combat terrorism is through good intelligence followed by preemptive strikes. Unfortunately, this strategy of first strikes may make us appear as the aggressor, angering many pacifists who would rather sit and wonder what's next. What's next may be massive nuclear, chemical or biological catastrophe. We already know they are working on it. Pacifists should also realize:

>> Appeasement has never worked. The aggressor sees it only as weakness and becomes more emboldened.

>> There is no moral equivalence between an unprovoked terrorist attack that deliberately targets innocent civilians and a retaliatory attack by the victim country that targets only the terrorists and their military in order to prevent future attacks. They are not the same. One is justified, the other not.

>> Believe it or not, there do exist some genuinely bad people in this world. No matter how many choruses of "Kumbayah" you sing, they want to destroy you.

Michael Van Dorn

Hawaii pays costs of tourism slump

Our economic slump was inevitable; that's the nature of the tourism industry. That's what Hawaii gets for putting all its eggs in one basket. I knew this would happen one day and our mindless legislators failed to see it.

This single-industry economy has been based on greed, greed and more greed milking a cow that will age and die one day. These legislators remind me of teenagers who think they know more than their parents.

David M. K. Inciong II
Pearl City

Waahila power lines are necessary

I would like to clarify some of the misconceptions expressed at a recent Board of Land and Natural Resources public hearing on Waahila Ridge.

First, the lines may be unnecessary to the people in Hawaii Kai or Kaneohe, but they are vital to Waikiki, Manoa, Kaimuki and other nearby areas as they provide back-up power when Pukele lines go down. Remember Super Bowl 1983?

Second, it has been disproved that high-voltage lines cause medical problems. Look at the many TV towers in the urban areas where live and work.

Third, the poles may be an eyesore but are sized to withstand high wind damage. They are taller than the existing poles because they must carry both the 138 KVA and 46 KVA systems. Inadequate separation between these systems can cause arc-overs during high-wind storms.

Fourth, there will be future need for power. Notice the trend in the last two decades where adult children, singles and married couples have moved back to live with the old folks. And notice the many conversions to two-story dwellings.

Leonard K. Chun

Tantalus desecration is worse than Waahila

Having lived on Oahu for all my life, I enjoy the natural beauty of the mountains. I particularly love to look at the skyline surrounding the city of Honolulu.

Recently I have noticed when driving to work from the east side of Oahu a towering structure of gigantic proportion situated atop the skyline of Tantalus.

With its satellite dishes sticking out in every direction it looks like a weapon from the movie "Star Wars." It must be at least 200-feet high because it towers above the pine trees, which themselves must be 50- feet high.

Where was the Manoa Neighborhood Board, Life of the Land and the Outdoor Circle when this object was being constructed? I'm sure this object did not come up itself overnight.

Power lines going across Waahila Ridge would not even come close to the desecration of the beautiful scenery that has happened to the skyline of Tantalus.

Dan Uyeda

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