[ OUR OPINION ]
THE state Supreme Court did a favor to Hawaii's voters by rejecting Governor Cayetano's request that the Democratic Party hierarchy be allowed to select a replacement for the late Rep. Patsy Mink as the party's candidate for a full term in the U.S. House. Cayetano's intention of saving the cost of a later special election that could be won with a small plurality was well-intentioned, but the process would have shortchanged the electorate. Voters win ruling
to decide House seat
THE ISSUE The Hawaii Supreme Court refuses to allow the Democratic Party to name a candidate to replace the late Rep. Patsy Mink.
The high court earlier this week disallowed moving the special election to complete Mink's present term from Nov. 30 to Nov. 5, the day of the general election. While combining the two elections would have saved state expenses, the court ruled that the state must abide by a law that such a special election be scheduled at least 60 days in advance.
Consistent with that ruling, the court then ruled that the state could not allow the Democratic Party to name a substitute candidate for Mink in the general election. Mink's death on Sept. 28 came two days too late for the party appointment process to occur, according to state law. If allowed, the decision on whom to appoint would have been put to the party's central committee, comprised of longtime party regulars -- the good ol' boys.
More than 20 candidates have filed to run for the one-month period remaining in Mink's present term. Mink is likely to win posthumously in the general election, both as a tribute to her and as opposition to Republican state Rep. Bob McDermott, perceived by many as far to the political right of Hawaii's mainstream. That would prompt another special election on Jan. 4 for a full, two-year term. Many candidates also are expected in that contest.
A crowded ballot could create a problem, but only if it were to include several politicians with high name recognition and support. State Rep. Ed Case, state Sen. Colleen Hanabusa and former Gov. John Waihee plan to run for the seat, and they could be joined by runners-up in the Nov. 5 gubernatorial election. Most Hawaii voters are knowledgeable enough to vote for candidates who have a realistic chance of winning, and that list probably will be whittled down as January nears.
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ALARMING as it may be, the new information about wider testing of chemical and biological weapons on American soil -- including Hawaii -- during the 1960s should be viewed in the context of the Cold War era in which they took place. That said, it is important that the Defense Department make every effort to identify military personnel and civilians who may have been affected and to provide them with assistance. Veterans, civilians due
aid in weapons tests
THE ISSUE Hawaii reportedly was a site for secret trials of biological and chemical weapons.
Documents previously held secret were released this week as Congress held hearings to determine the government's responsibility to veterans who may be suffering from ill effects of the tests. They show for the first time that toxic weapons were used in land exercises in the United States -- Hawaii, Alaska, Maryland -- and in Britain and Canada. The department had reported earlier this year that ships and sailors had been sprayed with biological and chemical agents, but those incidents had taken place at sea.
Likewise, most of the tests involving Hawaii, according to the new data, were conducted away from land. However, one -- dubbed Big Tom -- included spraying bacteria over Oahu to mimic a biological attack. The test, run in May and June of 1965, used aircraft to distribute Bacillus globigii, a substance thought to be harmless but later found to be related to one that causes anthrax and that can cause infections in people with weakened immune systems. The Pentagon's data do not identify who may have been affected.
From April to June 1966, "bomblets" filled with agent BZ, or benzilic acid, were set off in the upper Waiakea Forest Reserve southwest of Hilo. The chemical is "an incapacitating agent designed to cause stupor, confusion and hallucinations when inhaled or absorbed through the skin," according to a DOD fact sheet. Long-term or late-developing health effects "seem unlikely," the Pentagon said.
From May to June of 1966, sarin- and BZ-filled bomblets were detonated in the Waiakea reserve and in the nearby Olaa Forest Preserve. Sarin is a "lethal nerve agent" that "can enter the body by inhalation, ingestion, through the eyes and to a lesser extent through the skin," a fact sheet said. Exposure can result in "coma and death." It added that little information is available about long-term health effects with low levels of exposure.
The documents do not say whether civilians were exposed, but the test locations make that a possibility. It remains unclear if military personnel were aware of the nature of the exercises, which were conducted to test how climate, environment and combat conditions affected the toxic weapons. Regardless, the government has a responsibility to veterans and residents it may have placed at risk.
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