Title IX gave women equal opportunity

In his Oct. 13 letter, W.G. Corley wrote that Patsy Mink's "Title IX effort emasculated many men's collegiate sports programs only to result in an expansion of meaningless, fringe women's programs."

On the contrary, Title IX was one of the most important civil rights laws for women. It helped women gain equality and not only in sports. As girls were given more scholarship opportunities, it became clear that women could perform well in very exciting sports -- like winning the Soccer World Cup -- and succeed scholastically and on the job front.

This act has helped countless women step earn pay and gain acceptance in the workplace in a wider variety of roles. Its success is most evident in this election year as Hawaii is about to elect its first female governor. How Title IX has helped young girls in school, women in the workplace and women in all walks of life toward equal opportunity and acceptance in all fields is immeasurable.

Catherine Anderson

Superintendent sees need to help all kids

Hawaii Schools Superintendent Pat Hamamoto is a true leader. I congratulate her on having the courage to support Question No. 2 on the general election ballot. This amendment would allow the state to issue revenue bonds for private-school construction and repairs. Voting "yes" will generate jobs, help with badly needed repairs for private schools and, more importantly, it will not affect the public school budget in any way.

Hamamoto understands the value of education for all Hawaii's children, and maybe this decision will lead the way to addressing the public school maintenance and repair backlog. Just imagine if our public school teachers had a union with that courage and vision.

Tesha Malama
Ewa Beach

Shippers have power to destroy economy

It's interesting that we attack the gas companies for overcharging and let the shipping companies go free. Matson and CSX have posted record profits and are among the least efficient shippers in the world. They don't even use bar codes. They may be overcharging too and, given that they have a stranglehold on shipping essential goods to Hawaii, they may be ripping us off worse than the oil companies.

Will we have to subsidize the shippers one day? We seem to be doing that already by paying more for less. It's just not tax money; it's money directly out of our pockets.

There are very good reasons why Hawaii is a hard place to do business. The cost of shipping is one big one. The cost of the work stoppage on the West Coast may sink Hawaii's modest economic gains as well. I have already had to fly material in to replace material that is stuck in Kansas City.

Who are we protecting? Certainly not Hawaii and the people who live here. Will we wake up in time? I hope so because so much is at stake in the long term.

We think of ourselves as a liberal state, but we can be very conservative. We protect our narrow, selfish interests at the expense of the majority and call it good for the people. Who are we fooling? Only ourselves.

We have just two major shippers and one union. This trio can destroy Hawaii and bring the nation to a standstill, and we do nothing. Why?

Grant Merritt

U.S. has no right to depose Saddam

Insanity runs rampant in the houses of Congress. The Iraq war resolution is so contrary to American ethics and morality that all intelligent Americans should be marching in the streets in protest.

What gives us the right to kill a man just because he is an evil dictator? Who elected us super cop? The government of a country is determined by its people; we have no right to decide that we want Saddam replaced. Will the United States next decide to murder the rest of the world's dictators? Where is the proof that the United States is in immediate danger from Iraq?

President Bush has used the flag of patriotism to stir the people to vote Republican, the "saviors of our nation." But how many body bags will that cost us?

Let us hope that Americans are too informed to fall for such a disgusting, desperate ploy for political control.

Lani Hubbard
Haleiwa

It's the economy, Mr. President

As a veteran of the Korean War, I am deeply disappointed in the performance of President Bush. When our country is nearing a double-dip recession, with record unemployment, reduced consumer confidence and spending, a five-year low in the stock market and a record number of workers losing their retirement savings due to corruption in corporate management, our president seems to be concentrating on how to wage a war with Iraq.

The preamble to the U.S. Constitution clearly calls for the need "to insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity."

I believe the 9/11 terrorists' main purpose was to disrupt our domestic tranquility, our general welfare and the blessings of liberty in our country. Our president should therefore be spending more time fixing our economy. The question is: "Are we better off today than two years ago?" The resounding response is: "Hell, no!"

History tells us that while Emperor Nero concentrated on his violin, his city burned to the ground. Let's fix our domestic economy, Mr. President!

Edgar A. Hamasu

Hawaii delegates cast ballots for peace

We can be proud of Senators Akaka and Inouye and Congressman Abercrombie for their votes against the Iraq war resolution. Though it was underreported in the press, the American people were very opposed to this resolution, congressional phone calls and e-mails were running 70-80 percent against its passage.

The Democratic Party as a whole showed a serious lack of leadership on this issue. The president has been allowed to define defining national security through his own distorted lens for more than one year now and it is time that an alternate view of reality be presented to the American people. Thank you to our congressional delegates for their courageous votes.

Dennis Mendonca
Kapaa, Kauai

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