Religion is how man tames his savage soul

Man is the highest form of animal. He is civilized, educated, cultured with the highest intellect of all mammals. Yet he is capable of waging a war to kill or maim his fellow men because of greed and his basic animal instincts, which will never exit entirely from the human soul.

Therefore, we can hypothesize that religion is a necessary entity of human life in that it makes an attempt to tame the animal within all of us.

Tetsuji Ono
Hilo, Hawaii

Court should make bathrooms available

The state uses the fifth floor in Building One of Restaurant Row for First Circuit Court Adult Services, which includes temporary restraining orders, criminal misdemeanors, probation unit, voluntary guardians and ad lidem unit.

To my amazement, the restrooms on this floor are reserved for staff only. According to one staff member, the bathrooms were getting "trashed," so they had to close them.

How it is that on one small floor they cannot maintain the bathrooms, yet all other court facilities have restrooms available? The head of this family court floor says he is just following the orders of the court.

I protest this injustice to those victims who are there to acquire TRO's to protect themselves and their children from further violence. This poor service adds insult to their injury. Surely a key could be provided for access to the restrooms.

These same victims also have no access to public parking rates. The wait to get a TRO can take four hours and cost $24 for parking. The First Circuit Court should remedy this situation.

Clara Olds
Kailua

Put Harano's name back on the tunnel

A grave injustice was done when the Tetsuo Harano Tunnel was renamed for someone else after the inscription was on.

Our governor's excuse was that we honor people after their deaths. Les Murakami Stadium, Ronald Reagan Library?

As our good Sen. Dan Inouye said recently, why do we honor people after they've gone? Do it while they're alive so they can savor the fruits of their labor and strive to do more!

I'd rather be a live celebrity than a dead hero.

It's not too late to correct this wrong. Our governor should do it now, before his term runs out, so he can protect the honesty and integrity of the Cayetano era. Someone will take credit down the line and do it anyway. It's inevitable.

It is said that George Washington once admitted, "Yes, I made a mistake -- I cut down the cherry tree." A great leader.

For fair play, rename the Tetsuo Harano Tunnel.

Yasu Nakamatsu
Kapaa, Kauai

U.S. should destroy its own nukes first

President Bush is wrong to call for a possible pre-emptive attack on Iraq. If he is right, then Japan was justified in attacking Pearl Harbor in World War II. China could attack Taiwan, or Pakistan could attack India, or vice-versa.

Instead, the United States should lead the world in disarmament. Destroy the nuclear stockpile and encourage other nations to follow. The goal in this millennium should be to abolish war.

War is a terrible waste of the world's resources. There is an urgent need to control the spread of diseases, eliminate famine, control population and revive the world economy. These goals are superior to war.

How Tim Chang

State neglects needs of mentally ill

Your story "New crisis line helps patients avoid arrest" (Star-Bulletin, Oct. 11) quoted Paul Guggenheim, administrator of the Hawaii State Hospital in Kaneohe, referring to the "unique way Hawaii handles mentally ill." That "unique way" is through systematic neglect.

Major mental health organizations estimate that one to two individuals in a thousand need the level of psychiatric care that only a state hospital can provide. For a state with more than 1 million citizens, that would require 1,000 to 2,000 beds, not 163. While many states are currently failing to fully meet these needs, Hawaii has always been and continues to be one of our nation's worst offenders. It is wonderful to hear that the 163 patients now get proper care, but that is little comfort to the hundreds or thousands denied access.

The state is worried about its liability regarding Sacred Falls and other public places. Continuing to neglect the needs of our most vulnerable citizens creates a much greater liability. Eventually those harmed by these policies, or their loved ones, will sue.

Guggenheim went on to say that the Kaneohe hospital "used to be an embarrassment for the state." It continues to be an embarrassment, no longer for what it does but for what it chooses not to do.

Wayne David Levy

Legislation isn't a cure-all for high prices

The gasoline industry in Hawaii is unique, misunderstood and a political punching bag every election year. We all want the best price for our fuel, and encouraging fuel-efficient vehicles and tax reductions (Hawaii has the highest gas-tax burden in the nation at .557 cents/gallon) is a good start.

Competition is the answer to high prices, but Hawaii's regulations and legislation hamper competition. The current administration's anti-oil-company mentality causes existing suppliers to reconsider their viability here and discourages new suppliers from entering this market.

I was part of a group of dealers who opposed the gasoline price-cap legislation because of its poor logic (self-serve regular grade only, tied into volatile West Coast markets). Further, studies have shown that had this law been in effect for the last 36 months, Hawaii consumers would have paid, on average, .10 cents per gallon more for their gas.

We need to stop looking at the symptom and focus on the cause. Voting for candidates who will repeal bad laws and open the doors to a free market sounds like a good idea.

Barney Robinson
Chevron dealer
Waialae Chevron

---

How to write us The Star-Bulletin welcomes letters that are crisp and to the point (150 to 200 words). The Star-Bulletin reserves the right to edit letters for clarity and length. Please direct comments to the issues; personal attacks will not be published. Letters must be signed and include a daytime telephone number. Letter form: Online form, click here E-mail: letters@starbulletin.com Fax: (808) 529-4750 Mail: Letters to the Editor, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 7 Waterfront Plaza, 500 Ala Moana, Suite 210, Honolulu, HI 96813