Ko Olina residents shouldn't be punished

I read the story "Ko Olina access limit under fire" (Star-Bulletin, Nov. 5) and wondered why City Councilman Duke Bainum would persuade his committee to delete a neighborhood commercial complex from the Ko Olina zoning application just because he is upset at the developer.

Doesn't he realize that he is punishing a large group of City Council constituents who live permanently in Ko Olina and would like to be able to shop and do business in their own neighborhood? The limited access to the lagoons keep Ko Olina beaches extremely clean, if not the cleanest beaches on Oahu. And with the Aloha team doing the security, they are probably the safest, too.

Jerry Denis
Kapolei

Learn from Kauai how to call Ko Olina's bluff

Regarding your editorial about Ko Olina wanting to restrict public access to the beach (Star-Bulletin, Nov. 8): the Honolulu City Council must get its backbone up and not accept any restrictions on a legal and recorded easement from the developer to the public, just as the Council of Kauai did last January. Under immense public pressure, the Kauai Council refused to accept the grant deed for 60 acres of shoreline land in Kealia, because many conditions were attached, including restrictions on hours of usage and allowing the developer to patrol the beach with his own security guards.

After months of deliberations and with increasing numbers of the public testifying against the restrictions, the Council finally voted unanimously to reject the grant deed with the onerous conditions. A week later the developer re-offered the grant deed without the objectionable conditions.

The people of Oahu should learn a lesson from the people of Kauai.

Raymond Chuan
Hanalei, Kauai

Gabbard connected with the grassroots

I am happy that Mike Gabbard has been elected to the City Council. He came to my door twice during the campaign. This proved to me that Gabbard was serious about hearing from the community, and it's also why he got my vote.

Rhonda Soares
Kapolei

Female leaders more aware of war's dangers

Several commentators have pointed out that the opposition to President Bush's ill-considered rush toward war with Iraq has come primarily from congresspersons from the Northeast and the West coast and from the minority members.

No one, to our knowledge, has yet pointed out that female members of Congress were far more likely to oppose this militaristic madness than men: 31 percent of female senators opposed the war authorization, while only 22 percent of men in the Senate did so. Even more strikingly, 58 percent of women in the House of Representatives opposed the war resolution, while only 26 percent of men did so.

While one must be cautious generalizing from such data, it is heartening to notice that many women in national office are showing awareness of the immense dangers of the coming war. Perhaps from their ranks may come the leadership the country needs to create a wiser, more temperate, less violent role for the United States in world affairs.

Kathy E. Ferguson
Professor and Director, Women's Studies Program
Professor, Department of Political Science

Meda Chesney-Lind
Professor, Women's Studies Program

Phyllis Turnbull
Associate professor (retired), Department of Political Science

Kathleen O. Kane
Affiliated Faculty, Women's Studies Program and Department of Political Science

Treat your car like the loaded weapon it is

Your attention, please! My friend Sue is gone. She perished in a head-on collision when another vehicle's driver fell asleep and crossed into her lane.

Although most of us don't feel this way about it, driving carries the same responsibility as holding a loaded gun. But we've grown complacent about our driving habits. We're so comfortable and confident traveling in our mobile shells that we subconsciously believe nothing bad can happen. So we talk on our cell phones, drive when we're tired, drive when we drink, paint our faces on, read the paper, yell at our kids, play with the radio, eat, fight and more.

We all just need to stop, because doing anything else means we're not paying enough attention to driving.

If you give it any thought at all, you'll conclude that none of these activities is worth the loss of your life or the life of another. So please do give it some thought. Then pay attention while you drive. Your precious life and the lives of others deserve your full attention.

Sharon A. Suzuki

Lingle must win over her naysayers

Congratulations to Linda Lingle for having won a rough and tough fight. She's in the hot seat now and faces another battle -- to deliver her promises.

She is in a situation much like the one the United States will be in if it attacks Iraq, deposes Saddam Hussein, and is able to appease the Iraqi people and pay the price of attaining and maintaining a march to victory!

Tetsuji Ono
Hilo, Hawaii

Lingle cabinet could include hits from past

Now that we have Linda Lingle as our governor, how about these suggestions for people for cabinet positions: Pat Saiki, Marion Higa, Cec Heftel and Frank Fasi.

Go for broke, Ms. Lingle!

Junior Cortez
Waipahu

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