Patriotic display shines in 'City Lights' show

I took my family to Honolulu Hale the other night to check out "City Lights." This is a great program, and it keeps improving each year. I also like that the city gives different religious groups and organizations the opportunity to have a display where they can let the community know what the holidays mean to them.

The display that impressed me the most was from Stand Up for America, an organization founded by Mike Gabbard. The display has a very powerful message about patriotism and Christmas. For everybody who has not been down to see "City Lights" and the Stand Up for America display, I would definitely recommend going to check it out.

Kathy Martin

Drug manufacturers need more incentive

A problem is posed in a Dec. 14 Star-Bulletin report: "Hospitals face drug shortages: Fewer drug makers are producing the indispensible but low-profit drugs." What do our laissez-faire economists propose should be done?

During the 18th-century potato blight in Ireland, millions of people died or emigrated, when British laissez-faire believers rejected the idea of helping. Should "don't interfere" also be our economic policy?

Jerome G. Manis

Nurses have funny way of showing they care

I've just read another letter to the editor from one of the picketing Queen's nurses who alleges that the nursing strike is not about money but rather concerns for patients.

Come on, nurses, who do you think you're fooling? Of course, it's about the money. If it was about patients, you wouldn't have been blocking access to the emergency room.

You wouldn't have been encouraging passersby to honk day and night, disturbing the patients' rest. You wouldn't be intimidating the nurses brought in from the mainland at tremendous expense to care for your patients. You would tell your mainland leadership to negotiate meaningfully.

Your patient-to-nurse ratios are already lower than most mainland hospitals. You'll be making at least $74,000 + with the current contract offer and yet you want more. Of course, it's about the money.

As a spouse of one of your nurses on the picket line, and a cousin of one of the nurses who crosses the picket line and an ex-Queen's employee who loved the ohana feeling that Queen's used to have, I fear the divisiveness that your action is causing among local nurses who are loyal to their workplace and the attitudes of some of your more strident, "party animal" types on the picket line. Do yourselves and your patients a favor and go back to work while you negotiate for more money.

Incidentally, my wife has assured me that this letter won't cause her to suffer repercussions from her fellow nurses' union members. I truly hope that will be the case.

Jay Z. Conley
Kailua

Patients need to support their nurses

I am a chemotherapy patient at Kuakini Medical Center who is in full support of my nurses. Each one of them provides the utmost care and makes you feel safe, loved and special.

The last two weeks have been just awful since I have to see my nurses -- Patty, Cheryl, Pali and Paula -- out on the picket line instead of in the hospital treating me.

I know they feel just terrible to be on strike now, but they need to stand up for what they believe in and what's right. I have stopped to speak to them and the first thing they ask is "how are you."

It's hard enough to deal with cancer, but going without the support of these great nurses makes it even tougher.

Let's end to this situation by giving the nurses what they deserve. We all need to remember that we entrust our lives to these nurses every day.

Settling the strike should be the first thing on Governor Lingle's agenda before more people get hurt.

Patients, let's rally together and support our nurses by contacting the newspapers and government agencies to let them know how we feel.

Sandy Mochida
Mililani

Voters need to hear more from candidates

As a 10-year resident of this beautiful state and a retired military officer, I am deeply concerned about the seeming stranglehold the Democrat Party has on the local and state governments. As a current Hawaii Pacific University student, I just finished the "Elections in Hawaii" course where the class closely followed the 2002 primary, general and special elections that were just completed. I was appalled at the lack of candidate debates between the major candidates for office.

Can we fix that for the Jan. 4 special election? It might be difficult to include all the candidates in the debates, but I would hope there are some pretty smart media folks out there who could figure a way to at least have a single debate between the major candidates that reaches a larger audience than just public television.

One-party rule, be it Democrat or Republican, does a disservice to us all. It's time the voting public of Hawaii be informed on the issues and be able to make real choices at the voting booth on Jan 4.

K.J. Johnston
Aiea

Novel's version of confession is off base

Regarding "Our Lady of Perpetual Succor," a chapter in Don Chapman's serialized novel (Star-Bulletin, Nov. 22): Chapman reveals a colossal irreverence and ignorance of one of the great gifts that Christ left his church -- the sacrament of reconciliation (or penance).

Devout Catholics believe that Christ instituted this sacrament and that the church's validly ordained ministers, who act "in the person of Christ" while administering this sacrament, are able to pardon the sins of a truly penitent sinner.

Chapman mocks this great gift with a ridiculous dialogue between priest and penitent, and an incredible distortion of what actually takes place in the confessional, something non-Catholics could readily believe if they did not know better.

The confessional is not a forum for negotiating penance, nor does a priest confess his sins to the penitent. Chapman should drop the homosexually active but closeted priest routine. It is a tired and greatly exaggerated cliche.

Chris Wilson

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