Many Americans, too, oppose war with Iraq

The headline "Fed Up with America" (Star-Bulletin, Feb. 20) was misleading on two counts.

First, most of the people interviewed in the story made it abundantly clear that they were not against America as a whole, rather against the Bush administration's war plans. The headline failed to describe the article's content.

Second, the headline and the article ignored any domestic opposition to war, thereby giving the impression that only foreigners are not on board with the Bush administration. Clearly such domestic opposition exists, even here in Hawaii.

These points are not merely political, they are a matter of responsible journalism.

Ethan Mills

Ignorant lawmakers spread fluoride fears

A couple of weeks ago, Los Angeles announced that it would fluoridate water for its 18 million users. That will bring the national total to maybe 180 million people who have this benefit, some for more than 50 years.

So this week, the state House and Senate "fast-tracked" a measure to make fluoridation illegal in Hawaii, the last state to have none and whose children have the worst teeth in the nation.

Just as we start an effort to attract industry to our state we have to announce to the rest of the world that we have an ignorant, anti-science government. That is not going to help.

Charles J. Hardy

State should withhold licenses for late fees

So the state wants to clear up the traffic problem on Oahu and collect all the lost money on traffic fines, lost or late library books and all those outstanding student loans. How about putting a hold on every driver's license renewal until the fines are paid? Make parents responsible for lost or late books. Many people have Social Security numbers that can be tied to their drivers licenses. Why should Kapolei Library sit with no books while this state lets everyone slide on tickets and huge student loans?

California would never stand for this. I would be happy to come work for Governor Lingle in collections. Just think how that much money could help this state!

Arlene Perez-Lanet
Wahiawa

Salvinia, frogs, snakes can be yummy treats

I have an idea to eliminate the Salvinia molesta in Lake Wilson. Call on Sam Choy to concoct a recipe to make it a gourmet's delight. Offer it free to the public and it would be as hard to find as opihi. At the same time, ask Sam also to concoct recipes for the coqui frog and brown tree snake -- simple and inexpensive solutions.

Clark Himeda

Principals should be held accountable

Public school principals should be managers representing the taxpayers in executing their duty of educating our children, and the Board of Education should hold them accountable.

Parents no longer should tolerate schools in disrepair; toilets that are dirty, leaky, "not in service" and lacking toilet paper; window louvers and doors that do not close, locker cabinets with missing doors; light fixtures or switches that do not work.

The Democratic Party had promised taxpayers that education was its No. 1 priority, but we only got lip service and dismal student graduates. Hawaii legislators should give Governor Lingle a chance to execute education reforms. Let us take the first step of many needed in the arduous process so that every one of our public school students will be educated.

School principals should be chosen from the best and brightest teachers and, more important, should be most caring and dedicated to fulfilling their duty to educate our children.

Roy M. Iwamoto

Radio, TV scream with conservative views

Whom do the broadcast air waves belong to? The radio and TV stations, since they paid all that money to build the stations? Sort of like the guy who operates a big expensive car figures that since he paid so much for the car, he drives like he owns the road. Like the road, the airwaves belong to the public.

Broadcasters have been granted hundreds of billions of dollars worth of exclusive licenses to operate on these airwaves at no charge, on the condition that they serve the public interest. But the majority of radio and TV sounds like nonstop propaganda to serve the wealthy conservatives. A glib TV or radio show host will have a guest with a liberal point of view but talk over him, and when he disagrees he calls the guest un-American and cuts him off.

Conservative hosts are suggesting listeners don't need to hear the liberal point of view -- as columnist Dale McFeatters noted on Feb. 20 -- as it isn't very entertaining and provides poor ratings. This is a red herring to deny people access to all sides of public issues.

Ron Rhetrik
Mililani

Attention to Iraq issue should turn to Israel

If we focused one-tenth as much on the Israeli-Palestinian issue as we have on Iraq, we would be well on our way toward solving our economic crisis and root cause of the proliferating worldwide anti-American and Israeli hatred. Attacking Iraq will permanently polarize this setting and give the "other side" an excuse to get even.

Joseph P. Nicolai

Gas cap could result in higher prices

Does anyone know what our gas prices would be today if the gas-cap bill were in effect? Since California regular unleaded is close to or at $2 a gallon, I think ours would be between $2.15 to $2.30 a gallon. I saw the posted price of $1.85 at my local station today. Sounds like another van cam-like law to me.

R. Cummings
Kapolei

Tourism officials don't understand marketing

According to the Feb. 28 article by Russ Lynch and Tim Ruel about the state of Hawaii instituting a "war plan," the Hawaii Tourism Authority is planning on the belief that "it doesn't make sense to advertise to tourists in wartime."

It shows just how amateurish and clueless state officials are about advertising. By "going dark" during wartime, Hawaii will lessen its awareness level, fail to capitalize on pent-up demand and consequently find itself far behind other, more enlightened destinations when the war ends.

This phenomenon has been proved true in many studies over the years. Hawaii needs to pull itself out of the 1930s.

Rich Peck

Excitement, security will lure Japanese

On Feb. 13 the dapper Masatoshi Muto, consul general of Japan, shared his concerns, advice and insights into Japanese tourism with members and guests of the Pacific Asia Travel Association. Muto pulled no punches; he "told it like it is" and it was not exactly what we wanted to hear.

He stripped us of some of our core beliefs about Japanese visitors. For instance, he said advertising in Japanese media may be a waste of money. He said we need to be in the Japanese media as often as we can with real stories about the people of Hawaii, Hawaii's culture and events and of course the weather. He nixed golfing and shopping as lures because golf in Japan is now affordable on good courses and most of the stores in Hawaii are now available in Japan.

Muto said we must promote our outdoor activities taking advantage of our weather. We need to make Hawaii "exciting" to Japanese travelers by developing and promoting water and sports activities because this is what the "new" Japanese traveler wants.

Muto said stories in Japan about pickpockets and purse snatchers really hurt our image. Hawaii needs to take a major bite out of crimes against tourists. The recent constitutional amendment on information charging is a big step in this direction.

I hope his advice connects with the decision makers in the Hawaii Tourism Authority. From our view on the beach of Waikiki, Mr. Muto is right on the kini popo.

Bob Hampton
Waikiki Beach Activities

Long-term care credit would help too few

I opposed the tax credit proposals being offered as an alternative to a state-sponsored long-term-care insurance program. The credit will go to the 6 percent of the population who have purchased private insurance. It's fine that some people are healthy enough and rich enough to afford private insurance. They are doing the responsible thing. But what about the rest of us?

The credits will take money out of the general fund which is already unable to cover many of the state's health, human services and education programs.

Since most people don't have insurance, how will tax credits slow the growing costs to the state of Medicaid?

The state plan to provide benefits of $70 a day for 365 days is minimal, but enough to help people stay at home, which is what we want. Those with private insurance will be able to use their plans' benefits to supplement the state plan to extend the length of coverage and/or pay for more services.

I am willing to pay the tax because I think it's the right thing to do for all of us. The plan would provide the security of knowing we won't be a financial burden to our children.

Charles C.K. Ng

What if Ehime Maru case were reversed?

Feb. 9 marked the second anniversary of the Ehime Maru disaster, in which a Japanese vessel was struck and sunk by a surfacing U.S. Navy submarine off the coast of Oahu. When there is such a tragic loss of life it is difficult to assign blame, but I have always wondered if the U.S. Navy were 100 percent wrong and the Ehime Maru and Japan were 100 percent right.

What would have happened if an American fishing vessel was a few miles off the coast of Japan and was hit by a Japanese submarine? In an accident where American lives were lost, the Japanese government would have demanded from the United States:

>> an explanation of why a U.S. commercial vessel was operating in a military zone;

>> an answer as to why Americans were training U.S. fishermen in Japanese home waters, taking fish from the Japanese people;

>> millions of dollars to repair their damaged submarine;

>> an apology and acceptance of blame for the accident by the United States.

Strong, aggressive self-interest is characteristic of the Japanese and of many other nations in their relations with the United States. The American people are unique in their capacity for self-blame and for resolving every dispute to the benefit of other nations.

The Japanese have an international reputation as the most exploitive, irresponsible and destructive fishing industry in the world. Until the Japanese change their ways, their fishing boats -- training or otherwise -- should not be welcome near Hawaiian waters.

Ray Allen
Aiea

'Recycling' uranium a shameful practice

I recently saw a documentary, "Hidden Wars of Desert Storm," and was sickened and ashamed to learn that the United States has made bombs and armor-piercing bullets from depleted uranium, the toxic, radioactive waste product created when we make nuclear fuel and warheads.

Depleted uranium makes a hard, dense metal and, when used for weapons, solves the problem of storing something that will be radioactive for thousands of years. Our military leaders even had the nerve to call it "recycling."

These weapons were used in the Gulf War and in Kosovo. Fragments of these weapons litter Iraq and may well be the cause of Gulf War disease and the elevated incidence of cancer and birth defects in Iraq since the war. During the Gulf War, our soldiers were never told of the dangers of these weapons as they moved through and camped amid the bombed wreckage. Certainly the people of Iraq do not know the danger as they scavenge this "scrap metal."

The U.N. inspection teams are having a hard time finding Iraq's weapons of mass destruction while one lies literally at their feet, one that we put there.

How can we call other countries evil? How can we even consider another war?

Mary Pickett

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