[ OUR OPINION ]
Protests demonstrate
liberty needed in IraqWAR has begun and protests are likely to continue in Hawaii, elsewhere across the country and around the world. Anti-war demonstrations on the home front should not be regarded as unpatriotic acts or gestures of nonsupport for the welfare of the men and women who have been thrust into battle. They are exercises of the same liberty that American troops hope to deliver to the people of Iraq.
THE ISSUE Some isle residents join other Americans in praying for U.S. armed forces in Iraq; others protest the policy that put them there.
As the congregation at Calvary Chapel Pearl Harbor gathered to pray for loved ones serving in the Persian Gulf, numerous people lined Ala Moana Boulevard next to the Prince Kuhio Federal Building to waves signs in opposition to the U.S. attack on Iraq. Their sentiments were not necessarily antithetical.
Pastor Frank Figueroa Jr. said church members offered prayers for "those who are willing to sacrifice everything for the freedom for us to come here and worship." People may disagree about whether that freedom was actually at risk, but they would be wrong to question the motives of members of our armed services.
"I think we're standing here as the conscience of America," said Rachel Fesler-Schnitzer, one of the protesters along Ala Moana. She and her fellow protesters demonstrate the freedom of Americans to openly protest government policy without fear of reprisal -- a freedom that has been lacking in Iraq under Saddam Hussein.
The U.S.-led military coalition falls short of the breadth of international participation that the Star-Bulletin regarded as necessary to justify the attack. Now that President Bush has initiated military action, we share his goal of a quick, decisive result with a minimum of casualties, both civilian and military. The broad coalition that we desired may yet emerge to rebuild post-war Iraq, and President Bush should be commended for his continuing attempts to gain support from more nations for that effort.
The early assault aimed at eliminating Iraq's leadership was intended to avert the heavy bombing that was to follow. The dropping of millions of leaflets encouraging Iraqis to avoid danger by dropping their weapons and welcoming liberation was an important effort to lessen casualties.
The result sought by Bush is the hope of virtually all Americans, regardless of their widely divergent opinions about government policy. Reasonable people may disagree about whether Iraq posed an imminent threat to the United States or the international community, but we know of none who support Saddam Hussein.
BACK TO TOP |
BOE proposal needs
governor’s guidanceA SENATOR'S revival of Governor Lingle's proposal to dismantle the statewide Board of Education clears the way for further consideration of the idea that had seemed stalled in the Legislature. Lingle, who had made the plan a central issue of her campaign and her administration, should take this opportunity to present a more specific framework for decentralizing the school board.
THE ISSUE Lingle's plan for multiple school boards gets a second look at the Legislature.
Lawmakers had not greeted Lingle's proposal with much enthusiasm earlier in the session. A Senate bill would have kept the statewide board intact while the House has fashioned a bill to create advisory councils with authority to oversee superintendents, capital improvements and curriculum to work with the current board structure. However, Senate Education Chairman Norman Sakamoto is recommending his committee approve a measure that would ask voters to decide on a constitutional amendment that is required to break up the board. Although the bill is short on details, Sakamoto's aim is to stimulate discussion, which is vital for so important an issue.
Lingle maintains that having district school boards instead of a centralized body will improve public education. While the idea has captured the public's attention, the governor has not yet made clear how she envisions the system would work and how more boards would connect to improvements in student learning.
There are several issues to consider. Among them are how administrative functions -- such as budget preparation and appropriations, salary and staffing issues, material purchases, and school repairs and construction -- would be coordinated from one district to the next. More complex matters, such as how curriculum and education policies would be established and integrated, need to be explored. For example, if one district board selects a curriculum model different from others, how will testing of students -- necessary to comply with federal No Child Left Behind mandates -- be managed?
Sakamoto's bill, which was scheduled for a vote today, prudently calls for a task force to review these and other concerns. Lingle should take the reins to lead this effort and gather all interested parties to draft a detailed plan. That way, voters will have a distinct view of what to expect and be assured that multiple boards will lead to a better public school system.
BACK TO TOP
Published by Oahu Publications Inc., a subsidiary of Black Press.Don Kendall, Publisher
Frank Bridgewater, Editor 529-4791; fbridgewater@starbulletin.com
Michael Rovner, Assistant Editor 529-4768; mrovner@starbulletin.com
Lucy Young-Oda, Assistant Editor 529-4762; lyoungoda@starbulletin.comMary Poole, Editorial Page Editor, 529-4748; mpoole@starbulletin.com
The Honolulu Star-Bulletin (USPS 249460) is published daily by
Oahu Publications at 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-500, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813.
Periodicals postage paid at Honolulu, Hawaii. Postmaster: Send address changes to
Star-Bulletin, P.O. Box 3080, Honolulu, Hawaii 96802.
