Don't let Patriot Act steal your freedom

Under the Bush administration's new policy, your name can now be added to the government's "No Fly" list and you can be denied boarding on commercial airlines if you spoke out against Bush or his illegal war in Iraq.

If you dared to march in defiance of this little dictator who wants to rule the world, or if you borrowed library books on Islam, or have a name other than Bush, or for any number of other undisclosed reasons, you can be denied the right to travel and the government will not even tell you why you are on the list or what, if anything, you can do to have your name removed from it. It matters not that you might be an American, a patriot, a veteran or a law-abiding citizen.

The Bush folks are using the Patriot Act to tighten their control on the population, to quash those who dare to stand up and speak out against Bush for his war-mongering and other illegal, immoral and un-American acts.

The solution? Everyone should speak out and get their names on the list. If everyone in the United States of America -- except for Bush, Cheney, Ashcroft and Ridge -- gets on the list, the authorities will not be able to enforce their stupid, police-state rules.

Our freedoms are so important. Suddenly, the elections of 2004 seem so far away.

Keith Haugen

What's the big deal? Just legalize it

Eighty percent of the American public want marijuana legalized for medical purposes, and 47 percent have experimented with marijuana, according to a recent CNN/TIME poll with a large sample size and small margin of error. I think the spokespeople for the federal government are giving us a line of bull when it comes to marijuana.

Phil Robertson

Hawaii must protect itself from cruise ships

Within 24 hours of last Friday's start of Alaska's 2003 cruise season, a ship owned by Norwegian Cruise Lines dumped more than 40 tons of raw sewage into the waters off the coast of Washington state. Last July, NCL was fined $1 million for falsifying records, deliberately bypassing pollution- prevention devices and dumping oil into the ocean.

Hawaii needs to establish laws to regulate pollution discharges from cruise ships, especially since Norwegian Cruse Lines is the dominate line serving our state.

Maui Rep. Joe Souki, as chairman of the Transportation Committee, has killed cruise ship pollution bills year after year in Hawaii by not allowing them to be heard by his committee. Keeping Hawaii's waters pollution free is far too important for Souki to continue to act in such an irresponsible manner.

Tom Brayton
Lahaina, Maui

Better keep an eye on those cruise ships

When was the last time Hawaii's port authority investigated the dumping of raw sewage, bilge water and garbage from cruise ships into Hawaiian waters? Tell me, kamaainas, have you checked your waters lately? Are ships allowed to dump into your bay?

Perhaps public health does not count because tourists spend money, or because of the jobs that the industry creates.

I have asked. What is the answer?

Peggy Olson
Seattle, Wash.
Former Hawaii resident

Who is really guiding tourism development?

Eric Gill, financial secretary and treasurer of the largest hotel workers union in Hawaii, condemned Governor Lingle's private tourism summit, which excluded participants from his union.

I understand his concerns that our front-line employees, who have more direct contact with Hawaii's visitors than those invited to the summit, are not being heard. It appears that the people invited to the summit were either hotel and airline directors of marketing (they run the advertising budgets) or hotel managers (they pay the advertising bills).

However, I believe the governor was right not to include the unions or companies like mine because we provide services and activities to the visitors only after they arrive in Hawaii. It is the marketing folks who develop the strategies and programs that bring visitors to our islands who are needed now.

At some point in the future the governor may want to hear from the folks in the trenches. Maybe then she will invite us.

Bob Hampton
Waikiki Beach Activities