Honolulu sirens do seem unusually loud

Mark A. Linett's comments about sirens is well taken ("Screaming sirens offer rude awakening," Letters, June 28). In the 2 1/2 years since I left Honolulu I have come to realize how much I was bothered by sirens there.

I used to live in Harbor Square on Ala Moana Boulevard near Nimitz Highway and even there, where sirens were less frequent than in most areas, I heard at least one loud siren every day. When I took walks along King or Beretania Street or Kapiolani Boulevard, I had to put my hands over my ears when an ambulance, police car or fire truck passed because the volume and pitch were actually painful.

Here in Bangkok, I seldom hear a siren. Granted, conditions are different and a direct comparison is not necessarily fair. But even when an emergency vehicle does pass with siren going, the volume and pitch are low enough to be bearable.

I don't think it is necessary for sirens to be so loud.

Lanny Williams
Bangkok, Thailand

Editorial position on censorship 'hilarious'

Comedian Will Rogers used to say the five sweetest words in the English language are found in the First Amendment: "Congress shall make no law." He was being amusing, but your misreading of the Constitution in your June 25 editorial was so laughable it should have been in the comics section.

You likened Internet porn filters in publicly funded libraries as a violation of the First Amendment. Hilarious! You said protecting children from online predators is "repressive" and equals "censorship." Hysterical!

I almost fell down when you justified free access to filthy sites because little kids might be looking for "avant-garde art."

Then you propped up former state Librarian Virginia Lowell's effort allowing children unprotected access to obscenity as "valiant" and "inventive." Outrageous! Nothing could be more "inventive" than the bizarre notion that smut for keiki is constitutionally protected. Our founders did not fight and die to advocate porno in libraries. The Supreme Court's ruling is not flawed, but a victory for all of us working to protect children from online predators.

Rep. Bud Stonebraker
R-Kalama Valley, Hawaii Kai

Editor's note: The June 25 editorial referred to protecting the First Amendment rights of adults. It did not say that "protecting children from online predators is 'repressive,'" nor did it favor protecting "smut for keiki." Lowell's policy let parents block their children's Internet access unless supervised by a librarian. She did not favor allowing "children unprotected access to obscenity." Further, Hawaii library rules do not allow patrons to display pornographic images on computers. The Star-Bulletin remains opposed to Internet censorship. Readers can find the editorial at https://archives.starbulletin.com/2003/06/25/editorial/indexeditorials.html

Canceling parade would be childish

This letter is in regard to the article "ACLU files suit over city parade" (Star-Bulletin, June 28). The ACLU is correct: If the taxpayers' money is used for the Kid's Parade, then anyone should be allowed to participate. If it were a private function and did not involve taxpayers' money, then some groups could be excluded.

It is childish of Garret Hashimoto, president of the Hawaii Christian Coalition, to say that if the ACLU wins the suit, then the parade will not be held. Maybe Hashimoto and the Hawaii Christian Coalition should embrace the aloha spirit that a lot of us have and not be so close-minded.

Trisha Kuznicki
Kailua

Real reform starts with easing quarantine

I applaud Governor Lingle for signing administrative rules that eased quarantine requirements starting June 30. It's proof positive that her administration has opened doors leading to genuine reform. Special accolades should go to the chairman of the Board of Agriculture, Sandra Lee Kunimoto, and her deputy, Diane Ley, for ferreting out the facts and getting the job done.

As recently as this past legislative session, House Democrats and some Senate Democrats opposed any changes to the quarantine system. A group comprised of animal lovers, Reps. David Pendleton and Bud Stonebraker, the Coalition for Quarantine Reform, military personnel and the Hawaiian Humane Society organized a press conference at the start of the session to voice their support for changing the rules.

It's ironic that quarantine head, state veterinarian James Foppoli, who testified recently before the House Agriculture Committee in support of the changes, had been one of the leading opponents of reform. I hope Foppoli will support additional reforms, such as reducing fees and the 120-day pre-arrival waiting period.

Sen. Fred Hemmings
District 25 (Kailua-Waimanalo-Hawaii Kai)

Iraq ain't no gunfight at the OK Corral

President Bush's boyish bravado does not inspire confidence. Summoning hoards of armed fanatics to a shoot-out at the Baghdad Corral -- from the safety of his bunker in the White House -- is dangerous as well as ludicrous. Our troops have enough to contend with as it is, without irresponsible rhetoric coming from the commander in chief. Somebody needs to tell him, "You're not in Texas anymore."

Tom Dolan

Did Beers better our image with Muslims?

Reports of increasing anti-American protests, demonstrations and acts of violence abroad prompt this reader to ask, how did Charlotte Beers, undersecretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs (a position created by President Bush), spend the $15 million allocated to "improve America's image among Muslims"? It appears Beers, who previously ran two of America's top advertising agencies, resigned after 17 months.

Pray tell us taxpayers, what did America get for the "sell" alluded to by Secretary of State Colin Powell's statement, as quoted in The Economist, that "there is nothing wrong with getting somebody (Beers) who knows how to sell something"?

John K. Kingsley
Wahiawa

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