Brainstorm! Challenge

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Speedy bus makes up for lost time

I was listening to Perry & Price on KSSK yesterday morning and just as they mentioned the end of the bus strike, I saw Bus No. 679 speed through the red light at Waialae Avenue and Sierra Drive.

Ah, the return to "normalcy" in Kaimuki.

Elissa Josephsohn
Honolulu

Pro-life zealotry can go too far

Regarding John Calvin Long's letter, "Don't give 'abortion pill' to Hawaii's children," (Star-Bulletin, Sept. 27): Are we supposed to ban having children because some of the women might die in childbirth? Are we to extend the murder laws to protect animal life and our skin cells because the skin cells can be cloned into life? Or is this going too far?

Phil Robertson
Honolulu

Kicking 'ice' takes the effort of many

Mahalo nui loa to the print, radio and TV media for their generous and urgently needed contribution in providing full coverage to this vitally important community issue. Edgy Lee's chilling portrayal brings it all home in "Ice: Hawaii's Crystal Meth Epidemic."

Now it is up to each of us throughout the state, to step up to the plate and do our part to rid these islands of this scourge. Many thanks to Sen. Daniel K. Inouye for working to provide more than $8 million in initial funding for many types of projects now ready to go on Hawaii Island, and to Gov. Linda Lingle and Lt. Gov. Duke Aiona for taking it statewide.

And above all, thanks to Mayor Harry Kim and Billy Kenoi.

Now that's ohana. Let's all "kick ice."

Paula Z. Helfrich
Hilo, Hawaii

Kids get the message from film on 'ice'

When I saw the television program on "ice," I got scared. But then my parents told me the program is just telling you about a really bad drug. And so I realized it wasn't scary, but it was put in a scary way because it was telling you that you shouldn't take ice.

I hope the doctors will make a medication to cure ice addiction and destroy ice for good. So, to kids who watched the television program, don't be scared, it's just telling you what ice is all about.

Drugs are bad for you. Never take ice.

Julia Keakealani Bissen
Age 9
St. Anthony's Grade School
Wailuku, Maui

Mayor Kim's remark upset the hearing, too

Big Island Mayor Harry Kim's comment in the "Ice: Hawaii's Crystal Meth Epidemic" film, seen all over the state last Wednesday, that "You have to be dumb, deaf and ignorant not to know that we have a severe, severe problem," upset people outside the deaf community as well. I was able to hear his remark and was both surprised and upset that he would say it and that it was included in the film. You would think that someone would have had the sensitivity to edit it out.

His comment in the Star-Bulletin Sept. 27: "Kim acknowledged yesterday that he probably shouldn't have said that but he was trying to emphasize the extent of the epidemic," falls far short of an apology.

Unfortunately his prejudice will incense viewers each time the film is rebroadcast -- particularly if stations run it again without closed captions.

A sincere apology would have been more appropriate.

Larry Geller
Manoa

Letter distorted result of same-sex vote

Joseph Awo's Sept. 28 letter has factual errors that need correcting. Mike Gabbard earned his sobriquets ("ambassador of hate," "professional homophobe") as a result of the hurtful testimony he presented at the Legislature during the '90s. I was there, heard it and was deeply offended by it.

So-called "traditional marriage" was never the issue. The issue was about extending civil rights to same-sex couples. The state does not, and did not, have the right to tell churches whom they may or may not marry. The state, however, does have the duty to ensure that all of its citizens are treated equally before the law, without prejudice or discrimination. City Councilman Mike Gabbard, as leader of the Alliance for Traditional Marriage, clouded the issue and then took political advantage of it.

Seventy percent of Hawaii's people did not vote against the constitutional amendment in the '98 election as Awo, and others, claim. Sixty-nine percent of the voter turnout, which translates to 47 percent of the registered voters, and about one-third of the state's population at that time, voted for the constitutional amendment. As you can see, 70 percent vs. 33 percent is a big difference.

I support everyone's right to free speech, however, please get the facts straight, otherwise the points made can be construed as mere propaganda, no matter how sugar-coated the intent may be.

Martin Rice
Legislative chairman
Civil Unions-Civil Rights Movement

High-speed ferry is finally attainable

The comprehensive, balanced and fluent article by Russ Lynch (Star-Bulletin, Sept. 21) announcing the advent of the Hawaii Superferry, has the question: "If it is such a good idea, why aren't there ferries running between the islands already?" The underlying answer is that high ferry speed in rough water has been difficult to obtain.

Our waters are open ocean, accentuated by wave reflections from the islands. Catamaran hulls are not sea "kindly." Wave-piercing catamarans, such as planned for Hawaii Superferries, seem to have corrected this unpleasantness, as now demonstrated by the performance of this design in the notoriously rough waters of Cook Strait, New Zealand.

Well done.

E. Alvey Wright
Kaneohe

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[ BRAINSTORM! ] What can be done to disguise or beautify those hulking steel utility boxes found in parks and other locations around town? Send your ideas, drawings and solutions by Wednesday, Oct. 15 to: brainstorm@starbulletin.com Or mail them to: Brainstorm! c/o Burl Burlingame Star-Bulletin 500 Ala Moana 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210 Honolulu, Hawaii 96813 Fax: Brainstorm! c/o Burl Burlingame 529-4750