Brainstorm! Challenge

---

Hawaii protesters are tools of Marxists

I'll bet the shallow-thinking and defeatist Americans who march alongside the benign-sounding Not In Our Name don't know they're being used by that Marxist-Leninist organization ("Protesters march against war in Iraq," Star-Bulletin, Oct. 26).

If they say, "Well, so what! We have the same values," then perhaps they were out with a cold the day their teacher told the rest of the class that global Marxists are dedicated to the overthrow of the American government. Further, their core belief is that this can be accomplished only and ultimately through violent class struggle. (See www.rcpbml.org.uk/wdie-03/d03-91.htm and www.usmlo.org/archive2003/2003-07/july4-nion.htm)

When the U.S. military and so many of our legal and law enforcement officers take an oath to protect the Constitution of the United States and America from enemies both foreign and domestic, what do you believe is meant by "enemies" and "domestic"? If a few folks think we don't have our own share of home-grown American traitors and subversives, then they just haven't thought much on it.

Kevin Pololei Gagan
Mililani

Left wing distorts Reagan's image

From what I have heard about the miniseries about former President Ronald Reagan (to be shown Nov. 16 and 18 on CBS), it is a left-wing political effort to distort and smear Reagan's legacy. Just the fact that Mr. Streisand (actor James Brolin) is playing Reagan is cause enough to realize the intent and veracity of the production.

Doug Nielsen
Kapaa, Kauai

Community can help fight crime

I recently moved to Ewa Beach from Texas. I was active in neighborhood security there for many years and often thought that we could have been doing more to help make our community safer.

That's why I was happy to hear that my councilman, Mike Gabbard, has introduced a bill that would give people like me the opportunity to get deputized by the Honolulu Police Department and help reduce the problems of abandoned vehicles, illegal parking and littering on our island.

It takes HPD up to 30 days to cite an abandoned vehicles and get it towed. I think this new program will speed up the process and decrease the blight that these junk cars create.

I am also hopeful that we can clean up our environment by letting the illegal dumpers know that the volunteers are out there watching them.

Paul Dunlap
Ewa Beach

Not all poor, elderly, union folk protested

Keith Haugen's overly-caffeinated letter of Oct. 23, about the president's impending visit, really hit a nerve. He listed several categories of people planning to protest President Bush's "reign of terror." I'm in most of those categories: I'm elderly, poor, a retired federal employee and an ex-union member. And Haugen doesn't speak for me.

I'm also a half-century Democrat who foolishly trusted Bill Clinton's veracity and voted for him in 1992. In 2000, after watching Al Gore just toe the "Clinton is one of the greatest presidents ever" party line, I cast my first vote for a Republican presidential candidate. So did many other disgusted Democrats.

Precious little was done after 241 Marines were killed in Beirut, after Mogadishu, after the USS Cole, after the first World Trade Center bombing. The war on terrorism trumps all else. Another major attack in this country, and who knows if and when our economy, our environment or ours souls will ever recover. We finally have a president with enough spine to stand up to the United Nations and do the right thing. God bless him.

Barbara Costa
Honolulu

If taxes go up, money should go to keiki

I'm a born-and-raised Hawaii girl now living in Texas. Texas taxes foods that do not offer nutritional value. All food is tax free, with the exception of potato chips, soda and the like. Those items are taxed at the regular sales tax rate of 8.25 percent. At least it hits you in the pocketbook if you don't want to eat healthy.

If at least, increased taxes went to obesity programs and to repair playgrounds and improve programs, there might be a chance to help Hawaii's keiki.

Joy Hartley
Aransas Pass, Texas

---

BACK TO TOP
|

[ BRAINSTORM! ] Historical markers? Other cities have permanent markers signifying historic sites or locations. Shouldn't Hawaii be equally accommodating to students and visitors? What should such markers look like in Honolulu? Design one! Remember, markers on walls require the owner's permission, but markers in the sidewalk belong to the city. Send your ideas, drawings and solutions by Thursday, November 13 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