Cartoon oversimplifies Israeli-Palestinian rift

Corky's cartoon in the Nov. 4 Star-Bulletin assumes that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a matter of moral parity. It is not.

The current intafada and all preceding conflicts are the result, not the cause, of Arab rejectionism of the state of Israel. While this is a matter of great complexity there are those who will reduce it to simplicity. Your paper, with or without the assistance of your cartoonist, should not be one of them.

Albert P. Hinckley
Warrenton, Va.

Stryker protesters got what they wanted

I am writing in support of the Army's proposal to bring the Stryker brigade to Hawaii. I am voicing my opinion because I am annoyed with the recent publicity of these protesters who attempted to enter the public meetings with their signs.

In the article "Protesters with signs let into Stryker forum" (Star-Bulletin, Oct. 31), Frenchy DeSoto stated, "All I can do is say, Shame," referencing this to the Army, of course. She said she was upset because in this day and age, people should be allowed to express themselves via signs. I would like to say shame on the protesters for thinking they needed to enter these public meetings with signs to begin with. It upsets me because the need to back up their point with signs was unnecessary.

I believe they got exactly what they wanted: all the attention from the media, community and even the governor!

Jackie Franco
Waianae

Abortion ban shows erosion of liberty

It is a sad day for freedom-loving Americans when an individual cannot decide what to do with his or her own body without others interfering in that choice.

The very principle that has made the United States of America the greatest nation on Earth -- liberty -- is now under attack on several fronts. Indeed, the Constitution as well as the Bill of Rights are now under attack as never before.

Howard Loewen
Honolulu

Reporting on officials' gifts is paying off

On behalf of the Hawaii State Ethics Commission, I would like to thank Star-Bulletin reporter Rob Perez for his two excellent articles (Oct. 26, Nov. 2) on gifts received by legislators and other state officials that raise serious concerns under our state's ethics laws.

Perez did a fine job of culling out, from gifts disclosure statements filed this year with the Ethics Commission, those gifts that raised serious questions as to their legality. The State Ethics Code, which is state law, has a number of provisions that prohibit legislators and other state officials and employees from accepting gifts under certain circumstances. The code's gifts disclosure law requires gifts to be reported if gifts are received from a single source, either singly or in the aggregate, that exceed $200 and are received during a 12-month period running from June 1 of the preceding calendar year to May 31 of the year the gifts disclosure reports are due.

Gifts that rise above the level of a "token of aloha" are generally prohibited by the ethics code because they create, at a minimum, a perception of an attempt to influence a state official.

The ethics commission recently placed on its Web site (www.hawaii.gov/ethics) the gifts disclosure statements filed this year by legislators and other state officials and employees. The commission is now reviewing gifts and will take action with respect to gifts that violate the ethics code.

Perez has done us all a tremendous service by highlighting questionable gifts and clearly explaining the gifts laws set forth in the ethics code. Time and again, when questioned by Perez, legislators and other state officials were unable to justify their acceptance of certain gifts. Perez seems to have an exceptional knack for making state officials seriously consider their conduct. He is an asset to your newspaper and is to be commended for his fine work.

Daniel J. Mollway
Executive director
Hawaii State Ethics Commission

Teaching children at home isn't easy

Greg Rush's Nov. 15 letter to the editor, "Individual attention offers best education," is not without merit. However, in general, children in public schools are not going to receive the individual attention as long as teachers must manage classes of 30 students or more.

Smaller class sizes will require more teachers and classrooms. When this has been proposed to legislators and the state administration, the response has been "We don't have the money." Priorities toward education will have to be changed, perhaps at the polls, if we really are serious about public school improvement.

I believe it takes a special breed of parent for successful home-school education. The parent must be knowledgeable of all subject matter, dedicated to the child's education and have the necessary time and temperament. Additionally, home management is by the "ultimate authority" (the parent), who can mete out discipline at levels beyond that allowed the classroom teacher, and the student does not perceive the person teaching as an outsider who "I don't have to listen to or perform for if I don't feel like it."

Bernard Judson
Kapolei