Brainstorm! Challenge

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Car ads urge drivers to race on roadways

We should start persuading the automobile industry to change its advertising strategies. I am dumbfounded by the ads that emphasize and glorify fast and speeding cars. We should focus more on safety and necessity issues. But fast cars? And how about changing the laws on how drivers licenses are obtained? Today it's almost an "over the counter" item.

Driver education, driver education, driver education. There is a lack of it in Hawaii.

Dieter Thate
Honolulu

Cutting credits is no way to teach students

I am writing this letter regarding the Oct. 19 article about changing the public high schools' credit requirements. After reading the article, discussing it and thinking thoroughly about it, I think making the changes would not be beneficial.

The main thing I disagree with is cutting out the fourth social studies credit. Currently, I am taking psychology as my chosen social studies credit, and it has been one of the most interesting and worthwhile classes that I have taken in high school. If this fourth credit were to be taken out, not many students would be able to take this class, because it would take one of their elective spots. This leads right into the next disadvantage, which is to cut out one elective in order to do the senior project. Obviously, not many students will be able to take psychology, as they will be trying to meet all the other graduation requirements, which also may take up electives.

Adding in the senior project also does not seem like such a good idea. Since it is a project, everyone's will be different. It will not be an assignment that can be easily graded, due to its subjective nature. Making it worth a whole credit is even more ridiculous. Who's to say who did a good job and who didn't? It just doesn't seem fair. Also, students may end up spending all of their time working on this project rather than on their regular schoolwork, which is just as important. This definitely will not help improve the students' grades.

Overall, I do not think these changes are a good idea at all.

Emily Wetter
Mililani

U.S. goals in Iraq are worth the cost

I do not claim to be Nostradamus in predicting the future, but we need to stand back and take a long view of what the future may entail. The terrorists have been making headlines with their dastardly suicide attacks against innocent people and seemingly attaining their goals of persuading the populace that their objectives are going to be fulfilled. On the contrary, we should take solace in the fact that we will prevail; these infractions against decency are like mosquito bites and nothing more.

President Bush may have gotten more than he bargained for, but his instinct is to uphold democratic ideals and provide Iraqis with the decent lives that all people are entitled to. To that end, we should stop bickering among ourselves and support his untiring efforts; count your blessings in Hawaii that the rest of the world can eventually realize.

Katsumi Miyano
Honolulu

No laws are created for gay marriage

Bill Nelson of Haleiwa has written to suggest that the courts "shouldn't be making laws" (Letters, Dec. 6). He fail to understand the function of the courts in our tripartite secular republic.

The courts do not make law and never have; their function is to oversee the lawmaking of the legislators to ensure that this process does not infringe on the constitutional rights of the citizens. This same bitter complaint has been heard in every human rights issue where the courts have ruled in an unpopular manner. Brown vs. Board of Education and Loving vs. Virginia were examples of this and there are few among us who would choose to re-segregate the schools or deny mixed-race couples the right to marry.

In the matter of same-gender marriage, the court has found no new rights and made no new laws. Here in Hawaii, the suit in Brown vs. Baehr was to compel the state to issue marriage licenses exactly as specified by law; to obey the law as written.

As for this being "a moral issue rather than a human rights issue," this is an offensive construct for us -- we have been in a devoted relationship for 48 years now and if Nelson supposes that this achievement does not involve "morals" he is, quite simply, wrong!

It is worth noting that during the 19th century my family was involved in the smuggling of property into Canada, where this property was recognized as human beings. Now George and I, after a 48-year engagement, have made the same passage so that our humanity might be recognized. One must wonder how it is that "the land of aloha" is so sadly lagging behind?

Ward Stewart George Vye
Honolulu

Dobelle should make evaluation public

Two years ago University of Hawaii president Evan Dobelle came on like a self-proclaimed gift to Hawaii. He talked about all his ideals and made the public believe he was going to make the university a top-rated, respected educational institution.

The people supported him because we needed someone we could believe in. We tried to give him, within reason, whatever he asked for because we knew the university needed guidance.

He has "talked the talk" for two years. Now, when it's time to "walk the walk," he hides behind the privacy act.

He is a high-profile public employee paid by the public. Give us the results of his job evaluation. Even he can learn from it.

Frank Tanaka
Honolulu

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[ BRAINSTORM! ] What should the city do with the elegant old sewage pump station? It's empty and fading, and now it's taking a beating from all the construction going on around it. The O.G. Traphagen-designed sewage pump station on Ala Moana Boulevard, more than a century old, is a monument to the glory days of municipal architecture, when city fathers took such pride in their community that even a humble sewage station became a landmark structure. Millions of tourists drive by it every year, and it's an embarrassing reminder of how poorly Honolulu treats its historic landmarks. Over the years, dozens of uses and excuses and blue-sky speculations have been suggested for the striking structure. Now we're asking you, Mr. and Mrs. Kimo Q. Publique, what should the city do with the elegant old pump building? Send your ideas and solutions by Jan. 15 to: brainstorm@starbulletin.com Or mail them to: Brainstorm! c/o Nancy Christenson Star-Bulletin 500 Ala Moana 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210 Honolulu, Hawaii 96813 Fax: Brainstorm! c/o Nancy Christenson 529-4750