Brainstorm! Challenge

---

So many use violence to achieve their goals

Saddam Hussein is but one combatant in the "holy war" between Christians, Jews and Moslems claiming obedience to the god of Abraham. Let us pray these lost souls will find a new god in 2004, one capable of teaching them how to walk in beauty instead of blood.

Rico Leffanta
Waikiki

Catching Saddam settles an old grudge

So? We were able to catch the wrong guy. The 9/11 hijackers were Saudis, the plot masterminded by Osama bin Laden. Bush finally had to admit that Hussein was not involved. No WMDs were found and the Iraqi army was not a threat. So Bush killed thousands of innocent people and squandered billions to satisfy an old grudge of Dick Cheney's, Donald Rumsfeld's and Paul Wolfowitz's. They have increased the threat of terrorism and made the world a far meaner and more dangerous place.

The real issues for 2004 are debt and deficit, employment, the environment, health (including women's right to reproductive choice), Congress, the Supreme Court, peace, truth and our reputation in the world.

Nancy Bey Little
Honolulu

Money obviously is Bush's top priority

German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder criticized the huge, nonbid Iraqi reconstruction contracts for being awarded almost exclusively to U.S. companies, saying that "international law must apply here." Bush responded, "International law? I better call my lawyer. I don't know what you're talking about, about international law."

This is no way for the president to behave if he is trying to build international support for his activities in Iraq; nor does it assist his effort to get these same countries to forgive the billions of dollars owed to them by Iraq. But it is not surprising that Bush would think in this parochial mindset, given his refusal to back international treaties dealing with climate change, chemical weapons, nuclear weapons and children's rights.

Despite his proclaimed Christian values, Bush demonstrates that it is his financial interests that make the final decision.

Derek Bishop
Naalehu, Hawaii

Why should a religion determine gay rights?

It is just un-American to deny our gay and lesbian citizens the right to have the same privileges straight people get when they marry. Where is our sense of justice, not to mention aloha?

Because of some people's religious beliefs we are denying these people something so important to them and their families. This country has always professed to believe in religious freedom, which means I don't have to live by your religion and you don't have to live by mine, but we should have the same legal rights under our government. It seems so simple.

Mary Gay Hutcherson
Richmond, Va.
Former Hawaii resident

'Traditional marriage' concern is a big lie

Opponents of equal marriage rights, such as Janice Pechauer and Mike Gabbard, have shown that they were never out to "save traditional marriage" back in 1998. Their only goal was and still is to deny the rights and privileges of marriage to the gay community.

Since 1998 we have heard nothing from these people on the subject of marriage, unless something comes up about equality for the gay community.

Television shows like "Who Wants to Marry My Dad?" and "The Bachelor" have made a mockery of and a profit from the institution of marriage. Where were their protests and letters to the editor over these shows?

They also have done nothing to ensure that couples entering marriage are properly prepared by offering premarital counseling. If they were really out to "save" traditional marriage, one would think that they would have done one if not all of these things since 1998.

They did not save traditional marriage. Divorce rates are up and domestic violence is still a problem. The only thing they did save (and spread) was homophobia, and that is a shame.

Michael Golojuch Jr.
Makakilo

---

BACK TO TOP
|

[ 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