Thanks to candidates who limit sign-waving

Mahalo to all the Maui candidates who voluntarily observed our former law disallowing campaign signs until 45 days before the election. (And stink-eye to the one glaring exception!) For those without a calendar, Aug. 4 is the magic day.

Personally, I love Hawaii's sign-waving tradition, though many think it is dangerous. Please protect yourself by staying six feet or more from the pavement edge. And stay 50 feet from any intersection so drivers who are turning have a clear line of sight. Don't leave any roadside signs unattended, that's illegal.

Smile, wave, give the shaka, honk your horns, have fun! May the best man or woman win.

Sally Raisbeck
Wailuku, Maui

Jury made right ruling in cockfighting case

We at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals commend the caring jury members who convicted William Dutro of racketeering, first-degree promotion of gambling and cruelty to animals for participating in an illegal cockfighting operation in Maui ("Maui jury turns in guilty verdict for cockfighting," Star-Bulletin, July 16).

Chickens are social, intelligent, interesting individuals who show affection and feel happiness, love, loneliness, fear and pain just like dogs and cats do. But roosters raised for fighting are often confined to tiny cages and tormented to make them aggressive. Cockfighters pump "gamecocks" full of stimulants and blood-clotting drugs and attach razor-sharp spurs to the birds' feet to make fights more "exciting." The birds suffer broken wings and legs, punctured lungs, severed spinal cords and gouged-out eyes.

Cockfighting is so cruel that it is illegal in all but parts of two states -- New Mexico and Louisiana. Anyone found guilty of cockfighting should be fined and sentenced to the maximum prison term. For more information on cockfighting, please visit PETA.org.

Heather Moore
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
Norfolk, Va.

Rumsfeld erred and should resign

Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld should resign his post because the quagmire of a war that he in large part engineered is far from over. As a part of the Bush administration, he misled the American public about the Iraqi "threat" to our nation. I initially approved of the declaration of war because I believed that the supposed nuclear threat was imminent.

Rumsfeld, a bureaucrat without military experience, is largely responsible for the ousting of Gen. Eric Shinseki, whose realistic appraisal of the commitment the United States military would have to make proved anathema to the wishful-thinking Bush bureaucracy.

In a country such as Japan, where honor is perhaps more culturally fused than our own, the minister of defense would certainly be forced to retire his post in shame. Rumsfeld should share the same fate in our own honorable nation.

Stuart N. Taba
Honolulu

Some legislators need update on ethics

Two Ewa Beach-area state legislators, Sen. Willie Espero and Rep. Romy Mindo, seem to have had their hands caught in the cookie jar when it comes to accepting questionable gifts.

Espero and Mindo both attended for free a golf tournament valued at $170 each. The Hawaii Hotel and Lodging Association paid their entry fees (Star-Bulletin, July 12). Mindo's office said, "He doesn't even play golf he just attended so he could socialize and talk to industry officials." Espero was more open in saying, "This is just like any lobbyist taking a legislator out to lunch or dinner." That leaves constituents asking whether we have to buy our legislators lunch, dinner or a game of golf to get their attention?

While most legislators and state employees seem to have gotten the message from the State Ethics Commission, our Ewa Beach lawmakers still don't get it.

Shayne Keith
Ewa Beach

Airline executives should sacrifice, too

The main justification that Hawaiian Airlines trustee Joshua Gotbaum gives for requesting bonuses for company executives is that they need to keep pace with the other airlines ("Hawaiian Air trustee asks to reward managers," Star-Bulletin, June 23).

It seems to me that the most recent news about the airlines is that the industry is struggling. Perhaps one of the reasons for their troubles is that the industry is too generous with bonuses.

Instead of focusing on bonuses for the executives, maybe they should be focusing on attracting business and providing service. But as a Hawaii business they enjoy the luxury of having a captive customer base and not having to compete at any meaningful level.

And no matter what any judge may say, this was extremely unfair to the employees of the company who have repeatedly made concessions to help keep the airline afloat. As mentioned in your article, management didn't make these sacrifices.

Bill Nelson
Haleiwa

We have the facts, so let's eat well

Last week another study by the U.S. National Institutes of Health called for a further reduction in the tolerable level of cholesterol. The move was endorsed by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology.

So what's new? Health authorities have been cautioning us for years to replace cholesterol-laden meat and dairy products with vegetables, fruits and grains, which contain no cholesterol.

How many more studies will it take? How many more people must die of heart disease and stroke, our nation's top killers, before consumers get the message?

Eating a cholesterol-free diet is a snap these days. Every supermarket carries a rich variety of veggie burgers, soy dogs, soy-based lunch meats, microwave-ready dinners, dairy-free ice cream and other desserts, and of course a huge selection of vegetables and fruits.

We have the means to lead a healthy, productive life. All we need is the will.

Karl Sagili
Honolulu

Musician's column is a crowd pleaser

What a nice idea creating a column called "Crescendo," written by our outstanding concertmaster Ignace "Iggy" Jang. I have looked forward each Monday during the symphony season to Iggy's charm and wit in relating some of the highlights of his life as a musician.

His articles add the insightful personal touch of our conductors, Iggy's fellow musicians and guest artists. Iggy's reviews of music to be performed made the music more meaningful and interesting; such an enjoyable way to also learn history, literature, musical terms and instruments from other countries.

Doing the classic master works, pops, opera and chamber music, the Honolulu Symphony has certainly demonstrated its versatility. It's not surprising that Iggy is proud to be a part of our symphony; we are certainly proud of our symphony and its multi-talented musicians like Iggy.

When the new season begins in September, I do hope we can have the pleasure of reading "Crescendo" (great title!) by Iggy again.

Arline Akina
Aiea