Brainstorm! Challenge

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Let's hope Eye-rack doesn't go 'nucular'

If the U.S. military is going to invade and occupy foreign countries, should it not at least be required to correctly pronounce the name of the country being invaded and occupied?

Currently the U.S. military occupies a country named Iraq -- pronounced "i-räk," not "eye-rack."

And could someone please clue the president of the United States to the fact that the correct pronunciation of "nuclear" is "nü-klE-r," not "nucular"? The man with his finger on the button of Armageddon should at least be able to pronounce the name of the weapons of mass destruction he commands.

Michael Lauck
Honolulu

Bush is too close to the radical right

I must respond to Jay Ambrose's July 15 column in which he suggests that Democratic presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry renounce extremists on the left. I agree, providing President Bush renounces extremists on the right.

I speak of the religious-right extremists, without whom no Republican could be elected to office and into whose camp the president himself falls.

I speak of the "haves and the have-mores," who donate thousands just to have their picture taken with Bush and saunter through Air Force One.

I speak of the right-wing hawks who send our kids to die in an insane war to democratize and convert Muslims. They go to war with a gun in one hand and a Bible in the other, and I pity those who go convinced we are there to do good. We go there to do well; a war machine travels on its oil belly.

Surely, in this country, there is a sane, sensible, intelligent, reasoning middle. I speak to it, if it exists: None of us has a clue what Kerry and his running mate, John Edwards, will do, but we know what Bush and the far-right extremists will do.

Bettejo Dux
Kalaheo, Kauai

'Partying' should have been labeled 'abuse'

In yesterday's edition, the Star-Bulletin headlined a story "21-year-old found dead after partying." The story said, "Police said he was last seen alive about 5 a.m. Saturday when he and his roommates returned home ... from a night of partying."

While it might be slang to refer to abusing drugs and/or alcohol throughout the night as partying, it would be more accurate as well as more socially responsible to call it abusing drugs and/or alcohol rather than "partying." Terms like "partying" condone dangerous, socially unacceptable conduct.

Wayne David Levy, M.D.
Honolulu

Broadcast media skew news in Bush's favor

In his letter of July 21, Paul D'Argent asks, How is it with such a poor performance in office that President Bush is able to maintain a 45 percent approval rating?

The broadcast media know that if they air enough unfavorable news regarding pro-business issues or candidates that corporate America supports, they won't sell many commercials. Republicans in the past have installed federal communications commissioners who did away with the equal-time provisions of the fairness doctrine, which required both sides of an issue be aired on radio and television broadcasts. So now Rush Limbaugh and other right-wing radio hosts are free to color news involving Bush, painting a picture that makes him look good even when he isn't.

While call screeners filter out most who disagree, dissenters are allowed on the air occasionally to make it sound fair and balanced. So what you hear primarily on more than 1,000 Clear Channel radio stations broadcasting in the United States is what a marvelous job Bush has done, as they gloss over most of his errors.

Ron Rhetrik
Mililani

Special commission could target homeless

We have read new stories for quite some time concerning our homeless population. Now, as we approach an election, their plight has become a political issue.

This human crisis should not be in any way made into a partisan tug of war for those seeking credit for a resolution.

I would like to see a nonpartisan "homeless commission" set up soon after the coming election made up of professional practitioners from organizations that have worked with the homeless throughout the years. Housing is only part of the solution, whereas education, drug and alcohol rehab, and treatment for the mentally ill are other spokes of the wheel to be considered as a complete restorative package for a commission to resolve.

Homelessness affects all of us, conservative or liberal, so let's stop slinging mud at one another and work to end this epidemic.

Timothy A. Cook
Honolulu

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[ BRAINSTORM! ] Hawaii's police officers are forced to endure the tropical heat and humidity in dark blue uniforms. It must get pretty uncomfortable, especially for the solo-bike officers. So this month's question is: If you could design a new uniform for our hard-working public safety officers, what would it look like? (Be nice!) Think about material, color, footwear and the different departments (patrol, detectives, solo bike, bicycle ...). We'd love to hear from members of our police force for this one, too. Send your ideas -- include your name, address and phone number -- by Aug. 20 to: brainstorm@starbulletin.com Or by mail: Brainstorm! c/o Nancy Christenson Star-Bulletin 500 Ala Moana 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210 Honolulu, Hawaii 96813 Or by fax: Brainstorm! c/o Nancy Christenson 529-4750