Heterosexuals more dangerous than gays

Hawaii's Christian Coalition (Letters, May 27) needs to pay closer attention to the national media. During the past several months several children have been kidnapped, battered, sexually assaulted and murdered either by members of their own families or friends of their families. Maybe the Christian Coalition needs to find away to take children away from heterosexual families where they obviously are in severe danger all of the time.

When the U.S. Constitution says that ALL are created equal that actually means ALL of us! Equity under the law is more American than the bigoted statements from these so-called Christians and their chairman.

Faith, religion and politics vie in America

Christian evangelicals continue to be frustrated at their apparent inability to gain universal acceptance of their Christian beliefs. They argue that our country was founded on Christian ideals, and they can't understand why the government and the nation at large fail to embrace and foster those same Christian values. They are currently decrying what they believe is their right to bring their faith into politics.

There is some general confusion here. When the religious right say that their faith is being denied, it is not their faith but the beliefs attached to that faith that are denied.

There seems to be a misunderstanding commonly held when we talk about faith and religious belief. To most people, faith is synonymous with belief in God. But to others, faith has nothing to do with God or religion. To some, faith is acceptance of life as it is with all its vicissitudes. And still to others, it is an acceptance of the mystery of existence and the realization that the ultimate answer of our existence will remain larger than our ideas about it.

There is a continuing effort by the religious right to put pressure on various state legislatures to include the teaching of creationism in their school curriculums. This constitutes an intrusion of a religious minority's beliefs into the body politic. This is totally unacceptable if we want to remain a country where all religions are honored and that honor those who do not subscribe to any religion. When any religious group attempts to impose its beliefs, through government on others our freedoms are compromised. Thomas Jefferson had it right; "There must be a wall between church and state."

Let them die if they don't want to belt up

Dear legislators, thank you for the bottle tax. I give you an A for effort and the usual D for implementation. That is why I am going to help you with your latest program, "Click It or Ticket." Please do not say it is for safety. In this great land we have freedom, even to be an idiot. If someone does not want to wear their safety belt that's up to them. The term for this is natural selection, those not smart enough to live do not contaminate the gene pool.

The problem is when people don't use their safety belts and live, their injuries are much more grievous and our collective insurance rates go up. Its more appealing to save money than pay fines, and comply with Big Brother.

To the daredevil on the "crotch rocket" motorcycle who did the impressive 75 mph wheelie up the H-3 last Monday, I wish there was a way for you to buckle up.

Rail transit works in Thailand and will here

Mass rail transit does not work? News to me.

I have lived 50 years in Hawaii, but now stay in Thailand, in Bangkok along side the Chao Praya river.

I drive in Bangkok, and the traffic is terrible. If it were not for Bangkok's Sky Train System and new subway system, the city would be almost impossible to negotiate by vehicle.

Thousands upon thousands of people ride the sky train every day, and many more thousands the subway. They are new, clean, air conditioned, fast, and cover major business and tourist destination districts in Bangkok. They are a life saver.

Does not work? Come to Bangkok. Ride the Skytrain and the subway. They work. Thai working people and tourists alike use the integrated system daily. It moves people east, west, north and south. This, in a city of more than 10 million people.

Surely, Honolulu with a million people can build one east-west rail system easily. It might not be cheap, but it will pay off in the long run. And help reduce the terrible Honolulu auto traffic that I feel is at times worse than Bangkok's because in Honolulu, we have no alternative but the car.

Hawaii should spend more on higher ed

I am writing this as the parent of two students in the University of Hawaii system and am amazed by the plan to increase tuition through the next six years.

When I was an undergraduate 35 to 39 years ago, my tuition increased by a comparable rate, from $336 to $550 within a three-year period. There were no front-page headlines then.

Instead, there were big headlines over the fact that the state I lived in then was near the bottom of all states in expenditures on higher education.

I understand that today Hawaii faces a situation similar to that which I experienced; that it is also near the bottom of the states in the proportion of expenditures going to tertiary education. Given this, it makes sense to increase tuitions. However, unlike that other time and other state, the Hawaii does not seem to be planning to increase the share of its budget going to tertiary education.

This is a more disappointing situation because Hawaii owes it to itself to do all that it can to ensure that it remains competitive with the other states if it wants to recruit and retain capable people, and universities are important drivers of social and economic development.

Memories of those who gave their lives

The peace they fought for is right here
Between the rows of crosses
They died to save our freedom
And they're numbered among our losses
Although they came from far and wide
This place is now their home
A peaceful, final resting place
Where they'll never be alone
And I'm walking through the memories
Where honor knows no end

That unmarked grave is special
For I know that he's my friend
We were comrades on a foreign shore
Buddies to the end
In the distance I hear a bugle call
As I stroll alone with God
Its haunting voice is singing "Taps"
For those beneath the sod
And I'm walking through the memories
Of those who gave their all

Walking, walking, walking,
Past graves both old and new
Their sun has set, their day is done
They were the chosen few
We salute and pay our tribute
Flags and flowers all abound
They all came back to make their home
In this hallowed ground
And I'm walking through the memories
Where honor knows no end.

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