Don't ban booze -- just ban stupid people

Instead of banning alcohol at University of Hawaii football games, can we just ban stupid people? It makes more sense. Mature people can drink. UH can get its money for endorsements. Stupid people can stay home and kill each other. Everybody can be happy. Except for stupid people and the people who want to ban alcohol. They can all stay home.

Ballgame boozers need to examine their lives

To those who feel that they need to drink alcohol at football games: Is your life so terrible that you need to drink to have fun? Are the people you hang with so terrible that you must drink in order to be around them? Do you feel that drinking is the solution to all your problems?

If the answer is "yes," there is something terribly wrong with you. I suggest you take a good look at your lifestyle and perhaps you should make a major change in your life.

Your mind controls your emotions and your ability to have fun. If you need to put a mood-altering drug into your body to have fun, then something is drastically wrong. Those who say that there are never fights at the stadium because of the drinking should wake up from their dreams. All the fights at the stadium involve people who have been drinking.

Put the surplus away for a rainy day

Our governor is about to do what former Gov. John Waihee did with a revenue surplus during his term in office: She's going to squander our security again ("Lingle again seeks tax cuts," Star-Bulletin, Aug. 19).

Does the governor have information about the economy that we do not? Is she factoring the costs to our economy from higher gas prices because residents won't be spending as much on other things?

Maybe she believes there will be no bumps or bursts in our housing market either, just like Waihee. Oh, that Japanese money looked so good while it was circulating here.

When Waihee gave all of us a tax credit worth a couple hundred dollars, and the economy slumped, we had some hard times. Hard choices were made -- eat or pay rent, but not both.

This is, once again, an opportunity not to spend our security on more political capital. But I fear our governor will throw caution and security to the wind rather than learn from the past.

Price cap law won't reduce cost of gas

The Star-Bulletin missed the mark in its call to let gas price caps be "put to the test" (Aug. 5). The price lids apply only to wholesale prices; retail prices aren't affected. In the unlikely event that the wholesale price of gasoline actually goes down because of the gas cap law, retailers could simply keep their prices at current levels and reap the profits.

What the Legislature fails to recognize, despite the governor's repeated warnings, is that artificial constraints will never solve the problem of high prices. Only free market competition unhindered by the heavy hand of government will.

Hawaii needs to switch from oil to renewables

Hawaii uses oil for a larger component of its electrical energy portfolio than any other state. Thus the high oil prices have a greater impact on Hawaii's residents, businesses and export goods.

Oil is currently trading at $67 per barrel. However, HECO's latest oil price forecast states that the price for oil will not reach $50 per barrel at any point before 2016.

If the true cost of oil was used in utility planning, then it would be obvious to all that renewables would make Hawaii energy self-sufficient and secure at a cheaper cost that the current fossil fuel paradigm.

Now that we're in Iraq, we must win the war

Last year, former President Clinton was interviewed by Time magazine and observed that his administration had come to the conclusion that an invasion of Iraq would have to occur at some point.

Last April, speaking at Brown University, Clinton urged putting aside differences over whether invading Iraq was the right thing to do. "You should want it to work now," he said. "What we should ask now is: Is it worth it to keep trying to give them a government that will fairly represent all the elements of Iraqi society? My answer to that question is yes."

But some people still question what we are doing in Iraq. Based on the wisdom of presidents Bush and Clinton (not to mention their advisers), there should be no doubt that our military intervention in Iraq is necessary. To be constantly sniping with rhetorical questioning of WMDs, Saddam, Guantanamo, terrorist influences and local Iraqi protests only strengthens the resolve of insurgents. It also makes people in other countries (including Iraq) think the United States might soften, which makes it harder for our diplomats to garner support. Both lead to a prolonged war and more casualties.

Although it is a core value of Americans to be able to disagree with the government, this needs to be tempered when we are at war. In Iraq, if we don't win, the Middle East will become a theocratic training ground for spreading terror and manufacturing WMDs.

In another Time interview last year, the reporter asked an al-Qaida leader in Iraq what they would do if the United States pulled out tomorrow. His chilling answer: "Follow them back to America and kill them there." There can be no doubt he was serious.

Reverend, brush up on commandments

No. 6 of the Ten Commandments states "Thou shall not kill." Some say the proper translation should read "Thou shall not commit murder."

This leaves me in a quandary.

When the Rev. Pat Robertson advocates the assassination of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, does he consider himself and his devoted crusaders "killers" or "murderers"?

How to write us The Star-Bulletin welcomes letters that are crisp and to the point (150 to 200 words). The Star-Bulletin reserves the right to edit letters for clarity and length. Please direct comments to the issues; personal attacks will not be published. Letters must be signed and include a daytime telephone number. Letter form: Online form, click here E-mail: letters@starbulletin.com Fax: (808) 529-4750 Mail: Letters to the Editor, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 7 Waterfront Plaza, 500 Ala Moana, Suite 210, Honolulu, HI 96813