Get out tomorrow -- your vote does count

There have been some notable elections in the past few years at the local and national level that should remind everyone that their vote counts. Two years ago Washington state held one of the closest gubernatorial elections in our country's history. The race was decided by 129 votes.

A local school board election in Salt Lake City, Utah, was decided by one vote.

Closer to home, in the 2004 Democratic primary election for the 23rd House District here in Hawaii, Rex Saunders won by a mere 36 votes.

As Election Day approaches, please remember to get out there and vote! It's our duty as Americans and to ensure our voices are heard in government.

'Black Tuesday' will be every day without rail

If anyone thinks that "Black Tuesday," the 10 hours of gridlock on Sept. 5 on the H-1, does not justify the cost of a rail project because it was an unusual event, let me say this: Sixty thousand new homes are planned for Oahu in the next 20 years. Sixty thousand times two cars for each house means 120,000 new cars on the road.

Without rail as another way to get around separate from our highway system, we're going to have Black Tuesday every day of the week. Gridlock will be a part of our everyday lives, and we will pay dearly for it in more ways than one. Our quality of life will suffer.

Black Monday, Black Tuesday, Black Wednesday ... no thanks, I'll take rail. I can think of a lot of better ways to spend my valuable free time than stuck in my car.

Gas price cap's value has been proven

Do you remember all the lamentations coming from the governor and other Republicans about how the gasoline price cap was actually causing gas prices to rise?

Well, they finally got their way and the gas cap was rescinded. A look at gas prices nationally since the beginning of August is quite revealing and shocking.

While national average prices dropped 53 cents between Aug. 3 and Sept. 17 (from $3.01 to $2.48) the average price in Honolulu dropped only 14 cents (from $3.23 to $3.09). See for yourself at http://hawaiigasprices.com.

On Aug. 3, the average price in Honolulu was 22 cents higher than the national average; on Sept. 17, it was 61 cents higher!

Do you think that is a coincidence? Or is it possible that our politicians who were squawking the loudest about the negative effect of the gas cap are perhaps in the pockets of the oil companies?

Does anyone really still believe that if the gas cap were still in place Honolulu prices would not have dropped more than 14 cents when the national average fell by 53 cents? If so, I have some real estate in Antarctica I'd like to sell you.

Saddam has more rights than suspects

Am I the only one who sees something strange here? Accused of war crimes and genocide, Saddam Hussein has been on trial for months. During the trial, he can examine the evidence presented against him, question hostile witnesses, comment at length regarding court procedures and sound off on any topic that catches his fancy.

In the meantime our president, who went to war to end Saddam's tyranny, has imprisoned hundreds of "suspected" terrorists for several years, in both American and foreign prisons. Furthermore, he now wants them tried sometime in the distant future, with no right to see the evidence against them and no chance to even know who is accusing them, much less question any such accusers.

Does that make any sense?

Mexico's after Dog? They can't be serious

Let's see if I have this right: Fugitive American serial rapist Andrew Luster hides in Mexico. Authorities from both countries can't, or won't, do anything about it. Dog Chapman and company find fugitive and return him to the United States and are arrested for their efforts (Luster is now serving 124 years prison sentence). Dog and company fail to return to face charges in Mexico.

Fast forward three years and one popular reality show later. Mexico, a country that does little about drug trafficking, police corruption and illegal immigrants to the United States, demands that the U.S. government arrest Dog and company for that failure to appear -- and federal authorities do just that!

Are Chapman fans the only ones that see the hypocrisy and injustice in this action? What is this world coming to when the good guys are prosecuted for protecting society from creeps like Andrew Luster? Mexico should be thanking the Chapmans for saving Mexican women from the claws of that rapist slime!

Integrating students gets better results

Parents and the Department of Education need to look at the whole picture when dealing with education. How can a few parents, who say their children are being short-changed, pull rank of a long-time Kalani High School principal? They are the ones depriving our young people of the real benefits.

The advantage of having gifted and learning-disabled students together promotes the importance of teamwork and improves social skills. Stereotyping decreases. Furthermore, having the same teachers for more than one academic year produces a comfort-zone of knowing the teachers' expectations. And if students have a difficult time, they need to deal with the situation.

Parents who feel this educational system is not fit for their child need to acknowledge that not everything in life is fair. If the easy way out is given, our young people will never be able to handle situations in the real world effectively. College is around the corner. Think of what will happen when only one professor, who they dislike, teaches a course required for graduation? Or when they need to deal with a variety of people in the working world? Exactly.

Parents, please do not take away your child's fundamentals of life-learning skills. Understand. Educate.

'Story on Iran' showed readers another side

I would like to extend my appreciation to Webster Nolan for a thoughtful, informative piece and a mahalo to the Star-Bulletin for presenting it ("The Story on Iran," Sept. 17). A balanced picture of activity in the Middle East has been lacking for some time.

Nolan's suggestion of a diplomatic approach is, of course, the intelligent way. Each side has a case to make. Force and destruction beget only retaliation and more destruction.

The article makes reference to some of the Western meddling that has occurred in the Middle East and the reaction to it of which many on this side are unaware. There is a long history of interference there by many Western countries.

A full presentation of facts is necessary if one is to arrive at reasonable conclusions. Webster Nolan and the Star-Bulletin are to be commended for such a presentation.

Article left out abuse of mullahs' power

This letter concerns Webster Nolan's article "The story on Iran," which appeared in the Insight section of Sunday's paper. His article, in my opinion, gives too rosy a picture of the situation in Iran.

I have no doubt that many Iranians today are highly energetic and of good will, as he states. However, his article fails to note that real power in that country is exercised by the religious mullahs and their fanatical supporters. These leaders continue to persecute independent journalists and religious minorities like the Bahais.

I question Mr. Nolan's statement equating Iran's support for Hezbollah with U.S. support for Israel. I also question his implication that Iran might have a legitimate claim to nuclear weapons because Israel has them. These remarks appear to be "beyond the pale."