Term limits would bring something new

Should voters elect to hold a Constitutional Convention, I hope we will review the issue of term limits for legislators. Many people feel disenfranchised by the current system. The same legislators manage to stay in office year after year promoting the same tired issues and fighting the same partisan battles.

If we apply term limits to the Legislature, perhaps new and energetic candidates will have the courage to run for office and bring a fresh perspective to Hawaii. Equally important, term limits might help legislators focus on addressing the needs of our state, rather than the next election.

Don't sacrifice basics for a dead language

Kealiimahiai Burgess's June 14 letter of lament regarding the paucity of Hawaiian language training in public schools requires a response. While it is certainly laudable that the Hawaiian language has seen resurgence, let us not forget that this is largely due to a small group of mainly local haole women that preserved it until the more recent Hawaiian pride movement caught on.

Not long ago, I was on a flight from Hawaii island back to Oahu, on which a group of Hawaiian language advocates also were traveling. I will agree that it was wonderful to hear a group of 30 or more conversing fluently in Hawaiian. Nonetheless, the facts are real and incontrovertible. Even in the tourist industry any one of these speakers would be better served by fluency in a currently utilized language.

The fact of the matter is that Hawaiian is a dead language, similar to Latin. As such, its instruction should be entirely optional and secondary to the instruction of other foreign languages that might be of true benefit to students in their future. Burgess's assertion that our schools should stress instruction of the Hawaiian language first and foremost before other living languages such as French, Spanish, Japanese and Mandarin promotes a vast disserve to our children. Though it should be available as an elective diversion, mastery of the Hawaiian language will have no more (arguably less) eventual value than learning Latin.

Kainalu Elementary nurtures its students

With decreased enrollment, Kainalu Elementary is on the list of schools for possible closure. Instead, it should be on the list of best schools in the Windward District. Why not close schools that house only 90 children or schools that use half of their available space?

The administration, faculty and staff at Kainalu are an ohana. Kainalu accepts and nurtures all who come into the school as family. Special needs at Kainalu include medically fragile. I've seen no other school that offers what Kainalu gives these children. Whether their needs are minimal or high; Kainalu provides the services these children require.

All students of Kainalu are given the opportunity of the best education available. Kainalu encourages students to excel; and takes pride in their achievements.

Located close to the Kaneohe Marine Corps base, Kainalu has many military students. The counselors and teachers help these children through difficult periods of deployment. These children have special needs of their own.

Whoever is responsible for making the decision of which schools to close and which to keep open should spend a day at Kainalu. That's all it takes to see the caring, nurturing presence that is Kainalu!

Some other truths are inconvenient, too

Ingrid Molina's letter "Hawaii should declare a statewide drought" (Star-Bulletin, June 14) cites Al Gore's movie "An Inconvenient Truth." I recalled a news blurb about the British courts ruling that teachers showing this movie must run a disclaimer warning that it contains factual errors and is biased.

Why would a country that is to the left of our Democratic Party report this fact and not much is mentioned in our mass liberated media?

After a Web check I would like to cite one point mentioned in the court case. Gore's admission in "Grist" magazine that "I believe it is appropriate to have an over-representation of factual presentation on how dangerous it (global warming) is." I was taught that this type of embellishment is also called lying.

Please, go and check for yourselves the other points of the British-mandated disclaimer and Gore's interview in "Grist" magazine to confirm the above quote.

It seems that Al and the Democrats have morphed into an aristocracy and have amassed a following of young people who will have regrets later in life. As a former Big "D" Democrat from Detroit, I know I do.

Mexican flag showed protesters' disrespect

Kaliko and Paco Mireles, who rallied with their Mexican flag on King Street to demand the removal of City Councilman Rod Tam (Star-Bulletin, June 13), should take their flag back to Mexico and wave it there. This is the United States and here we wave the American flag.

I would never go to Mexico and disrespect Mexicans by waving the American flag. People like them who come to this country and wave their flags everywhere disrespect all Americans. Your sign says you are asking for the respect you deserve and yet you disrespect us Americans.