We can still find uses for Gitmo prison

Don't close Guantanamo Bay! We have quite a few U.S. citizens who could be parked there until our country has time for their trials.

Guantanamo is a perfect place for our own! We have war crimes - George Bush, Dick Cheney & Co. - and then the financial greedy other bad guys, Bernard Madoff and his kind.

Join the celebration for Obama in Honolulu

The NAACP of Honolulu is sponsoring a party “;for the people”; for Barack Obama's inauguration. I had envisioned a huge street party to represent the thousands of people who stood in line for hours to vote for Obama in the primaries. The party Tuesday evening at Dole Cannery fits that vision. It is affordable, $35. The proceeds will be used for scholarships and it will feel like the Democratic Party is the party of the people. What a unique way to recognize Hawaii's first president and the nation's first black president.

Black man in office shows our progress

In a few days this country will have a new president. The inauguration of Barack Obama will be a great moment in American history. It sometimes doesn't seem like that long ago that Martin Luther King led other blacks in demonstrating for the right to be considered equal and meeting unfathomable resistance and abuse.

Speaking as a white man, I am embarrassed by what members of my own race put blacks through. It is refreshing to see that this country has progressed enough to where it will elect a black man to its highest office.

Not that Obama got my vote because of his race. No doubt there are people who voted for him based on race or the fact that he was born in Hawaii. I voted for Obama simply because I considered him to be the better candidate. While I am sure that there will still be whites who will denounce Obama because of his race, I would like to believe that this country will now forever be one that will elect based on what a candidate stands for and not because of what color the candidate's skin happens to be.

Obnoxious hobos push tourists out of Waikiki

We just returned from our 25th annual holiday trip to Hawaii. After all these years we know many others from around the world who vacation there each year, plus we have met many locals.

Most of us spend our days lolling at Queen's Surf Beach in Waikiki, shopping and dining in your better restaurants. Our accommodations range from high-end to midpriced hotels, and many of us rent condos.

The homeless situation quite simply is out of control. They have taken over the area - six to 10 tents pitched and several picnic tables permanently commandeered. We are harangued by their constant begging and their loud, foul language.

We recognize that the homeless do have certain rights, but what about ours? Is there not a way that camps for them could be established in areas away from major tourist places? And what about the locals, especially the large families with kids gathering for a picnic? I am sure they don't appreciate this.

We have a lot of discretionary income and the freedom to travel anyplace in the world - something that we are considering if your problem is not rectified. Face it folks, the economy is in the tank and likely will remain there for some time, and you have important vested interests that must be protected.

National parks need stimulus, too

I would hope that part of the federal economic stimulus money could be spent in our national parks. They are an important part of the American experience. They bring in lots of visitors who spend money in the local economies. This would be a great use of some of the money and would pay back to the economy for years to come.

Improving these beautiful parks for generations to come would be a wise use of these public funds.

My husband and I travel to these parks each summer and are amazed by the beauty of each one. They are a treasure for all to behold.