Roll with the punches in the game of life

Life is like a beach volleyball. The ball never knows what it's going to bump into.

It challenges people to hone their skills. It lights up their day when their eyes first focus on its well-rounded proportions resting on the tranquil Hawaiian sand. People then wake it up and invite it to exercise with them.

When it is pounded from all directions, then it rolls with the punches.

When it is tense and stretched to the limit, then it exhales some air and relaxes. When it frequently rises up and soars toward the clouds, gravity can pull it back down to earth where it splashes into the soft cushion of the sand. Sometimes when it is hit extra hard, a safety net might catch and slow it down. It can then be picked up and tossed again to continue its many journeys up in the air where it can look down with a clear perspective of those who have their feet on the ground and are eagerly awaiting its safe return.

It makes their day complete. And they make its day complete. It is the valued and highly prized Hawaiian beach volleyball!

Civil unions debate is about benefits

The civil unions issue is not about rights. It is about benefits. One could argue that it is the right to benefits that they want. They cannot say they lack the right to love whom ever they want, to live and have sex with whom ever they want. These are civil rights. Benefits are granted or given when they qualify for them. Benefits are not rights written in the Constitution. Benefits are given to married couples because they qualify in the requirement of their “;gender”; of a man and a woman. Gays want benefits for their “;sexual”; orientation. They already have the rights to their sexual orientation. Some gays claim they've been together for more than 50 years. But now, it's benefits, period.

Stable gay couples strengthen community

People already have the power to decide who gets married in their churches. But civil unions are about legal rights between individuals who want to make mutual commitments before a judge. Same-sex couples already exist but lack equal legal rights with married couples.

They are not a takeover conspiracy by 3 percent of the population, as some people pretend, rather they are simply fellow human beings in love. Encouraging people to form enduring, stable emotional relationships is a benefit to the whole community.

Anyone who has read the Christian gospels knows that Jesus Christ took the side of the persecuted and marginalized. He preached love and compassion, not discrimination against a minority. Love is at the core of Christianity, and of civil unions too.

Washington spending will prolong recession

Dear Sens. Inouye and Akaka, and Reps. Abercrombie and Hirono: Stop spending my children's money in the “;porkulus”; bill and now the omnibus bill. The simple solution is to cut taxes and cut the capital gain taxes and the market will rebound right away.

Have you never read history and how our country came out of each and every recession faster by using these methods?

Why are you so stupid in Washington to think that earmarks will save us? $8 billion for 8,000 earmarks, that's a million dollars per earmark. Oh my gosh, there goes my children's future!

What is wrong with you guys? Stop spending our money and let the economy recover. Big government is the problem and not the solution. Get out of the way and do some reading on the subject of history. Just leave town!

Thankfully, both sides get heard in America

In the letter “;Limbaugh, Hannity poison America”; (Star-Bulletin, Feb. 23), the writer espoused the notion that because he did not agree with the vocal and conservative views of Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity that a campaign should be started that would “;take them off the air.”; He went further to state that silencing them would be un-American, but taking away their platform, the public airways, would be prudent.

This sent a cold chill through my veins. The gentleman who wrote the letter has the right to verbalize his opinion and he is lucky to have such an avenue in the Star-Bulletin. That is what America is all about. I listen to and read both liberal and conservative media with gusto because I feel that somewhere between the two opposing tenets, is the truth.

Fox News has conservative leanings, which raises the hackles of any liberal who might not desire that their philosophies be challenged.

Fox News recently announced it has three times the audience that CNN does. I believe there is a reason for that. It doesn't mean that they are right. It means that people listen to them in order to hear a different viewpoint whether they agree or not.

The balance in media is just as vital to our liberties as is the balance of powers in our government. I hope the concerned citizen who wrote that letter to the editor, will understand that there could be other people who believe that he is spewing hate, and therefore should not be published in the Star-Bulletin. It works both ways, thank heaven.

Better traffic routing needed during closures

The Honolulu Police Department and Fire Department are required to respond and take control when an accident or incident occurs. Part of this response might involve traffic closure of roads. However, they need to assist the public in bypassing these areas.

HPD has the resources and authority to control traffic signals, implement detours or manually direct traffic. This type of response requires training, manpower and information. Training and manpower can be done. Information can be obtained by using their helicopter or the city traffic camera system.

Doesn't the traffic control center have the ability to adjust signals from its command center? What is its function and capability? If they cannot adjust traffic, the visual information from traffic cameras can aid the police in determining the bottleneck along alternate routes.

An elite group of police, engineer and other necessary personnel needs to be organized to address these traffic delays.