Stand up against domestic abuse

October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

It's a heartbreaking reality that domestic terrorism continues to take place within our neighbors' homes. Domestic crimes result in devastating consequences, including long-term suffering, hospitalization, permanent injury and death, making household violence everybody's problem.

Thinking of assaults as “;a private matter”; is mistaken and trivializing. Our community mustn't tolerate domestic abuse.

If you're in an abusive relationship or know someone who is, don't stand by silently. Speak up about it and get help. Abusers must be held accountable, and mandated to receive anger-management and domestic-violence treatment.

Children need to grow up with good role models who teach by example that love is not abusive.

Bullying and verbal attacks are serious warning signs. Healthy relationships resolve conflict in ways that leave both parties feeling good, and never at the expense of one person's feelings, safety and well-being.

Maybe courts can fix schools

Instead of looking for a baby sitter, today's parents of school-age children should be looking for a law firm. Parents and students are being cheated by the government, the school board and several unions. The state's children are already nearly the most poorly educated in the country's public schools, even before the further reducing of the number of days that these students will be in class.

Federal and state law requires that these students receive a proper education, but somebody has to enforce the law. Maybe the parent-teacher associations can help; but only the courts can save them now.

Wishful thinking just won't cut it, and baby-sitting is definitely not the answer!

Not all doctors for Obamacare

I represent one of the tens of thousands of physicians nationally who adamantly oppose many of the details of the current health care legislation, which will penalize our senior Medicare population and all who are currently insured.

On Monday, President Obama met with physicians from each of the 50 states who support the details of the legislation. Just as the American Medical Association represents less than 25 percent of the physicians nationally, the physicians meeting with Obama represented a similar minority. Please do not be deceived otherwise, and please continue to present opportunities for various opinions on this subject to be fairly and equally represented.

City's priority should be roads

The question is what to do with the Natatorium that will cost millions of taxpayers' dollars. I say to Mayor Mufi Hannemann to “;leave it alone”; at this juncture in our poor economy, and please fix our neglected roads.

It's a shame this island is so small but the city and state governments cannot maintain good roads. I can imagine how the thousands of angry drivers that go to work have to drive over the same bumpy roads twice, going and coming.

We contribute but get nothing in return. Still, people keep voting for the same old, same old who cannot manage our money.

Sainthood should be slow process

I read the Star-Bulletin report “;Countdown to canonization”; (Oct. 4) describing the long road to sainthood for Father Damien de Veuster.

I am glad that the road to sainthood is slow. The long process allows a careful investigation for the genuine merits to be discovered, instead of being a popularity contest. Sainthood takes time and shouldn't be hurried.