Fireworks show draws support

This was one of the best fireworks shows seen from my yard. First, I did not have to drive or fight traffic and parking to see any show; all I needed was to bring my chair out to the lawn and watch. Second, I did not have to fight the crowd to find a place to stand or sit. Why all this talk of a ban on fireworks? Why don't they ban alcohol? How many people have died from car accidents due to a drunken driver? Next ban: handguns. Wasn't someone shot and killed on New Year's Day? Who died from burning fireworks this year? We've got a major problem on the economy and we are concerned about fireworks?

I suggest the whole fireworks issue be placed on a ballot and let the people decide; that's what was done for the rail project. Wait till the cost of that project starts hitting the people; maybe then we will not have to burn our money on fireworks. It seems like year after year, it is the same people complaining about this issue, especially the fire chief. Can't they just accept the celebration for each new year? Life is too short to have this celebration ended by a few.

New Year's Eve a health hazard

I am a man of over 70 and have watched fireworks being used all my life while being tolerant and without an opinion one way or the other.

My wife and I live on a water inlet with a bird sanctuary in the middle. The birds have been there for more years than we know. Every morning we were awakened to a crescendo of the birds' beautiful singing until it turned into an orchestral overture. Just prior to dusk they would all come flying back from different directions, to again create another beautiful orchestral sound.

Last New Year after the heavy use of fireworks, with the noise and smoke they created, the birds never returned. In addition I ended up wheezing after every breath for the following two weeks.

Since then I, along with at least 20 percent of the good citizens of Hawaii, suffer with chest and breathing problems. This means that in two out of every 10 homes on your street, the people are locking themselves inside their homes, unable to go out and enjoy New Year's Eve with their friends and family. We also have to watch our animals hiding and being petrified. They go through unbelievable agony just so that a few others can see a few “;cultural”; sparkles and hear a few bangs in front of their own homes.

Hawaii, like other civilized cities, needs to enforce the laws against the use of illegal fireworks, and then mandate public displays in centralized communities throughout the state at no charge to the public.

Higher education key to better life

Jim Anthony's commentary demonstrates only his ignorance and lack of interest (”;Close UH for whole year to gauge its usefulness,”; Star-Bulletin, Island Commentary, Jan. 1). In his charge of “;boring courses from boring professors,”; he sounds like an unmotivated teenager.

As it was after World War ll, higher education is a ticket to a higher standing of living, and Jim Anthony's crackpot idea of “;closing the university for a year”; is exactly what we do not need in these times.

Variety of views is appreciated

Thank you, Star-Bulletin, for having the courage to do what a newspaper should do: print fair-minded views that represent all voices.

I was a new resident to Hawaii two years ago and being an avid news junkie, I promptly subscribed to the other newspaper. I eventually became disenchanted with that publication because the views expressed were so imbalanced and liberal leaning. I canceled my subscription and bought the Star-Bulletin.

Initially I feared that your paper was going to do the same thing; however I have been pleasantly surprised lately at the mix of views. It is important that readers have the ability to hear opinions that reflect all aspects of issues, be they liberal, conservative or in-between. Freedom of expression is vital to the liberties of our nation.

Help us get rid of west side trash

I've just returned from a mo-ped ride from my home in Makaha to Yokohama Bay and I just cannot take it anymore. The trash build-up is beyond comprehension.

I understand the homeless situation is complicated, and many of us on the west side have resigned ourselves to the plight. Yet, if there is no solution to the situation, at least make some provisions for picking up the trash. I saw a Japanese couple taking pictures of the piled up garbage. Out of curiosity I stopped and asked why. All they could say was, “;Unbelievable.”; This spurred me to write this poem:

The west side is wasting away / From Keaau Beach Park to Yokohama Bay / It's a junk yard of great proportion / A trash heap beyond disgust / It resembles a Third World country / This in a country / That professes “;In God We Trust”; / Shame on our state politicians / Shame on us that don't take a stand / We desecrate the Hawaii state motto / “;Ua mau ke ea o ka aina I ka pono”; / by not caring for this land /

Give us the trucks and we'll gather it up / Give us a place to take it and somehow we'll take it there / And while in the spirit of giving / Give a damn, so we on the west side know you care. / The west side is wasting away / From Keaau Beach Park to Yokohama Bay / Yes, the west side is wasting away.

Send homeless back to mainland

There have been numerous letters and comments, articles and editorials in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin in recent weeks about the homeless and the unsightly problems that they cause and create at bus stops, benches in the parks, on the beaches and on and on. They also continuously annoy and bother the tourists who do not appreciate this and get a wrong picture of Hawaii and the aloha spirit.

Here is a simple solution on how to solve the problem with these homeless who got to Hawaii when the state of California gave them one-way tickets years ago to rid itself of this problem: Either give them a one-way ticket back to Los Angeles or San Francisco, or ask the U.S. Air Force with all its half-empty flights going back to California to take groups of homeless back there to find a new home.