Legislators allow hate, fear to rule

Over half a century ago, Executive Order 9066 snatched Americans of Japanese ancestry from their homes, livelihoods and dignity. The U.S. Supreme Court affirmed the incarceration in Korematsu v. United States, noting, “;We are not unmindful of the hardships imposed by it upon a large group of American citizens.”; The court did not address the real injury. The court relied on law and procedure to sanction hate and fear. Justice was denied.

Sadly, our 25th Legislature did not address the real issue when it failed to pass House Bill 444. The Legislature invoked politics and procedure to sanction hate and fear. What is even worse is that they did so anonymously.

Even with the lessons learned from the Japanese-American internment during World War II, our Legislature chose to hide behind politics when they should have boldly stood strong to make sure that justice is never denied a group because of who they are. Our representatives had an opportunity to validate equality, but they chose to be silent as the moment passed them by.

Politicians need to do what's right

I couldn't help comparing your Feb. 2 editorial (”;House vote was profile in cowardice”;) with Froma Harrop's Jan. 31 column quoting Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell in his comment to worry-wart Dems in Washington: “;Listen, you got elected because you wanted to do something to change the quality of people's lives. Here we have a chance to do something historic, and if it means some of us are going to lose because of that, so be it. At least you will have lost your office fighting for something and accomplishing something.”;

A&B abusing its access to water

Your article reports the “;reprieve, for now”; that Alexander & Baldwin granted its Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Co. plantation (”;HC&S gets reprieve for 2010,”; Star-Bulletin, Jan. 29). What about reprieve for Maui's streams and rural and native Hawaiian communities? After hoarding all the water for a century, when will A&B and other plantation diverters give the rest of us a break?

A&B's board meeting was an opportunity for it to start showing some responsibility toward water and reform its selfish and destructive ways. Instead, we got business-as-usual and repeated blackmail threats trying to dump the responsibility (and future blame?) for the plantation on the Water Commission and the public.

A&B claims its greatest resource is water. Yet, it admits wasting over 25 percent of the water from its inefficient system. It also has an available alternative in its nonpotable agricultural wells, but deprives streams and communities of their only source. Meanwhile, A&B is planning a treatment plant to sell stream water to the county and serve its desired development of thousands of plantation acres.

We have aloha for plantation workers, but don't appreciate A&B holding them hostage in its bullying campaign. The best thing A&B can do for everyone is provide sustainable farming jobs for the future, beyond plantation jobs of the past.

Corporate money taints elections

To allow unlimited amounts of money from corporations to go into campaign ads is reckless and irresponsible. Thank you for putting this information in your paper.