FLOW

GET RID OF CROSSWALK WITHOUT TRAFFIC SIGNAL

There's an easy way to fix a big part of the crosswalk problem: Get rid of the crosswalks that have no traffic signal. They put pedestrians at unnecessary risk and disrupt the flow of traffic.

The new pedestrian law took several steps beyond safety and straight into folly. Pedestrians shouldn't have a built-in right-of-way, and traffic flow shouldn't be compromised.

Drivers here are among the worst I've seen, but this problem lies equally with urban planning and stoplight placement. If no reason was found for the placement of a stoplight at any given intersection, then there's no reason for a crosswalk there, either.

WIDE SUPPORT

PUSHING AKAKA BILL NOT 'WRONG-HEADED'

The egg dripping from Bud Ebel's face must be about waist high by now ("Federal recognition fight disgraces state," Letters, May 14).

Ebel states that the Akaka bill has made zero progress, which certainly belies the fact that the bill might be debated and voted upon by the U.S. Senate in early June.

Ebel further comments that Hawai'i's congressional delegation is "wrong-headed" in its support of the bill. Is he so naive that he refuses to recognize that the governor, her Cabinet, the state Legislature, all members of which are democratically elected by the citizens of Hawai'i, plus tens of thousands of people, like Ebel, are fully aware of what happened in 1893 and are also "wrong-headed"?

Ebel states that this outrageous act was good for Hawai'i. The truth is, this act was good for 16 white businessmen who profited by tens of millions of dollars — steal and profit! It's the same mantra that pervades America today.

It would do Mr. Ebel's morality good if he would read the Akaka bill, the Apology Resolution to the Hawaiian people by the U.S. and the conclusion by students of the U.S. Constitution, as well as international law, that the overthrow of the Hawaiian nation was an evil act of treachery committed for the sole purpose of acquiring deep-water ports from which U.S. armed forces could protect their western seaboard.

We Americans are under attack today by millions throughout the world for being hypocrites. If we ever hope to right this foundering ship, we need to right the wrong perpetrated upon the Hawaiian people, which in Ebel's words brings disgrace and shame to all of us.

EVOLUTION

PICTURE-WING FLIES DESERVE PROTECTION

My thanks go out to The Honolulu Advertiser and to Christie Wilson for the lengthy story of the picture-wing flies. Twelve species will go on the protected list.

These flies are relatives of the the native fruit fly, which had been studied since 1927 by noted evolution scholar, biologist Theodosius Dobzhansy. Fruit fly studies continued in Hawai'i since 1967 by the late professor, H.L. Carson of the University of Hawai'i.

Fruit flies and picture-wing flies grow and reproduce rapidly and therefore provide an ideal subject for observing in the laboratory. They provide picturesque evidence of evolution in action. They do deserve to be protected and studied now and in the future.

MORE DAMAGE

ANTI-GRAFFITI POSSE SHOULD JUST BUTT OUT

The McCully/Makiki area, specifically Kaheka Street, is "blessed" with an anti-graffiti citizens group of vigilantes who make anonymous telephone calls asking property owners to paint over graffiti. When this is not done fast enough to suit these callers, they take it upon themselves to go onto private property without permission and paint over the graffiti.

Concerning a specific instance at my condominium, the final result is a bigger eyesore and more damage than the original offending graffiti.

This misguided public service puts these "do-gooders" in the same criminal category as the graffiti artists. Likewise, if caught in the act, they should be prosecuted as the vandals they are.

Instead, it is my hope they will read this letter in your paper and confine their future efforts at cleaning up the neighborhood to public property.

LOSS GREAT

IT'S TIME TO LEAVE; LET IRAQIS SOLVE PROBLEMS

Our job in Iraq is finished.

Let the Iraqis, including the Sunnis, Shiites, Kurds and others, work out their solutions by themselves. We were after Saddam Hussein and captured him and he's on trial now. We've helped with the security situation, and slowly it seems to be improving.

Iraq is a sovereign country and should gather up its best minds, including the clerics, disarm the civilian population and try to unite and rebuild the country. Iraqis must have some idea of what they want for their country to get them on the road to recovery.

Let them seek it out themselves.

The situation there has become too complicated to make any sense in what is going on. One day we are fighting the Sunni insurgents, then not long after that, it's the Shiite insurgents. To be caught in the middle is a very difficult place to be.

It's time to leave. The majority of Americans are discouraged because of the length of time we've stayed there, the huge amounts of money spent and the lives lost.

Maybe the United Nations could step in. I hope so.

WORDS

TEACH CHILDREN WELL

On the demise of the core curriculum in Hawai'i: If you love them (the students), you will teach them the meanings of words.