VIOLENCE

LOVE AND KINDNESS SHOULD REPLACE ANGER

What is going on in Hawai'i? With all the shootings in recent days, have we turned to violence to solve our problems? With the thinking of "don't get mad, get even," we tend to allow our emotions to get the best of us. And many times we allow anger to dictate our actions.

I believe that we need to learn and practice love and kindness. We need to demonstrate more grace, mercy and forgiveness to those who wronged us. Life is too precious to waste away just because we are angry.

I also believe that families, schools, communities and the media need to teach our children how to love each other and treat one another with respect.

The more we love, the less violent we are. And we make Hawai'i a safer place to live for everyone.

LAW NEEDED

HELMETS SHOULD BE REQUIRED FOR SAFETY

I applaud the "Click It or Ticket" campaign. My only complaint regarding the enforcement of wearing seatbelts is, why isn't there a helmet law? For motorcycle enthusiasts, this will undoubtedly be a thorn in their side, but just as facts show that seatbelts save lives, so do helmets.

Most motorcycle fatalities are usually caused by head trauma; therefore, the helmet law should be passed and enforced as is the seatbelt law. Also, why aren't police checking mopeds? I observe many underage riders on these things speeding and disregarding traffic laws altogether. I am sure many of them don't have their licenses.

Enforce the seatbelt law, enact a helmet law and respond to these illegal riders on mopeds.

VIRGINIA TECH

TRAGEDY RAISES ISSUES OVER GUN OWNERSHIP

The tragedy at Virginia Tech drove me to reread the U.S. Constitution with respect to gun ownership.

The 2nd Amendment is presented here exactly as originally written, word for word, comma for comma: "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

You don't need to be a constitutional scholar to see that the intent of the amendment was to allow gun ownership only if one was a member of a militia. Since militias no longer exist (their function now being assumed by police forces and the military), it should be obvious to all that there is no constitutional support for the private, individual ownership of firearms. Those in favor of gun ownership need to find other arguments to justify their position.

WATER

PUBLIC DESERVES TO KNOW WHERE IT'S GOING

I attended a Save Honolua Coalition meeting recently. Kathy Chaston, of Local Action Strategy, who has been working with Maui Land and Pineapple to restore the health of the coral reefs in Honolua Bay, was the speaker.

According to Chaston, MLP is not diverting the stream flow. If this is true, why doesn't the stream flow, and what is that big diversion upstream? Are they saying that none of their subsidiary companies (Kapalua Land) diverts water, either?

Earthjustice's Isaac Moriwake, who spoke at Maui Tomorrow's "How Much Is Enough?" forum, has stated that stream water is a public resource, and I think we all need to know where this public resource is going, if it is "not being diverted."

PSYCHOLOGISTS

BILL TO ALLOW MORE AUTHORITY A GOOD PLAN

Gale Beardsley (Island Voices, May 25, "Bill not the answer to mental health access") continues the same pattern of deception and half-truths that lost the argument for psychiatrists in the Legislature, including, in this case, quoting me out of context.

First, what he refers to as a "shortcut program" and falsely claims can be completed in 16 weeks is clearly spelled out in the bill.

It is, in addition to the seven years of clinical training required to become a licensed psychologist, another two years of academic training, followed by a year of practicum, passage of a national proficiency examination and an additional two years of supervision, and then psychologists will be allowed to prescribe only in collaboration with the primary care doctor.

As for my quote, while the state Department of Health has worked hard to improve psychiatric care, these efforts have focused on community mental health centers (CMHCs) and patients with persistent and severe mental health problems.

However, SB 1004 addresses rural community health centers (CHCs) and the patients with more common emotional distress who are unable to access care at the CMHCs, including patients with depression, anxiety and substance abuse. Within this important and much larger population of patients, I stand by my original quote that "our capacity to see these patients hasn't increased." Furthermore, unless this bill becomes law, there is no indication that the capacity will increase in the future.

AIRPORT

RAIL WILL HELP UPDATE OUR ANCIENT SYSTEM

I just came back from a trip to Japan. I rode the Wiki Wiki Bus from the arrival gate to baggage claim.

It was a quick and enjoyable ride. At the same time, I was thinking about how behind we are compared to other airports. Of course I was comparing the Honolulu International Airport with the ultra-efficient Narita Airport in Japan.

I propose that the same people deciding on mass transit in the state of Hawai'i plan, execute and work together for an efficient rail system for Honolulu Airport first before trying to tackle O'ahu.

Once we are successful at the airport, we can then plan for the rest of the island. Until then, we should be patient and not rush into making any important decisions that will affect later generations.

Let's learn on a smaller scale before we try something large.

Our airport isn't where it should be compared to other countries. Let's concentrate on improving the airport's transportation system first.

This will get two things done: It will modernize Honolulu Airport and save taxpayers millions of dollars by minimizing costly mistakes on the bigger mass-transit plan.

HAWAIIAN AIRLINES

CAN COMPANY REALLY BE CALLED LOCAL ANYMORE?

Recent television commercials for Hawaiian Airlines Inc., with the appropriate Hawaiian music, beautiful maiden and the classic beach, ocean and sunset scene, identify the company as the truly only "Hawaiian" airline (or words to that effect), implying this is a "local" company.

This is the same "local" airline that is transferring its call center operations to the Philippines, its information technology functions to a vendor in India, and further, recently contracted maintenance for its fleet of 17 Boeing 767-300s to Air New Zealand, located in Auckland.

On May 24, Hawaiian "local" Airlines announced that it has laid off 98 "non-union" employees, and is also eliminating 38 vacant "non-union" positions. But don't worry, folks — 40 percent of the reductions (39 positions) are Mainland employees.

This is the same "local" airline that paid Hawaiian Airlines Chief Executive Officer Mark Dunkerley $2.5 million last year — more than double his $1.2 million pay package for 2005. This same "local" airline reported a $11.9 million loss for the January-March 2007 quarter.

The 98 laid-off "non-union" employees are a result of an effort to cut $4 million from its annual budget. As CEO Dunkerley stated: "It's a very sad day for everybody."

I can hardly wait until things get better.

IN MEMORIAM

NAMES, FACES A FITTING WAY TO REMEMBER ALL

As my neighbors drank and partied over the long Memorial Day weekend, I felt there was a better way to remember those who served.

Recently the numbers of the brave young Americans who have made the ultimate sacrifice have risen sharply. I realized the number was an easier fact to accept instead of looking at the names and faces of those killed in Iraq. So I started compiling my own list of the 3,470. I wanted names and I wanted faces — of all of them — not just a number.

So it was a great comfort when I opened Monday's paper to find a section dedicated to those killed with Hawai'i ties. In the future, I hope that you will find a place on the front page, amid the daily fluff, for those brave American children who have been killed by the Bush regime. This proud veteran is happy to have a name and a face to associate his tears and heartache.