PROTECTING CHILDREN

BABY CYRUS CASE GIVES US A CHANCE TO CHANGE

The state is concerned that the tribute to Baby Cyrus is a safety hazard and is not sure how to handle the situation.

While I agree that moving the flowers, lei, balloons, etc., to his gravesite is a good start, I'd like to see all of the stuffed animals, etc. donated to an organization that would then give them to children who are removed from the home and put into protective custody or foster care.

Hindsight is 20/20. We have a second chance to change policies and lifestyles, to volunteer, to push for legislation to protect children.

LET'S SHOW COMPASSION IN WAKE OF TRAGEDY

My wife and I just read the letter to the editor about the freeway being shut down too long last week.

Being a parent and a grandparent, this tragedy has affected many people. I would like to ask the gentleman who wrote this comment: What if this was your son, grandson or someone close to you, wouldn't you like a proper investigation done?

Enough about the traffic already. What happened to having some compassion, and where is the aloha?

WORRY ABOUT JUSTICE, NOT FREEWAY CLOSURE

I am amazed by the comment made by Walter Mahr in his Jan. 22 letter, "Freeway should not be shut down for so long."

The senseless murder of an innocent child thrown from a pedestrian overpass and then hit by oncoming traffic is an incident Mr. Mahr believes merits a half-hour investigation.

The closure of the freeway inconvenienced many, but if put into context I don't think you can compare an inconvenience to the magnitude of injustice done to that child.

He mentioned that on the East Coast if the police responded in the same fashion the police chief and mayor would be "thrown out of office." Thank God that doesn't happen here in Hawai'i, where the necessary time is spent taking action to seek justice.

IMMACULEE ILIBAGIZA

RWANDA SURVIVOR IS AN INSPIRATION TO ALL

Can you imagine being locked in a 4-foot-by-3-foot bathroom for three months with five other women, including a 7-year-old child? Elbow to elbow, body to body, not knowing whether you would ever see the next day. Immaculee Ilibagiza did.

It was 1994 in Rwanda, and Tutsis were being hunted and marked for certain death.

Immaculee and five other women listened to screams of "kill them." With patience, dignity and perseverance, Immaculee was able to live through this ordeal, and to forgive the people who took the lives of most of her family.

After listening to Immaculee's story, the potholes on the road do not seem so bad and sitting in traffic is a little bit more tolerable.

Take the time to do a kind act for your neighbor or someone in need each day. Don't forget to hug your kids, and tell your loved ones that you love them.

Immaculee's story not only inspired those who attended her talks last week, her true story about faith and forgiveness was an inspiration to all.

VACATION RENTALS

B&BS SHOULDN'T BE IN ISLAND NEIGHBORHOODS

The question: If B&Bs are allowed in residential communities, should they be taxed at hotel rates?

B&B supporters, legal and illegal, are crying foul. They're just renting a room or two, not their whole house.

But what a B&B charges is not just for the amenities it offers. It's for the ambiance of its residential community, an ambiance that belongs to the neighborhood.

It belongs to the residents, who pay property taxes, who pay to maintain their homes and yards and gardens at their own expense.

Yet a B&B trades on that ambiance while the neighbors who provide it are left out.

Do the neighbors have recourse? Probably not.

Should B&Bs be taxed at commercial rates? Probably so.

But these questions beg the real question: Should B&Bs be allowed in residential communities at all?

The answer is a resounding no.

TRANSIT

HONOLULU SHOULD STUDY SYSTEM IN CALGARY

A Jan. 1 Advertiser article warned that the proposed transit line could spoil our views and scenery, and suggested building a street-level system instead.

Perhaps the system used in Calgary, Alberta, could be used as a blueprint for such a street-level system.

In the downtown areas, their system uses roadways already in existence. Although storefronts along the line are affected, there are walkways/sidewalks along both sides of the line. Traffic patterns are routed along other existing roads.

If the purpose of the proposed transit line is to reduce traffic, then the rerouted traffic flow will not increase traffic along those selected roads.

Perhaps there is a compromise way to achieve the best of both systems (elevated and ground-level) if the city would only look outside the box.

RETENTION

FOCUS ON TEACHERS, POLICE OFFICERS, NURSES

Isn't it amazing how many of us rallied to keep June Jones from fleeing the Islands as he accepted the position of head coach at Southern Methodist? Even Gov. Linda Lingle got into the act as she pleaded to keep Jones here.

Imagine for a moment if the same amount of effort was put forth by our community and lawmakers to keep our police officers, teachers and nurses from being lured away by other cities' higher wages. Instead, they are leaving in droves, quietly without much fanfare.

There are no big gatherings at area malls to rally for them to stay.

These sometimes-taken-for-granted heroes are departing for better respect and pay in cities and communities that will embrace them with open arms.

Certainly, coach Jones had a great impact on our community, but let us now focus our energies and efforts on keeping our best teachers, police officers and nurses right here in Hawai'i.