PEOPLES' RIGHTS MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL

I am a Democrat and will continue to vote Democrat as long as the Republican Party ignores a woman's right to choose, turns its back on civil unions, and allows abhorrent anti-immigration policy to pass, such as the recent Arizona law.

I believe that a vote for Charles Djou is one more vote for the extremely conservative agenda of the national Republican Party. The economy needs fixing, never more so than now. But nothing should take precedence over the rights of all humans.

We in Hawai'i have stood at the forefront of preserving those rights. Let us continue to do so.

CASE A REPUBLICAN IN DEMOCRAT'S CLOTHING

Beware, the wolf is at the door. Ed Case is a Republican in sheepish Democratic clothing.

There is only one candidate who will support President Obama's agenda to help the truly needy and that is Colleen Hanabusa.

Ed Case was more supportive of George Bush than many Republicans. Really, folks, he's fooling you. Please take this election seriously and send in your ballot.

CAMPAIGN IS LIKE WAIHEE/HEFTEL WAR

This congressional election is about dual party representation for the people of Hawai'i. Remember when we had Sen. Hiram Fong and Dan Inouye working for all of us? They got things done for Hawai'i.

Now we've had this national Democratic campaign committee making false accusations about Charles Djou. This sure sounds like the John Waihee and Cec Heftel election campaign that we had before.

ATTITUDES WILL RESULT IN A DJOU VICTORY

The attitudes of Sen. Inouye and Senate President Hanabusa are classic examples of politicians willing to "cut off their noses to spite their face." While it is very clear that Hanabusa has no chance to win the congressional seat, her continued candidacy looks to split the Democratic vote resulting in ultra-conservative Djou winning.

As a lifelong Democrat, I consider this a disgraceful outcome. If Hanabusa, with the encouragement of Sen. Inouye, would do the right thing and withdraw her candidacy, Case would surely win.

What is the grudge some Democrats hold against Case? Apparently, it is because he chose to run for Congress to fill Patsy Mink's seat rather than defer to her husband, John Mink. Also, he challenged Sen. Akaka's re-election.

The nation's and Hawai'i's interests are best served by having the best qualified serve in public office. Is the fact that Ed Case is not in lock-step with the Democratic establishment a fault? Should we punish him because he had the audacity to think that he was the best qualified?

VOTERS DON'T LIKENEGATIVE CAMPAIGNS

Campaign attacks are getting more and more vicious each year. In the future, those attacks will be like the R-rated language you hear in the movies.

I am sick and tired of these negative campaigns. Thank goodness there is a "mute" button for my television. Haven't these candidates learned that Hawaii voters hate it when people "talk stink" about one another rather than them sticking to their platform?

I don't care about their past — the past is the past, it's water under the bridge. No one is perfect, so if I may use a verse from the Bible, "Let he or she that is without sin cast the first stone." Is there any such person out there?

Every voter can hardly wait for May 22, when it will all be over. Enough is enough.

HOMELESS

RIVER STREET PROJECT SHOULD BE SAVED

On a recent church outreach to homeless at a park, we provided meals and clothing to two women living under a bridge, a single woman living under a tree who has been homeless for six years and has mental illness, and a couple also living under a tree. The wife of the couple has obvious mental-health issues and uses a wheelchair. The food that they had was surrounded by flies.

Up to one-half of the homeless have mental-health disorders. People with mental illness and substance abuse problems are often chronically homeless and need stabilization to be effectively helped or made productive.

As a former River of Life Mission volunteer, it is amazing that the Downtown Neighborhood Board and some residents are against the 100-unit River Street housing project. It would provide stability and mental health assistance to the very people living on their streets — whom they decry as undesirable if housed.

Kindness, open-mindedness and common sense need to prevail: $10.9 million from the affordable housing fund for this project will expire in June.

Please contact the offices of Mayor Mufi Hannemann (768-4385) and Councilman Rod Tam (768-5006) to truly help the mentally ill in our parks and streets.

HB 444

BILL'S RESURRECTION WAS NOT 'CONNIVING'

Nick Kiefer's letter ("Civil unions vote a conniving disgrace," May 4), does not express everyone's will when it comes to the resurrection of HB 444.

I'm sure if our representatives resurrected a bill that Kiefer approved of, there wouldn't be an issue.

If bills were not resurrected, women and African-Americans would still not be allowed to vote.

You are right about one thing, however. The United States is not a kingdom or a progressive dictatorship. It is a free society. We live in this free country and as such, we should all have the same rights and privileges.

I urge everyone who believes in equal rights to petition Gov. Lingle and ask her to sign this overdue bill.

CIVIL UNIONS CAUSE NO THREAT TO CHILDREN

After the heroic passage of HB 444, I was astounded to hear several disappointed "Christians" say that they "feared for the children of Hawai'i."

My partner of 20 years and I are blessed with two beautiful children. How do you suppose they feel when they hear this kind of hateful rhetoric from people who claim to love God?

At a rally of the "red shirts" last year, someone told my little girl that her family "isn't a real family."

How threatening is the loving family of a minister, a physician and two small children to the marriage of the heterosexual couple next door?

GOV. LINGLE

PAST 7 MONTHS HAVE UNDONE PAST 7 YEARS

I never dreamed I'd ever write something like this, but

Many things have been said and written lately, good and bad, about our governor.

We have had many politicians, both good and bad, but this one has done more harm to our state in the past seven months than she's done good in the past seven years.