Immigration crisis needs humane solution

As a member of a Christian faith community, I am dismayed and saddened by the failure to find a way that respects the fundamental rights and dignity of human beings.

Arizona Senate Bill 1070 and similar proposed legislation in other states divides our communities by promoting fear.

We are all immigrants except the Indians and Hawaiians and Mexicans in some states.

I urge our senators and representatives to focus attention and lend their support to efforts to fix the broken immigration system in a humane and practical manner.

Don’t elect president by popular vote

I’ve read about several states that have decided to elect the president based on the national popular vote and not the states’ popular vote (the Electoral College system).

I think that electing the president based on the national popular vote would be bad for Hawaii. As the westernmost state, we vote the last. The next election will have been decided before we cast our ballots.

And don’t expect us to have that much of a say anyway, as most states have larger populations than we do. Under the popular vote, we will have virtually no say in presidential elections.

Government has taken over much of economy

A letter writer objects to columnist Cal Thomas not detailing what is socialism ( "No examples of socialism offered," Letters, July 23).

He quotes the definition from a dictionary but more clearly he might examine the past governments of Hitler, Stalin and assorted countries that currently lack freedom for their people.

Our U.S. government has quietly assumed quite a bit of ownership of the means of production and distribution over the years, but since President Barack Obama took over they are going wild in Washington.

He has seen to it that we taxpayers have paid billions for federal government ownership of General Motors, the world’s largest automaker, and majority ownership of large American banks and other big outfits that now compete with companies and banks that are privately owned.

Formal track could stop menace of racers

When I read "6 inches From Home," (Star-Advertiser, July 27), I was upset to find out that it was a Honda racer wannabe that caused it.

The track is the only place to race and practice your driving skills, not the street.

We’re even trying to spend thousands of dollars we don’t have to "fix" Tantalus due to drifters.

If we had a track, then these racers and drifters would have a safe and sanctioned place to hone their skills.

Without a track, the only place they’ll end up driving crazy will be the street.

I urge the public to fight for a new track to minimize unnecessary accidents or fatalities like this.

Just Google "Build the track."

Waikiki streets need repair attention, too

The city has paved nearly all of the side and major streets in Kahala while the majority of the streets in Waikiki are in a decrepit condition.

Let us hope the city ends this embarrassment in Waikiki, especially before the coming of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation convention in November 2011.

Marine jets overhead recall tragic accident

Every time the Marine jets roar, the walls and windows of my home rattle and vibrate until the noise stops.

It is something we learn to live with and take for granted all these years.

However, I can’t erase from memory the night a Marine jet crashed into Kainalu Elementary School and surrounding homes, killing families in their sleep.

The thought of it happening again always worries me.