Growing up in Hawaii makes you suspicious?

Glenn Beck and Newt Gingrich have praised a recent cover article in Forbes magazine attacking President Barack Obama for his allegedly un-American ideas. The article blames these on "Obama’s own history. Here is a man who spent his formative years — the first 17 years of his life — off the American mainland, in Hawaii, Indonesia and Pakistan, with multiple subsequent journeys to Africa."

In fact, Obama lived in Indonesia from age 6 through 10, visited Pakistan briefly at age 20, but spent 13 of his first 17 years in Hawaii. So these leading conservatives believe that growing up in Hawaii makes you a suspicious character! The article is a stew of distortions, and this whole effort is another example of the right-wing effort to divide and demonize people based on their racial, religious or cultural backgrounds.

Too many families accept racial bullying

Perhaps racial bullying in Waianae and elsewhere in Hawaii wouldn’t be a problem if the young people doing the bullying weren’t learning the prejudice, resentment and hatred from their families. Everyone here knows who gets bullied and why, and everyone knows that for too many families racial and cultural prejudice is not only accepted, it is encouraged. There should be shame for not showing true aloha.

City transit authority should be rejected

Why do we need a transit authority to run the rail? The city already has a transportation department that can do this. An unelected layer of bureaucrats is unnecessary and deflects the job of running the rail from the City Council and the mayor.

Since the Council voted for the project and the mayor seems to be a big supporter, they should shoulder the responsibility of seeing this thing through. We the people need to hold them accountable. The last thing we need is a shield between the people and their elected officials. I say vote "No" on the transit authority.

Hawaiian Air abusing its market position

As a frequent flyer of Hawaiian Airlines, I am happy that it is doing well ("Hawaiian Airlines earns $30.5 million," Star-Advertiser, Oct. 20).

But as a flyer, I think we who fly interisland are being abused by this effective monopoly. Interisland airfares have soared beyond reason and I believe they are limiting commerce on the neighbor islands. That’s definitely the case for me.

I would suggest that Hawaiian Airlines salvage the good will that it is destroying with local people by bringing back coupon books or some other affordable alternative.

France is example for U.S. higher education

When reading the story, "Fees burden UH-Manoa students" (Star-Advertiser, Oct. 16), one should realize that this is no better, no worse than other universities around the country. But when you consider the overall costs of higher education in this country, in particular the debt load per student after graduation, consider this: Universities in France charge about $500 per student per year. But then again, this covers it all, including full tuition, health care and social security contribution.

Obviously, the French higher education policies are radically different than what we have in the U.S., I’d say no better, no worse: Students still need to study their best and graduate. It is just that French students are simply not seen as investments by universities, banks and the like but as future contributors to a free society, and you kinda have to appreciate that.