America’s promise is coming true

Waiting in the lobby of a Capitol Hill hotel years ago, I was reading a wonderful book, "Letters of a Nation."

Soon, a group of elder African-American men were gathering outside a conference room.

On a blank page in the back of the book, I wrote them a letter, which said in part:

Dear Men,

In you I see America’s promises coming true.

I am a white man who knows not first-hand the prejudice you have endured in the years gone by. I am from Hawaii, where the specter of the racism that plagued you was absent. The injustices of your journey I do know. I know the book of America’s history is stained with your tears.

In the pantheon of America’s greatest leaders is the beloved Martin Luther King. His legacy is your promised land.

Please, brothers, see the America of the future, not the dark clouds of the past. Out of many, we are one. That is the dream come true.

Fred Hemmings
Kailua

Hoard stuff now, reap rewards later

At the end of every year, I am reminded by my calender to give my home an annual clean up.

Furthermore, a new TV show on hoarding is becoming ever more popular on how widespread this dilemma is. Just as I begin to spruce the home, I turn on the TV and see a show that completely counters my plan. In fact, I see several TV shows on why I should now postpone the cleaning and save everything in hopes that someday, the contents of my home will age and become valuable for the pickers and the pawn shops.

Michael Nomura
Kailua

Even crazies don’t engage armed foes

Wim Blees seems to believe that "crazy" people lack the mental capacity to take advantage of a given situation ("Armed guards not the answer," Star-Advertiser, Letters, Jan. 16). Coincidently, "gun free" zones are the most common target of mass murderers because these areas offer the most opportunity for a perpetrator to inflict damage on law-abiding citizens.

While these people may be "crazy," most important, they are cowards.

It’s curious we’ve never heard of a mass shooting occurring at a gun show or in a gun shop. Apparently, these people aren’t thatcrazy.

Taking guns away from law-abiding citizens does not make us safer — it creates more opportunities for criminals toting guns.

We cannot make crazy people rational, but we can exploit the cowardice of these opportunists by allowing law-abiding citizens to protect themselves.

Jeremiah Hull
Wahiawa

Mental illness, guns a toxic combination

Jacob Sullum succeeded in making a goulash out of the confluence of mental illness and gun ownership ("‘Mental illness’ is dubious standard for denying rights," Star-Advertiser, Dec. 29).

Contrary to Sullum’s contention, I believe it is a well-established fact that there are many people who suffer from recognizable and treatable serious and persistent mental illness — schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and severe clinical depression.There are medications that can, in most cases, control the worst symptoms of these illnesses. The earlier the illnesses are recognized and treated, the better the outcomes.

Our society understandably loves its freedom and thus places many obstacles against administering medication.

But unfortunately, our society also loves its guns — a toxic combination that produces catastrophic results, with Newtown, Conn., being the latest tragedy.

Is there no answer, imperfect as it may be, to this ongoing dilemma?When and where will the next catastrophe be?

Ed Sullam
Waialae

Waikiki quickly losing its charm

Waikiki’s disturbing atmosphere is getting worse by the day. It smells bad and it seems to be getting scarier.

Are the powers-that-be ever in Waikiki? The situation is deplorable and inmates are definitely running the asylum:

» Dealing drugs on the sidewalks right in front of legitimate tax-paying shops.

» Menacing druggies, drunks, sad mentally ill homeless and predatory juveniles gather and intimidate visitors and locals in public areas.

» Naked people passed out in the parks and grubbing up public bathrooms areas with piles of garbage, scaring everyone away from picnic tables.

Until these lawbreakers are moved out, you can kiss tourism goodbye. It’s shameful.

Waikiki is truly Oahu’s engine for tourism and economic development but we are very quickly losing our charm.

Visitors with choices won’t come back.

Margaret Murchie
St. Louis Heights

HECO should get greater scrutiny

Why has it taken so long for the Hawaiian Electric Co. to move in implementing such a huge savings ("Fuel switch could bring big savings for HECO," Star-Advertiser, Jan. 12)?Is it because HECO is able too easily to pass on the costs of their inefficient operations, including higher fuel costs, to ratepayers like us?

The Public Utilities Commission must critically scrutiny HECO’s entire operation, especially in the expenditure area.Are all payments made appropriately, such as the high management salaries, including the president‘s salary plus bonuses, and advertising to make the company look good?In general, all expenditures made by HECO that are not necessary to provide electricity at the lowest cost possible to all ratepayers would not be appropriate.

Richard Ching
Kuliouou Valley