Smoking ban good for health

I applaud the Honolulu City Council’s effort to ban smoking at some beach parks.

As a health insurance professional, I enjoy a unique perspective on what makes people unhealthy. Smoking is the No. 1 habit that destroys health. According to the World Health Organization, tobacco is "the single most preventable cause of death." It kills one in every five Americans. Cigarettes alone kill some 400,000 people a year in the U.S. — 5 million worldwide.

Some might think that smoke quickly dissipates in the open air. However, research shows that non-smokers, particularly children, within a few feet of a smoldering cigarette inhale serious levels of second-hand smoke.

As a member of the City Council, I introduced one of the nation’s first countywide bans on smoking in restaurants, bars and public areas. I also introduced a bill to ban smoking at Hanauma Bay. Bill 24 will save lives.

The Council should pass it.

John Henry Felix
Chairman, president and CEO, Hawaii Medical Assurance Association

Go elsewhere if you want quiet

For 20 years, I have been coming back from the mainland to my Honolulu home.It’s been wonderful to see the redevelopment of Chinatown.

Now there are art galleries, gift shops, restaurants, gourmet coffee shops, beauty salons, yoga stores and nightclubs.This has caused a noticeable surge of jobs and opportunities.

Noise problem?Look at Kalakaua Avenue or Keeaumoku Street.For that matter, look at the whole island.Noise is everywhere in densely populated Honolulu.

Chinatown already has a multitude of restrictions that limit noise.Quite frankly, another restriction is unfair. If quiet is what some people need, go to the mainland. There’s lots of wide open space and quiet there.

Teri Pinney
Port Saint Lucie, Fla.

Feral animals need food, too

If you are going to pass a law against feeding birds, you have to call them "feral" not "wild."

First they stopped us from feeding them in parks. No one wants you feeding them at Ala Moana or Restaurant Row or Costco either, because they are "dirty" and a "nuisance."

Now it is even being monitored on our own properties by our neighbors who can call the state Department of Health.

I don’t care how much they fine me for feeding the ducks and pigeons by the stream in Kailua; I am going to continue each time I shop at the store near there. Further, I am going to continue feeding the feral cat that someone dropped off on our road as an olderkitten. I am also going to treat homeless people like they have human rights, even if they evidently also fall under the "feral" category with the city and state, which keeps moving them.

Cassandra Aoki
Kaneohe

Planters should be temporary

I understand the mayor’s thought process behind placing the box planters on the sidewalks fronting Thomas Square.However, I don’t believe this to be a permanent solution to the problem.

While most of us would probably agree that the (de)Occupy Movement has lived out its usefulness, we cannot simply close a sidewalk, place a planter or shut down a park to deal with these type of problems.

It just seems that the rest of us who are not part of any movements or are not homeless are always having to sacrifice our parks, sidewalks and open spaces.

Terry Leong
Downtown Honolulu

Natatorium was dirty and dark

Unlike the letter writer from Kaneohe ("There must be a way to restore Natatorium," Star-Advertiser, Letters, May 5), I don’t have fond memories of swimming in the Natatorium.

It was about 1951 and we were bused there from Manoa School to learn how to swim. I remember the water as dirty and dark — not inviting to swim in. The dressing rooms weren’t much either.

Trying to restore the Natatorium would be creating a money pit, not a pool.

Remember how many years it took just to fix and reopen the McCully pool?

Pat Paterson
Moiliili

Marriage ruling was great move

Thank you to state Rep. Chris Lee for acknowledging the historic decision 20 years ago written by Justice Steven Levinson ("Time for Marriage Equality has come," Star-Advertiser, Island Voices, May 5).

In 1993 I was a state representative and received many calls about the decision.What remains clearest in my memory were the stories of constituents who spoke of the blatant discrimination they endured by not having the right to marry.

In 1998 I directed the Protect Our Constitution Campaign. We lost that fight, but community leaders such as Al and Jane Nakatani, Bishop Yoshiaki Fujitani, Vanessa Chong, Colbert Matsumoto, Amy Agbayani, Wally Amos and David McEwan spoke loud and clear then, and continue to do so now.

In 1993 we didn’t know that it would be the beginning of a very long crusade. Lee speaks out now for a new generation. He’s right; the time is now to do the right thing.

Jackie Young
Former vice speaker of the state House

Warhawks need to cool their jets

I, too, amvery glad President Barack Obama is taking it slow about Syria. It is a very complicated problem.

The U.S. has offered humanitarian aid to the people of Syria, but arming the rebels when they consist of fundamentalist Muslim groups is another story.

Hezbollah of Iran says they will back up Syria, and now Israel has initiated airstrikes inside Syria.

The reason the Taliban have weapons is they were armed by Russia and the U.S. — maybe not directly, but that was the end result.

We helped Egypt, and the result is a fundamentalist regime that makes it a prison offense to make fun of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi.

Syria and Iran are huge countries, and the U.S. does not have unlimited resources. The hawks need to cool their jets and let our presidentnot be rushed into a judgment we would all regret.

Judith Pettibone
Makiki

GMO letter was irresponsible

I cannot believe the Star-Advertiser would print such an irresponsible letter to the editor from state Sen. Russell Ruderman ("Perils of GMO foods seem pretty obvious," Star-Advertiser, Letters, May 5).

Perhaps this local politician should share his GMO observations with the scientists of the world; I’m sure they would appreciate his insight.

Public comments like this, without any rational, scientific basis, make one wonder how anyone can take this discussion seriously.

Ray Matsuura
Waikiki