Marina president an embarrassment

I can’t believe what I just read ("Protests from Waianae halt Hawaii Kai dredging," Star-Advertiser, Sept. 7).

Robert Clark, president of the Hawaii Kai Marina Community Association, said of complaints by Waianae residents about the dumping of marina material in Waianae Valley: "How I educate those people out there … I don’t know, because I’m not going to take the time to do it. I haven’t got the time." He also commented on their "total ignorance" and dumping "where the Hawaiians are residing."

Seriously? If I wasn’t so ignorant myself, I would tell Mr. Clark to look in the mirror to see who the ignorant one really is. His comments go deeper than environmental segregation.

It’s sad that one person can embarrass an entire community like that. I’m sure he doesn’t speak for everyone in his area.

Orson Moon
Aiea

Strike on Syria only stirs up hornet’s nest

The recent moves by the Obama administration to take action in Syria have the tones of Cold War rhetoric. Striking at Syria with no real military objective or aims serves nothing other than to stir up a potential hornet’s nest in the Middle East.

Once more we are headed down a path without any serious consideration of the consequences, not only to ourselves but to the population of the region.

If we independently take aim at Syria and pull the trigger, at minimum we will stiffen the resolve of Russia and Iran. At worst, we could have another war on our hands.

Vic Craft
Kapolei

War is a constant in the Middle East

Why do we even think about getting involved in Syria or any other Middle East country? They have been killing each other for thousands of years and will keep killing each other.

Getting involved is like watching opposing teams fighting among themselves and stepping in to stop the fight. Let them keep killing each other — it will mean we have fewer enemies in the long run. There is no right side to back.

In a few years, Iraq will be right back where it was when we got involved. Afghanistan will be the same way. We should just sit back and not take sides. Why risk another American life in wars that never end? These countries will always be in chaos.

Carl Bergantz
Kaneohe

Voting is not way to establish justice

This is in response to "Let voters decide on gay marriage" (Star-Advertiser, Letters, Sept. 2).

First, how are people actually affected by gay marriage? I fail to see negative side effects to keikiwhen children raised in gay homes are as normal as any others, maybe more so for being in loving families that have much less divorce affecting them.

If we relied on public opinion, there would be no interracial marriages allowed, no voting rights for blacks in the South, no laws to help people with disabilities, etc. Social changes are often forced by laws and eventually the public accepts them.

It’s really time for people to live their own lives and let others live theirs, and not make everyone adhere to their outdated prejudices.

Marsha Eaton
Waikiki

Gays use language to subvert marriage

A perversion of language is employed by homosexual lobbyists to subvert marriage.

All marriages in Hawaii already are equal by law. "Marriage equality" is a ruse to destroy an institution that has served humanity for millennia. This move should be stopped cold.

Michael G. Palcic
St. Louis Heights

It was refreshing to read labor views

Eric Gill brings a voice of fresh air to the local scene (Star-Advertiser, Name in the News, Sept. 6). Seldom have I seen such powerful insight, analysis and new ideas.

At one time, decades ago, economic news would include commentators from the ranks of both labor and capital, because, well, they often have fundamentally different values, goals and points of view. Now we very rarely hear from labor.

Such rarity is regretted, and voices of labor are appreciated all the more when we do get to hear them, as we most decidedly did from Gill.

Bob Stauffer
Kahala

Eric Gill interview very educational

The interview with Eric Gill was a revelation.

I’ve always admired him as the fearless leader who broke up the Rutledge dynasty at Local 5.And I know him as a member of a coterie of locals that swim at Ala Moana in the morning.

His answers to Lee Catterall’s well-crafted questions were perceptive and insightful. For me, very educational, very impressive.

Skip Lambert
Kapahulu

Don’t let churches use public schools

Thomas Jefferson said there should be "no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, thus building a wall of separation between church and state."

James Madison wrote, "Strongly guarded … is the separation between religion and government in the Constitution of the United States."

Elizabeth Warren, Barney Frank and other open-minded Democrats across the United States have worked hard and long to advance their states beyond the imagination, beyond magical thinking. Sadly in Hawaii, religious extremists are allowed to govern.

It is appalling that a few churches, including New Hope, are allowed to conduct religious activities in the public schools. As a taxpayer in Hawaii Kai, I am against religious leaders meeting in the same buildings in which children are educated.

I fully and proudly support Mitch Kahle and Holly Huber in all their efforts.

Doreen Adams
Hawaii Kai