Where does sand really come from?

Beaches are not created from inland; sand is washed up to the land by ocean currents. In order to keep this process going, we cannot be digging trenches outside the reef by dredging sand from there and dumping it on shore.

Look at Sandy Beach and the Na Pali coastline of Kauai: they boast some of the most powerful sea currents in the northern islands, yet they build up the most magnificent beaches. Sand is made from coral and seashells or whatever can be broken down in the water, like submarine lava flows.

Can’t someone consult our geologists? Maybe the sea floor outside Waikiki and the North Shore had been affected by recent earthquakes. Not all things are due to man. Submarine avalanches are part of the island’s geological history.

Michael S. Teruya
Palolo

Nature will dictate sand’s movements

So glad the city is "on it" regarding beach erosion.

Sand will travel between Waianae and Waikiki, as it has for many years, whether we like it or not. Not nice to fool Mother Nature!

Scott Clarke
Kapahulu

Nature will dictate sand’s movements

Thanks to Duane and Sarah Preble for their thoughtful letter ("Warn visitors of water dangers," Star-Advertiser, Oct. 26). You may be interested to know that Kauai has already produced a fine video on local water safety, and has been showing it at Lihue airport’s baggage claim for several months.

Rather than duplicate our island’s efforts, the Hawaii Tourism Authority should contact our water safety professionals about using their production.

To indulge in my own soapbox moment: A postcard for sale here, of a couple walking near waves at Lumahai Beach, shows what our hardworking rescue workers are up against. To a visitor from Montana or Manitoba who may never have seen the ocean, the scene looks romantic. To anyone from Kauai, or someone familiar with beach dynamics, it has "danger" written all over it.

It seems, at the very least, irresponsible for the company who produces these cards to continue propagating such imagery. Kauai has an abundance of beautiful places, including some of its safe beaches, that could be used for postcard photos.

Heu‘ionalani Wyeth
Anahola, Kauai

Cruz sets example for young leaders

Bless U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz!

Both parties are out to get him. They want to hold on to their power, and he is a big threat. They have the media on their side to try to destroy him. In this whole shutdown/healthcare debacle they certainly managed to take care of themselves with subsidies paid for by all of us.

We need new young politicians willing to stand up. Even here in Hawaii, we are a one-party state, so it is no wonder we do not have dynamic young people to run for any office. He, or she, only gets extremely bad press or completely shoved aside.

Margaret M. Giles
Waikiki

Christians should rally for the poor

As a Christian who believes Christ when he says, "Love thy neighbor as thyself," I am dismayed to see that the rallying point for so many Christians in Hawaii is to deny others the right to marry those they love.

Why aren’t there thousands of Christians rallying to see that children in our state have food on their table every night or a home to live in instead of a tent in Kakaako? Why aren’t there thousands of Christians rallying for health care for all our citizens?

I think that we, as Christians, need to heed Christ’s words and remember that he said, "Whatever you do to the least of my brothers, that you do unto me." I, like many other people of faith, believe in equality for all and fully support the Hawaii Marriage Equality Act of 2013.

Kathleen Thomas
Kailua

Let love be purpose of all marriages

I had the good fortune of being invited to a friend’s wedding, which was a very small, intimate, but traditional wedding involving my friend who is 71 years old and his wife, who is 10-plus years younger. The ceremony really reflected what love is all about.

Throughout the ceremony, both bride and groom showed that age is no barrier and that love crosses all boundaries. It was refreshing to see the true happiness between this couple .

Amid all of the social commentary currently regarding same-sex marriage, I found that "love is a many-splendored thing."

I do hope people recognize that love should be respected among the parties concerned and that whether it be traditional or same-sex, let us respect what love is all about in a union of marriage.

Randall Ng
Kapahulu

Dead whale needed a tow, not an exam

What don’t environmentalists understand about the fact that marine life expires due to natural causes or predatory acts ("Whale carcass cut up and hauled away," Star-Advertiser, Oct. 27)? This has been going on for thousands of years and there is nothing mankind can do about it.

The whale should have been towed further out to sea if it was in fact in danger of washing ashore. Instead, we apparently have people who wanted to dissect the deceased mammal.

Ron Baptista
Mountain View, Hawaii island