Marriage meant to help society

I’m old. When young, I saw injustice done by people, now mostly dead, to people, now mostly dead.I supported the fight for fair treatment.

Today I saw Hawaii’s imported demonstrators seek payback, not fairness. I oppose that.

"Marriage" was defined, made sacred, and formed the foundation of civilization as we know it, centuries before humans invented government.It was only later that secular governments borrowed it to write their laws.And as borrowers, they have no more right to scribble over the definition of marriage than I have to scribble over passages of a Koran I borrow from my neighbor. But gays did, just because they could.

Taxing single people to give benefits to married people is only ethical when marriage meant a permanent bond dedicated to conceiving, not just raising, society’s future — a benefit to all. It is not ethical to take money from some and give it to others just because loving is a nice thing to do.

George L. Berish
Director, The American Political Party
Kakaako

Marriage debate revealed bigots

I know and cherish many religious people who are educated, sophisticated, compassionate and not bigoted in any way. Unfortunately, I have never met a bigot who is not religious.

Bigotry is defined as a stubborn and complete intolerance of any creed, belief or opinion that differs from one’s own.

The past two weeks have helped separate the wheat from the chaff.

Michael Bridge
Downtown Honolulu

Cancellations required by law

The letter "Obama didn’t really lie about health law" (Star-Advertiser, Nov. 12) says that the allegation he lied and the uproar over not being able to "keep your health care if you like it" are due to insurance companies canceling policies.

Policies are being cancelled because they don’t meet Affordable Care Act requirements, which mandate additional coverage.

In other words, the plan you were perfectly happy with will no longer exist.

Evidently, and to be charitable, the president, when he made the promise multiple times, was not aware that his "signature achievement" made keeping old plans impossible.

The next uproar will occur when the Act’s increased premiums become known, in spite of the president’s often-repeated and unfootnoted promise of a $2,500 insurance savings for all.

Tom Freitas
Hawaii Kai

Sirens the price of safe society

Lately I’ve read about people complaining about the use of sirens ("Sounds of sirens necessary for fire units’ fast response," Star-Advertiser, Kokua Line, Nov. 11).

Unbelievable. When I hear a siren, I say a prayer hoping whoever needs help gets it in time. I haven’t needed the use of one yet, and those complaining probably haven’t either. Once they have, they’ll probably think differently.

Lloyd B. Guy
Salt Lake

More homeless now than ever

"Homeless problem ‘not worsening‘" is misleading (Star- Advertiser, Nov. 12).

In reading the entire report "Homeless Service Utilization Report" online, it is apparent that the situation, especially on Oahu, is steadily worsening.

The visible unsheltered homeless on Oahu increased 11.2 percent this past year and 22.8 percent since 2009, according to statewide point-in-time counts for 2013.

It is commendable that 56 (1.8 percent)more people found shelter on Oahu this year and 26.4 percent since 2009. These statistics must be interpreted in light of the total situation, in which total homelessness on Oahu increased 4.7 percent this year (and a whopping 25.2 percent since 2009) and by the numbers of homeless people we see in our parks and neighborhoods every day.

Mary Flynn
Honolulu

Clean bus stops are appreciated

As a daily bus rider, I have noticed that the city is having several of the busier bus stops cleaned more regularly, particularly those along Beretania and King streets.

Honolulu has a big problem with homelessness and many have taken to residing at our bus stops.It is not fair to punish the bus passengers like myself with filthy and unsanitary bus stops.

I want to thank the city officials for the expanded cleaning program and the pressure-washing crew for doing a great job. Their efforts make my trips to Chinatown more enjoyable.

Janet Yoshioka
Makiki