Homelessness must be solved

The homeless have become oblivious to us.

Politicians ignore them. Those in power blame each other and say it’s the other’s kuleana, denying there is a major problem.

But the homeless are growing in number. There are now thousands, and in a few years there will be tens of thousands.

The time has come for both the city and state to come together. Both have attorneys who can write vagrancy laws that could stand up to the American Civil Liberties Union.Both have land in the urban core to establish "safe zones" where homeless can have a protected place.

If we truly believe in aloha, we cannot let this situation continue. It is not pono. To let anyone wallow on the streets is not what a civilized society allows. The status quo is unacceptable. To do nothing destroys the very fabric of who we are and what we are about here in Hawaii.

Stephany Sofos
Waikiki

New Year’s Eve still quite loud

"Quieter than usual"?

Not in Aina Haina.

Hours before and after midnight, my area was plagued by explosive illegal aerial fireworks and, worse still, nearby explosions that I thought would shatter our plate windows.

Our dog was terrified as it has not been for many years.

Despite all the laws, reality may force us to evacuate for next year’s "celebration" to retain our safety and sanity.

Lloyd J. Wood
Aina Haina

Host a party at East-West Center

President Barack Obama has come out for a well-earned vacation.

I can’t help wonder, though, that if in the middle of working out, playing golf, eating shave ice and shooting hoops, our good president could not have devoted a mere morning or a mere day to convening a luau for the folks from the Asia-Pacific region (China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Australia, Indonesia, Chile, Argentina, Mexico, Russia and other countries).

And where better to have had such a luau than up in Manoa Valley at the East-West Center?

The president devoted a day to watching a basketball game at the Stan Sheriff Center.Good for him.

Could he also have sponsored a friendly interchange of ideas, coupled up with good local-kine grinds, at the University of Hawaii with the folks of the Pacific century?

Would such an event in any way have disallowed our good president any down time?

I don’t think so.

Dave Baumgartner
Moiliili

Other bases being ignored

As a U.S. Army veteran who served three tours in Vietnam, I agree with Eugene Cordero ("Obama should visit Schofield Barracks," Star-Advertiser, Letters, Dec. 31).

President Barack Obama doesn’t visit any of the other military bases except for Hickam Air Force Base because he lands there.

No matter whether he passes them on the road or over them in the air when he comes to Hawaii for his annual visit, he only visits Kaneohe Marine Corp Air Station, plays golf there and eats with the troops there and, most important, thanks them for their service — as if it is the only military branch andbase here on Oahu.

Why snub other branches of the U.S. military?

We have Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard bases here, too. We fought alongside the Marines in wars or conflicts up to the present day.

Are the other branches of our military not worthy of a visit from our president?

Pat Murphy
Salt Lake

Christians must speak for peace

Another year, another year of unspeakable violence.

Not only abroad, with our longest-lasting wars in American history, but here at home with gun violence, gang violence and now the game of "knock-out."

We also should be concerned about the high suicide rate of our veterans, many of whom come home from our wars with not only physical wounds but psychological ones as well.

Solutions or resolutions? I have one suggestion for churches and my fellow Christians: We need to speak out for peace and for the principle of non-violence.

When Christians recite the Lord’s Prayer and come to where they say, "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven," what does that exactly mean? Unless there are wars and suffering in heaven, don’t we have an obligation to make peace, and not war, on Earth? Is war more in line with God’s will than gay marriage?

Do we really believe in the Prince of Peace?

Roman Leverenz
Aliamanu