Don’t prosecute all prostitution

The outrage currently being expressed about the exemption that allows Hono- lulu police officers to have sex with prostitutes in the course of their duties, and proposals to scrap it, are misplaced.

Instead, the law making prostitution illegal should be scrapped or at least ameliorated to address the real sex crimes — sex trafficking of minors, forced prostitution, and abuse of prostitutes by clients and others — because sexual intercoursebetween consenting adults for financial remuneration is a victimless crime.

Such a change would invalidate any presumed need for police to have sex with prostitutes in order to establish a case to arrest them, and instead free the police to concentrate on the sordid aspects of the prostitution problem. Freed from legal harassment, prostitutes would also be more likely to utilize public or private health facilities for regular health screening, preventive (and curative) measures to protect their health, as well as — indirectly — the public health of their clients and others.

Ken Smith
Kakaako

Can seawalls serve public?

From Monday’s editorial: "… individual property rights should not supersede the public interest" ("Don’t ease rules on retaining walls" Star-Advertiser, Our View, March 24).

Perhaps not allowing seawalls on private property is in the public interest, but due to increasing shoreline erosion, we have already lost a lot of parking area on the makai side of Kamehameha Highway on the windward side.

We also are rapidly losing beach park ocean frontage on Oahu from Makapuu to the North Shore. Some of these parks have already lost half or more of their size in just a few years.

Is this also in the public interest?

Clark Leavitt
Palolo Valley

GOP two-faced on Russia issue

Jim McDiarmid wrote, "Our president, mocked by Russia, finds time to select NCAA brackets, attend fundraisers, proclaim happy hour with the Democratic National Committee and take a mini-vacation after a tough talk with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Meanwhile, Putin annexes Crimea." ("Romney was right on Russia," Star-Advertiser, March 21)

He also praised Mitt Romney for being right about Russia being an adversary.

Congratulations to Romney for being right about Russia and health care (Obamacare was created from Romneycare).

In 1956, the Soviet Union invaded Hungary. Republican President Dwight D. Eisenhower did not launch an attack, and Democrats supported him.

In 2008, Russia invaded the Republic of Georgia while Republican President George W. Bush was on vacation and did not respond. Democrats supported him.

In 2014, Russia invaded Ukraine and annexed Crimea. Democratic President Barack Obama tried to negotiate and imposed sanctions on Russia. The GOP is outraged.

Hypocrites.

Jimbeau Walsh
Haleiwa

Caldwell doing great with roads

Great praise for Mayor Kirk Caldwell.

He promised to improve roads and has done so in great style.

I suggest a few more that cry out for paving: Kaneohe Bay Drive from Aikahi Park to Nanamoana Street; Liliha Street from the Pali Highway to the H-1 freeway; Nuuanu from the Pali Highway to the H-1.

I urge the mayor to keep up the great work. It’s looking really great.

Ken Wiecking
Kailua

Kakaako won’t be ‘community’

I appreciated Richard Borreca’s column about designing Kakaako ("Kakaako will go down as a ‘what could’ve been’," Star-Advertiser, On Politics, March 21).

I, too, have seen dense-population neighborhoods in Europe and other U.S. cities. These neighborhoods provide community space with bike trails, parks, recreation, art and views. The housing in Kakaako is not designed for community.

The apartments could be built for natural energy such as tradewinds, solar and balconies. Kakaako’s apartments are closed in with air conditioning, raising utility costs.

Looking out the window, there may be a view of other buildings.

Mary A. Guinger
Kaneohe

Go! was never threat to Aloha

I read with a certain amount of incredulity the commentsof the former CEO of Aloha Airlines, David Banmiller ("Former Aloha CEO predicted future of go!," Star-Advertiser, March 19).

They revealeda lack of competence and understanding on his part as to how an airline operates.

It would have been impossible for go!, with its small fleet of five Bombardier CRJ200 50-seat aircraft, to make even a dent in the interisland traffic. Aloha operated a fleet of 148-seat B737s and had more than five timesthe capacity of go!. It could have matched all go!’s fares and still would have had plenty of seats left to sell at a higher fare.

The truth is he needed an excuse for his lack of ability to lead Aloha out of trouble — a Herculean task, I must say — but at least he should be honest and stop blaming an insignificant little airline like go!.

Franco Mancassola
Hawaii Kai

Maintain ban on fireworks

I agree with Stann Reiziss ("Fireworks bill should be killed," Star-Advertiser, Letters, March 15).

We’ve taken a step forward in banning fountains and sparklers and now they want to bring them back?

I noticed a lot less smoke last year, and the fire department said there were a lot fewer fires and injuries. Why do we find it so hard to listen to these professionals? These fountains put out a lot of smoke. Do we really need to pollute our environment any more? We get enough natural pollution from Madame Pele and vog.

This bill should be shelved and put on the back burner — way back.

Greg Mishima

Foster Village

Gay marriage is about equality

It is sadly obvious that Melvin Partido Sr. derives his "facts" from his agenda, rather than from reality ("Most locals do not support gay marriage," Star-Advertiser, Letters, March 23).

He says that "the majority of Hawaii citizens are not happy" that same-sex marriage has been "legitimized" in Hawaii.

That is patently untrue. Such generalities ("majority") are useful to only his belief system and not to established data.

Moreover, the issue is not about his conclusions but, rather, the Constitution’s 14th Amendment right to "equal protection of the laws." It’s about the right of every citizen to have the same laws and rights as every other citizen. No one is "pushing" the "morals of homosexuality" onto children in the schools.

Hopefully, however, they are being taught the basic tenets of our beautiful document, the Constitution.

Perhaps Partido should read it himself sometime.

Susan Nance
Manoa