‘Alien’ species differs from ‘native’ species

What is an invasive species ("All species in isles originally ‘invasive,’" Star-Advertiser, Letters, May 6)?

First, let me define what biologists consider as "alien" species. Alien species occur somewhere only because they were brought there by humans. In Hawaii, biologists consider the plant and animal species that colonized the islands before human arrival as "native," not "alien" or "invasive."

Some argue that, as humans are animals, the consequences of our moving species around the world are just part of the greater evolutionary scheme of things. But as the only species with the power to both destroy the world yet also to maintain its spectacular diversity, we have the choice to manage other species appropriately. By labeling them native, alien or invasive, we facilitate this management.

Most biologists consider "invasive" species as only those alien species that, following introduction, spread rapidly and cause problems. Considering all Hawaii’s species as invasive is contrary to basic biological understanding and may exacerbate the already drastic decline of Hawaii’s unique biological heritage.

Robert H. Cowie
Research professor, Pacific Biosciences Research Center, University of Hawaii

Settlements suggest police a favored class

The $3.7 million paid to settle lawsuits against the city was taxpayers’ money ("Settlements for workers’ ‘wrongful’ acts cost city $3.7M," Star-Advertiser, May 8).

Does that mean we the taxpayers condone the actions of the Honolulu Police Department?

Aaron Torres was suffocated to death by three police officers. If this was done by anyone other than the police, they would be facing criminal charges. The police need to be held accountable for their actions, just like the rest of the citizens. They should not be exempt from the rule of law.

Obviously, HPD needs more training to avoid these lawsuits and possible criminal prosecution. Police should also be vetted in a more professional manner, with intelligence tests and psychological evaluations to uncover any aggressive tendencies and motives for wanting to be in law enforcement.

Douglas Bennett
Kailua

Recent events good for State Hospital

The establishment of a Senate Committee to review safety concerns and improprieties at the Hawaii State Hospital and now the hiring of a new hospital administrator are commendable.

Working with this hospital population is challenging in itself and requires a network of strong leader- ship to not only ensure high quality of care but also to establish an environment of support, fairness and compassion for the staff.

I see this as a very positive thing.

Michael Springhetti
Waikiki

Many veterans have done well as civilians

Colleges should represent open-mindedness, but any assertion that a veteran as the University of Hawaii president represents "militarization" is narrow ("UH candidate’s military past prompts protest by students," Star-Advertiser, May 7).

There is good precedent, including Dwight Eisenhower, who, after earning five stars, was elected president of Columbia University.

King Kamehameha I was a military leader, as was our first president, George Washington. Veterans serve throughout the public and private sectors. Too many to mention, but they include Colin Powell and Secretary of State John Kerry.

In general, veterans possess a worldly view, are tested under pressure and bring a wealth of experience, leading diverse groups across our nation.

Retired Lt. Gen. Frank Wiercinski should be judged on his own merits, and not grouped into a class, but it’s an honorable group, indeed.

Since the GI Bill was enacted in 1944, colleges have welcomed millions of veterans. More than 21 million live in the U.S. Look around. You’re in good company.

Todd Offutt
Aiea

University not about command and control

The kind of skills needed to build a great military are not the kind of skills needed to build a great university.

That’s why I am amazed that a career military man is even being considered to head the University of Hawaii. Command and control? Really?

A career in university information technology is another matter. That requires familiarity with every aspect of university instruction, research and administration. It requires working collaboratively with a wide range of diverse and often competing interests. It requires having a vision of how technology may affect the future of the university. I can’t think of a better background to lead UH into a dynamic and uncertain future.

If the military wins this contest, I predict another short-lived presidency and another embarrassment for the people of Hawaii.

James B. Young
St. Louis Heights

FROM THE FORUM

Readers of the Star-Advertiser’s online edition can respond to stories posted there. The following are some of those. Instead of names, pseudonyms are generally used online. They have been removed.

“Bill would alter city’s plastic bag prohibition,” Star-Advertiser, May 5:
>> We’ve had the ban on Maui for a couple of years. It’s really not a big deal.
>> Apparently you haven’t seen the poor guy whose paper bag broke and the resultant mess all over the sidewalk, and no one is helping. The big box clubs can do without plastic bags because most people drive over in cars and do not walk home from or catch the bus to the store.
>> Why can’t you use a reusable bag? They don’t break. And lots of places give them away free or you can buy one for no more than $2.
>> I’m going to pay for a $2 bag to line my trash cans? I don’t think so. Plus the “reusable” bags use a lot more carbon footprint and do not last through even a few washings. This gets very expensive.
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“Housing production is left in the dust as population grows,” Star-Advertiser, May 5:
>> We ought to be allowed to renovate multi-family dwellings in planned communities like Kapolei without associations in our face. After all, das ohana, local style.
>> Where is this population growth coming from? Aren’t lots of young people moving to the mainland? There isn’t much job growth for work other than in hotels and construction, and, the construction jobs will not go on forever. Building condos and the rail work will eventually end and these people will have to move to the mainland for work. Bottom line is they should not be building more housing.
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“Prosecutor vows to curb gambling,” Star-Advertiser, May 6:
>> Sweepstakes machines are a real threat to our freedom and our way of life and as a taxpayer I’m just tickled pink that our city prosecutor has eradicated this epidemic after only three years of investigation. In conclusion, I’m very happy to say that I have never voted for Keith Kaneshiro and I never will.
>> Yes, because of the lack of the serious crime in our community, I guess this should be given the highest priority.
>> It’s money well spent. And very cheap compared to the social costs of this kind of gambling.
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“Housing policy jams UH faculty,” Star-Advertiser, May 6:
>> Lax oversight? At UH? Who knew? The existing policy is stupid, and their new intent to begin enforcing it is worse.
>> Either delete the policy or enforce it. There is nothing worse than an unenforced policy. It just creates all sorts of problems down the line, and this is a classic example of it.
>> A nice 700-foot-tall condo would solve a lot of problems. Put it right in Manoa. Imagine the screams.
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“Bill to abolish life terms for minors now with gov,” Star-Advertiser, May 8:
>> Prohibiting life terms for all juvenile criminals is a wrong move. Judges must have an option to protect the public from the few truly violent psychopaths who reject society’s code of conduct and reject rehabilitation, no matter what their age.
>> Give the judges discretion in sentencing, but leave the option of no parole on the table.
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“Facility’s sleek design accents activity space,” Star-Advertiser, May 8:
>> We don’t have $25 million to be throwing at something we have been doing without just fine.
>> We can only hope that the University of Hawaii will take care of the deferred maintenance on the remainder of the campus before it starts another project it can’t afford to maintain. It is sad and disrespectful that grounds and buildings built to honor people are allowed to fall into such disrepair. One can only imagine what this building will look like in 50 years, if it follows the trend of the rest of the campus.
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“Buildings attract citations from city,” Star-Advertiser, May 9:
>> This situation was only brought to light by a nosy reporter. The report just made the city Department of Planning and Permitting do its job.
>> So typical for DPP, closing the gate after all the animals have left. Now it’s trying to play catch up and spinning its failure as someone else’s fault.
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“Internment site sought for national park,” Star-Advertiser, May 9:
>> I support the Honouliuli Internment Camp becoming a national park. This will be another educational reminder of how great the United States is as compared to other countries. We made a huge error during the high emotion period following Pearl Harbor with the internment of people of different ethnic groups. We recognized our error and apologized.
>> Honouliuli is a significant event in U.S. history and does deserve commemoration and a statement that we know it was a terrible violation of our most basic laws. National parks around the country note significant historical moments and serve as teaching reminders of our values as a nation.