Mahalo to the Star-Advertiser and Loretta Yajima for the “Island Voices” column about the Hawaii Children’s Discovery Center (“In a world of conflict, keep focus on promoting peace through our keiki,” Sept. 14).
Mrs. Yajima’s portrayal of the center and the benefits of cultural diversity draw a picture of the hope for justice and peace provided for our keiki; a visit to the center will teach them this basic truth.
The same could be said about the diversity of our many faith traditions.
If we would only get to know one another, discover the richness we have in common, accept our differences and learn how to work together, we could make real progress toward communities of justice and compassion and a world at peace.
When this basic concept is combined with the profound teaching of aloha, the conflicts that emerge from our differences can be transformed into actual paths toward peace.
With the proper guidance and opportunity, our keiki will lead us.
John Heidel
Kailua
Filmmakers, PBS: keep up good work
It is not often that I get enamored with a PBS Hawaii offering, but I most certainly did recently — after fleeing from the repeat of the Jets-Bills Thursday night NFL game.
Channel-hopping, I found myself “trapped” by “Lemon Tree Billiards House,” a local 30-minute morality play starring Dean Kaneshiro as the kid, with the great (but passed) Ray Bumatai taking a starring role, supported by James Grant Benton. Written by Cedric Yamanaka and taped by McHale Video, the show was captivating, entertaining and enlightening.
Kudos to PBS Hawaii for airing it — but to my shock I discovered the story was produced in 1996. I had never seen it before.
I asked myself, “Where have you been for the past 20 years, and why hasn’t this kind of material made it to a more public forum?”
Please, young filmmakers and creatives, I urge you to keep up the good work, and to PBS Hawaii, I urge the same.
Chip Davey
Downtown
Heed ancient way of respecting the sea
In the front-page article, “World could face mass extinction of marine life, researchers warn” (Star-Advertiser, Sept. 15), experts announced that the main culprit is not natural disasters, but “commercial fishing and hunting.”
Did we really need an expert to tell us this?
The Hawaiians of old, whom the haole newcomers thought of as savages, had a strict kapu system where opelu (mackeral) were eaten during the summer while aku (tuna) were spawning and kapu, and aku was food during winter while opelu was spawning and kapu, according to “Hawaiian Antiquities,” by David Malo, page 209.
The ancient Hawaiians treated fishing as a religion while we newcomers treat it as a lucrative business. Expect a barren sea by the end of this century.
David Yasuo Henna
McCully
Extend Zipper Lane in west to ease traffic
Fact: Rail will not solve West Oahu’s traffic problems.
Fact: Ho‘opili will add to West Oahu’s traffic problems.
The permanent solution is to reduce the number of vehicles on this island, but none of our current leaders have the vision or guts to make that happen.
Let’s do a less-scary, yet temporary fix. Extend the beginning of the Zipper Lane on the H-1 freeway so that the first entrance is on the west side of Kunia Road. Don’t remove the current first entrance.
This way, the authorized vehicles from Kapolei, Makakilo, Waianae Coast and, unfortunately, Ho‘opili can enter the Zipper Lane before the folks from Ewa Beach and West Waipahu.
This would eliminate the merging that causes the first morning traffic jam every morning heading to town.
Robert Holden
Kapolei
Work on efficiency, not a mileage tax
What’s with the state always wanting to raise taxes?
We are taxed enough through payroll, excise, gas, vehicle, etc.
When is the state going to start thinking how to run the system more efficiently? It shouldn’t be thinking of ways to increase payroll to departments.
Look at what is happening to Hawaii’s teachers, whose pay is $5,000 more than in other states — but with all of the taxes wiping out any raises given.
The state needs to stop raising taxes so easily. Instead, look at ways to save money instead of ways to spend, and listen to the taxpayers.
Raising taxes on cars for miles used will only penalize the people living on the West Side who have a long distance to drive to town.
Richard Kinoshita
Palolo Valley
Prime ag-land trade for housing dubious
A Texas-based company will build 11,750 homes on land that will be a project called Ho‘opili. — during which time, farming that exists today on about 1,400 acres will gradually be displaced.
This land has been proven by scientists to have the richest soil for farming. This area is called the “golden triangle” by local farmers.
Affordable homes, a second city, bringing communities together and better quality of life are the reasons given to use our aina in this capacity.
We will see in time if this was the best way to use this land — or if we only created more of the same problems that exist today because of overpopulation.
Glenn Martin
Kaneohe
