Story stigmatizes young high achiever

I don’t know Brittany Amano, but your story, “College aspirants face pressure to do ‘impossible’” (Star-Advertiser, Jan. 15), was a journalistic misstep. The headline suggested that it was about resume padding by college aspirants, but it unduly focused on one person and read more like an exposé of a 19-year-old for possible indiscretions committed while she was 16. No other person was named.

If Amano had been accused of a crime, her case would have been confidential. The criminal system requires this because society does not want to stigmatize a young person who has a chance at rehabilitation.

Because Amano was accused of resume padding, the Star-Advertiser had no qualms fact- checking her alleged dishonesty publicly on the front page of her hometown newspaper.

To a young high achiever, the fallout from such a story is probably no less devastating than being accused of a crime.

Lily Ling

Waialae Iki

—

Palliative care better than lethal drugs

John Radcliffe wishes it was possible for his physician to assist in his suicide (“An ailing lobbyist wants a law to OK suicide via doctor,” Star-Advertiser, Jan. 13). He hasn’t refused the 42-plus rounds of chemotherapy whose only purpose is “keeping me alive”?

Apparently medications are offering comfort now and undoubtedly could be increased.

Fourteen years ago, the pain from my wife’s lung cancer became so severe she asked her oncologist for something so she would not have to “suffer like this.”

He gave her some liquid and told her to take it when the pain become unbearable. For a few days, it provided her with some time for conversation and peaceful sleep.

At some point, my daughter said, “Dad, I think that Mom has stopped breathing.” She had died — peacefully.

When I graduated from medical school 67 years ago, I recited the Hippocratic Oath, which forbade giving a lethal drug. Much of the old oath has been changed or abandoned, but the instructions on lethal drugs are still worth following.

Arg Bacon, M.D. (retired)

Kahala

—

Choose compassion over a loaded gun

Eric Tessmer asks us to “consider the facts” regarding death with dignity (“’Death with dignity’ not best option,” Star-Advertiser, Island Voices, Jan. 11).

He presents, instead, anecdotes about a physician and a hemodialysis patient. The proposed laws do not allow a distressed hemodialysis patient to order his own death on a whim. They do allow end-stage patients with painful terminal illnesses the option to end their suffering.

Mr. Tessmer further confuses the issue by asking if one would “give a loaded gun to a dying friend.” In fact, death-with-dignity laws make possible a peaceful death so that no one needs to resort to a painful suicide to end their suffering. A death-with-dignity law provides a compassionate way to help a suffering patient to live and then die with some comfort and grace.

For those faced with overwhelming agony at the end of life, I certainly hope that our lawmakers will act to allow access to life-ending medication rather than a loaded gun.

Joe Herzog

Kailua

—

Unaffordable bail cruel and unjust

Imprisoning people for being too poor to make bail is one of the most cruel causes of overcrowding in Hawaii’s jails (“Program to ease overcrowding in state’s jails has yet to launch,” Star-Advertiser, Jan. 18).

Act 217 needs to be put into action now. In fact, Act 217 is just the first step, since it only applies to people with a bail set at less than $5,000.

“Pretrial detention” sounds benign, but if you’re stuck in jail because you can’t post bail, you could lose your job (since you can’t go to work), your apartment (since you can’t pay rent), and even custody of your kids while you await trial.

Hawaii must join the dozens of states and cities that have rejected the money bail system as an injustice to the poor that only lines the pockets of for-profit bail bond firms.

Annie Koh

Waikiki

—

Politicians won’t fix pension fund crisis

Your editorial suggested that the Legislature needs to get serious about the state’s unfunded pension liability (“Strict budgeting needed to sustain retirement system,” Star-Advertiser, Our View, Jan. 13).

I predict this Legislature will be no different than prior legislatures, and that nothing substantial will happen at all. Look how many of our legislators have been in office for 25 years or more, and they keep getting reelected virtually unopposed. They have presided over the accumulation of this problem for a very long time without any significant pressure to address it.

The only politician I can recall who has ever addressed the issue head-on was Gov. Neil Abercrombie, when during the financial crisis he suggested taxing pension income. He pretty quickly became the first sitting governor not to be renominated for a second term. That was a warning to anyone else who might try to do the same thing.

P.S. I am retired, get a pension, and it should be taxed.

Richard Manetta

Wilhelmina Rise