The chief of police for Washington, D.C., was quoted recently as encouraging citizens to “take down” active shooters. Some have suggested throwing coffee cups or chairs.

Restrictive concealed-carry laws preclude law-abiding citizens from carrying guns in public to protect themselves. Terrorists don’t follow the law. Law-abiding citizens are at their mercy.

The right to self defense is not restricted to the home. Armed defense is more important in public where terrorists hunt.

Lawmakers need to trust their law-abiding citizens to be law-abiding. When times get uncertain and dangerous, it is more important for citizens to be able to protect themselves. The best counter to an armed bad guy is an armed good guy.

It is time for lawmakers to change Hawaii law to make concealed-carry legal, reasonable, realistic and constitutional.

Michael Lee

Wilhelmina Rise

Gun violence in U.S. deterring foreigners?

A recent incident in London made me much more aware of how our continual epidemic of gun violence is increasingly shaping how foreigners perceive the U.S.

I took a taxi, driven by a man who was born in Iran. We had a long and enjoyable conversation. As we approached my destination, I did what I often do when traveling overseas: I invited him to visit America.

The response to this invitation has always been the same: warm, polite and enthusiastic, like, “Thank you! I’d really like to do that!”

But not this time. I was startled to hear: “No way. Your country is much too dangerous!”

C. Richard Fassler

Manoa

City intentionally pollutes Kailua Bay

Your editorial about sports tourism is only an extremely small part of the story with regard to big “tourist turn-off” issues that definitely need to be addressed (“State deserves compensation for canceled match,” Star-Advertiser, Our View, Dec. 8).

What about the city’s intentional pollution of Kailua Bay when it opens the Kaelepulu canal and dumps high levels of toxins into Kailua Bay each month?

Kailua Beach is marketed as a world-class beach, and the bay is home to countless varieties of water sports in addition to swimmers and other water activities.

After the deliberate browning of the bay, no warning signs are posted.

Perhaps the Hawaii Tourism Authority should be promoting Kailua Bay as a place to come to get serious infections and other medical complications. This will definitely generate mega dollars for Oahu hospitals, medical clinics, individual medical practitioners and pharmacies.

Stann W. Reiziss

Kailua

Businesses in town should brace for rail

The businesses along the rail route are suffering, and there’s no end in sight.

The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation should have met with the businesses before construction to disclose the phases of work in detail, to include the elimination of left-turn lanes and narrowing of the roadways. Business owners could then bring up their concerns.

As for driving through the construction areas, it was a surprise to a lot of people when Kamehameha Highway went from six lanes to four, and in some cases to three, with little accounting for buses picking up passengers.

And there’s the obstacle course of metal plates, holes and bumps that the contractors leave when lanes reopen.

Will the businesses and drivers be as patient in Kalihi and downtown when it’s their turn? Maybe they should advise their elected officials now regarding what they’re not willing to put up with.

Moses Akana

Aiea

Chinatown plan caters to minority

As a 30-plus-year resident of Chinatown, with six years on the neighborhood board, I recognize the recent set of recommendations for the Chinatown Action Plan as Pollyannaish (“Stakeholders discuss Chinatown’s future,” Star-Advertiser, Dec. 12).

I am tired of a tiny minority of bicyclists trying to bully the overwhelming majority of drivers into surrendering vital traffic lanes. Have you ever seen more than a handful of bicyclists using King Street at any one time? Closing River Street to vehicular traffic would dump traffic onto the already congested Maunakea Street and eliminate much-needed on-street parking, damaging nearby businesses. I’d much rather the city repave River Street.

We need to get rid of the rough stone sidewalk pavers that collect filth and are cracked and broken in many places. More effort should be put into cleaning up the garbage that litters the sidewalks. The urine stench along Nuuanu or Bethel Street is like walking through a latrine.

Andrew Rothstein

Chinatown

Immigrants undergo intensive screening

Please stop printing misinformation on the process of accepting refugees into the U.S. (“Open-door policy is all about politics,” Star-Advertiser, Letters, Dec. 6; “Obama gambling U.S. lives for benefit of immigrants,” Star-Advertiser, Thomas Sowell, Dec. 12).

According to the U.S. State Department:

>> Refugees are referred by the U.N. after interviews, reference checks and biological screening.

>> A small percentage of those who pass are referred for immigration.

>> After being referred to the U.S., our government conducts its own intensive screening by nine different agencies who meet weekly to discuss each case.

>> A Department of Homeland Security officer conducts in-person interviews with every applicant and performs fingerprint/criminal checks.

This process takes two years. Statistically, half of the admitted refugees have been children. Twenty-five percent are adults over 60, and only 2 percent are males of military age. Even then they aren’t citizens, so they can’t vote.

Refugees being admitted now are at the end of that two-year process. New ones will be at the beginning of it.

William E. Conti

Waikiki