The Nov. 30 Star-Advertiser (“Day of Infamy”) should be required reading for all Americans.

What great content for readers to truly be able to absorb about all that happened that day — Dec. 7, 1941 — as well as the days leading up to that day, and all that followed that day.

But if those today under 40 were to read nothing else, I wish they would read page S10 in Chapter 4, featuring those who on Dec. 7 earned the Congressional Medal of Honor.

One thing I can promise you is that none of these individuals, 11 of whom were awarded their medal posthumously, ever won a trophy growing up just for showing up.

These honorees did not look for a “safe place” but instead truly understood duty, honor and country. It makes you proud to know that they were there for us. We owe them and all who have ever served our country a huge debt of gratitude.

F.M. Scotty Anderson

Waialae Nui

Sea level rise can bring up pollution

I am writing in response to your editorial that discusses the link between contaminated nearshore waters and the widespread use of cesspools across the state (“Stop polluting nearshore waters,” Star-Advertiser, Our View, Dec. 1).

Unfortunately, the severity of the public health concern related to widespread cesspool use will likely become a much more serious problem in the future as sea level rises.

Research that looks at the lifting effect sea level rise has on coastal groundwater shows that as sea level rises, groundwater will progressively breach the surface of the ground and produce flooding. Coastal groundwater across the state is subject to ongoing and widespread contamination by cesspool effluent. If this source of contamination remains unchecked, serious public health ramifications could ensue as polluted groundwater progressively breaches the land surface where we work and live.

Shellie Habel

Student researcher, University of Hawaii at Manoa Coastal Geology Group

Homeless shelters micromanaged

Regarding new state rules mandating one bathroom stall per 10 beds (“Space rule would cut bed availability at homeless shelters,” Star-Advertiser, Nov. 21): Hooray to our legislators for their time and effort to this problem of enough toilets.

How about one or two required parking spaces for each hotel and housing development unit? Or requiring a life vest for each person living in a building in a tsunami evacuation zone and one life raft for every 20 people?

Our city and state officials have nothing better to do than to micromanage and point fingers at others for “wrongdoing” — instead of dealing with graft, corruption, negligence and abuse of power.

Yoshiko Sato

McCully-Moiliili

Good choice for defense secretary

The appointment of retired Marine Gen. James Mattis to be secretary of defense sends a strong message to our nation’s military and to the world.

The current administration has allowed for political correctness to seep into our ranks. The military is no place for political correctness and never should be. It’s not a culture in which one’s individual feelings outweigh the mission or means to get the mission done.

As a combat veteran, I look at what’s been going on with lowering standards and lack of discipline. Everyone wants a waiver for something or another. There are actual “safe spaces” for soldiers at various bases. That is completely unacceptable. There are no individuals in our military.

How can we expect these soldiers to handle the stresses of combat when they can’t handle the opinions of their peers? I look forward to a tougher fighting force under this new leadership.

James Logue

Chinatown

Sovereignty could diminish Hawaii

Alan Howard’s commentary presented a valid argument for secession from the union (“Hawaii should consider seceding from U.S.,” Star-Advertiser, Island Voices, Nov. 29). Hawaii is a unique place, vastly different from even the most liberal of blue states on the mainland. It is more like a foreign country.

To the people who wish for secession in order to form a Hawaiian government: Be careful what you wish for. Hawaii’s prosperity today is due in large extent to its status as first a U.S. territory and later, a state. Secession would possibly mean a reduction, or complete elimination, of military spending and of U.S. mainland tourism.

In 30 years after secession, Hawaii would be a third-world country.

So, if they still want to secede and take back the land that was allegedly stolen from them, I say go for it.

Bill Koppenheffer

Kaneohe