I guess I am just old-fashioned and believe that enforcing laws for public safety is part of law enforcement. Silly me.

WORKSHOPS

HSTA OFFERS HELP IN DEALING WITH BULLIES

We appreciate the coverage of the issue of bullying in the Feb. 12 paper. As teachers, we frequently deal with bullying and know that it can significantly impact our students' achievement and well-being.

The Hawai'i State Teachers Association offers teachers resources to deal with bullying in the classroom. We have three workshops we offer to teachers: Bullyproofing, Quit It and Flirting or Hurting (each one is age-appropriate).

These workshops address the different types of bullying, including sexual harassment, and help teachers find strategies to counter it. The training sessions offer teachers ways to respond to all students affected by bullying: the victims of bullying, the bullies themselves and the bystanding students.

The training sessions are extremely helpful for not only teachers but also other school employees who are striving to keep the classroom a safe and bully-free learning environment.

Any teacher or school that needs assistance to deal with a bullying situation can call us at 833-2711 for access to these workshops.

MONORAIL

A DAM WOULD HELP PROVIDE ELECTRICITY

My main concern is about a possible decision to build a monorail on O'ahu. I understand that it is supposed to ease traffic on the west side, but my concern is that a monorail would be solely operated by electricity.

With summer coming, Hawaiian Electric and the Board of Water Supply will be asking everyone to conserve. So, I am suggesting that the state build a water dam to provide electricity. It would benefit everyone.

Building a water dam makes sense because we already have the water flowing through the Ko'olau Mountains.

PROFESSORS

CRITICISM OF UARC DOESN'T HOLD WATER

The recent outburst by some university professors regarding a university affiliated research center at the University of Hawai'i would be laughable if it weren't so sad.

The acting chancellor says she cannot recommend a UARC at UH because she must support the professors and students. Supporting professors who say UARC will lead to research in lethal weapons does not seem to appreciate nor acknowledge that they have jobs only because of the military might of our nation. History shows that peace results from strength, not weakness.

These same professors claim UARC will lead to diminishing academic freedom — what they mean is that it may limit their own left-wing leanings and liberal rhetoric.

As for the students, they do not fit into the equation — most have never had to face responsibilities of any consequence, especially as it relates to the well-being and strength of our nation.

JAIL POLITICIANS

DRUGGIES HAVE TAKEN OVER OUR PUBLIC PLACES

Most everyone living on O'ahu is aware we have a serious drug problem, and most families have been affected by this epidemic.

I for one am sick of the fact that every public place, park and or beach is taken over by those who not only want to wreck their own lives but will rob from others, including visitors to this so-called paradise, to feed their habits.

Our lame leaders know about this, yet do nothing to clean it up — typical politicians, make promises to get elected, then follow it up with nothing.

I say put the ice heads in jail and maybe a few of our leaders for not serving "we the people."

HPD'S 3-12 SHIFT HAMPERS INVESTIGATIONS, COSTS MORE

I read Cody Hollingsworth's letter regarding the shift change at HPD. I worked a 5-8 schedule for my 33 years with HPD. Contrary to what she thinks, the 3-12 schedule is broken.

Officers would "disappear" on four days off, hampering contact with them until they returned to work. If it was important, say regarding an investigation, and we contacted them on one of their four days off, we would end up paying overtime.

So in the end, 3-12 did cost more. But this was not the only problem.

When I joined HPD in 1971, it was because I wanted an honorable profession and to do some good serving our community. The pay back then was only $612 a month. Over the years, I learned to live within my means and managed to buy a home and raise a family. The trend I see in today's officers (not all of them, mind you, but a lot) is the question they always ask: "What is in this for me?" — not whether this change is going to better serve the community.

They are overly concerned with money. Well, so is the rest of the population. Are police officers the only ones not making what their counterparts are on the Mainland? Sorry, they are not. Firefighters, EMS — the vast majority of people working in Hawai'i make less than what their counterparts make on the Mainland, so join the club.

Another thing, the rest of the population generally works a 5-8 schedule, too, you know.

So, is it HPD's major responsibility to provide a schedule to an officer so he can make more money? Or should we be doing things to better service the community as a whole?

To those officers who want to leave Hawai'i and chase the almighty buck, I would say to them, "Aloha and have a nice life." Move to the Mainland and enjoy its crappy weather and racial problems. I for one want officers in HPD who are here because they want to do something good for themselves and for the community.

I could have left Hawai'i and gone to the Mainland, but I chose to stay because there is no place better than Hawai'i and no better department than HPD.

ABA BODY OVERWHELMINGLY SUPPORTED THE AKAKA BILL

During its mid-year meetings in Chicago on Feb. 13, the policy-making body of the American Bar Association voted overwhelmingly in favor of a resolution to urge Congress to pass legislation to establish a process to provide federal recognition for a Native Hawaiian governing entity. Such legislation, S. 147, proposed by Sen. Daniel Akaka, is currently pending in Congress.

The Native Hawaiian resolution passed by a nearly unanimous vote among the 550 delegates representing 400,000 ABA members. The ABA is composed of lawyers from all practice areas and all political persuasions. This enthusiastic vote should serve to jumpstart passage of Sen. Akaka's legislation.

The ABA's mission is to be the national representative of the legal profession, serving the public and the profession by promoting justice, professional excellence and respect for the law.

By passing the resolution, the delegates said yes to the establishment by Congress of a process that would provide Native Hawaiians the same status afforded to America's other indigenous groups, American Indians and Native Alaskans.

The blessing by this country's largest and most prestigious legal organization would appear to put to rest the primary legal arguments advanced by this bill's opponents.

In 1993, Congress adopted the Apology Resolution. which acknowledged that the U.S.-sponsored overthrow of the Hawaiian kingdom was illegal, and issued an apology to the Native Hawaiian people. Now Congress has the opportunity to provide meat to its previous resolution.

The ABA's passage of this resolution could not be more timely. There are over 165 federal laws that bring millions of dollars worth of federal programs to assist Native Hawaiians. Yet those programs are under attack in the courts. The Akaka bill would protect these programs.

The American Bar Association's support for Hawai'i's indigenous people sends a strong message that a process for Native Hawaiian recognition follows the rule of law and provides great impetus for Congress to take immediate action to pass the Akaka bill.