SUPERFERRY

OPPONENTS TRYING TO PROTECT THE ISLANDS

My thanks to the Sierra Club, Maui Tomorrow and Kahului Harbor Coalition for doing their part to protect our Islands.

If Hawai'i Superferry had listened two years ago, when the calls for an environmental impact statement were first made, the current showdown in the courts could have been avoided.

The Superferry management, in its arrogance, chose to ignore the law, with the support of the governor.

Now the courts have ruled and the Superferry is crying foul.

Additionally, the county councils of Hawai'i, Maui and Kaua'i submitted a bill to the Legislature demanding an EIS before the Superferry began operating.

Unfortunately, Rep. Joe Souki would not let this bill get past committee and the matter was never voted on. Here again, another loud cry to get the Superferry to do what is right and what is required by law fell on deaf ears.

If there is nothing to hide, then why not just complete the EIS, comply with the law and be done with it?

COVERAGE OF INCIDENT AT HARBOR WAS BIASED

We witnessed the SUV incident at Nawiliwili Harbor on Aug. 25. We saw the man slapping his hands on the hood, the woman batting at the car with her rolled-up protest poster, the guy attempting to let air out of the tire.

In the entire four-hour event, these brief video clips portray the only inappropriate and foolish acts by demonstrators.

If you are upset that network TV news only shows death and destruction in its Iraq coverage, well guess what — Honolulu TV news subscribes to the same formula.

Ten minutes after the SUV incident, the same protesters offered up a rousing chant in support of the Kaua'i police. The seven officers at the scene, through their stern demeanor, looked pleased.

Three hundred Kaua'i residents came to the harbor on a Sunday evening to show their concern for their island and to support our American rule of law.

But none of that is newsworthy at our Honolulu TV news stations, where ratings and bias are more important than balanced coverage.

SINCERITY OF PROTESTERS ON KAUA'I QUESTIONED

If the Department of Transportation's calendar is correct, there will be 19 cruise ship arrivals at Kaua'i this month, with an aggregate capacity of 33,410 tourists. To the best of my knowledge, none of these ships has been required to do an environmental assessment before discharging passengers on Kaua'i.

It is hard to escape the impression that Kaua'i activists are perfectly happy to welcome Mainlanders and foreigners coming to spend money on trinkets, tours, car rentals and in restaurants, but go ballistic at the thought of folks from O'ahu bringing our own cars and picnic lunches over to visit.

I'm not going to believe the sincerity of the Kaua'i activists until I see vehement protests against cruise ship landings and airport arrivals, too.

'AIEA TRAIL

MAHALO TO MANY WHO HELPED IN PET CRISIS

I had almost lost hope in humanity until last week.

My family wanted to go out for Labor Day together so we packed up our spoiled, a/c-loving dogs and headed to Keaiwa Heiau State Recreation Area and Loop Trail in 'Aiea.

At around the 4-mile mark of a 4.8-mile trail our 4-year-old Rottweiler, Sheba, who weighs more than 100 pounds, collapsed from exhaustion and had to be carried three-quarters of a mile out of the trail. About 15 hikers offered water and assistance.

After she was carried part of the way back, Sheba's conditioned worsened as it was getting dark. I had my daughter call 911. Honolulu Fire Department Station 10 came in, hiked down and carried Sheba out on a stretcher.

We took her straight to the vet and she is doing much better.

I am not sure I will ever go on a trail with her again, but I definitely felt the aloha spirit that afternoon.

Thank you and God bless all of you: the various good Samaritan hikers, Animal Clinic Waipahu staff and especially the five firefighters from Station 10.

ENVIRONMENT

SCIENCE STORIES RAISED PUBLIC AWARENESS HERE

Recently, The Advertiser told readers that several veteran staff were retiring, and I would like to express gratitude to all of them for their years of dedication.

In particular, I want to commend Jan TenBruggencate for his three decades of accurate and thorough coverage of issues concerning Hawai'i's natural resources. His objective reporting has significantly heightened public awareness about the importance of and threats to our Islands' unique environment.

I hope that The Advertiser will continue to make it a priority to write about what's happening to our natural resources, including reinstating the Hawai'i Environment column once a new writer is identified. Hawai'i has been called the endangered species capital of the world, and it is more important than ever that accurate, science-based reporting on our forests and reefs continue. Our sustenance and our way of life depend on our ability to preserve these precious natural resources.

Mahalo to Mr. TenBruggencate and The Advertiser for your commitment to this issue for so many years.

CONSTITUTION

U.S. LEADERS FOLLOWING IN FOOTSTEPS OF EMPIRES

Jon Van Dyke (Focus, Sept. 9) has written a thoughtful essay on the Constitution. It also reveals that he may not get it: No longer a constitutional republic, we now answer only to the logic of empire.

The founders warned against military adventurism as the bane of constitutional republics. Instead, our rulers now fling our might everywhere empire dictates. And when the American people say they've had enough, the logic of empire only hears the song that beckons the long war onwards.

The logic of empire, however, invites blowback by those whose lives we interrupt, if not devastate And so, they argue, we must secure our homeland against those seeking retribution by yielding up our own liberties.

We first heard the siren song of empire in the 19th century with various imperialistic wars. President Wilson's gratuitous entry into World War I amplified it and President Truman and the Congress capitulated entirely with the National Security Act of 1947 and the Korean War.

As egregious as Bush-Cheney and the Congress are, they simply follow in the footsteps of what empires do. Or do you really think that the voluminous Patriot Act just magically appeared following 9/11?

GABBARD

ELECTION IS THE TIME TO CHANGE POLITICAL PARTY

Mike Gabbard, I voted for you. With your changing of parties, does this mean that I can change my vote, too?

You ran as a Republican, you should finish your term as a Republican. You should have changed parties at the next election.

GABBARD MOVE WAS DISSERVICE TO BACKERS

Because of previous associations with him, I was an eager supporter of Mike Gabbard in his run for the state Senate and I was thrilled by his success.

But my joy turned sour upon learning just recently that he had apparently run under false colors.

His switch to Democrat — so early in his term — was a great disservice to those of us who actively campaigned for him, and who financially contributed to his run as a Republican.

MILILANI YMCA

YOUTH FITNESS EVENT A WINNER AT ALL LEVELS

I entered my grandson in Andy Baldwin's Youth Fitness Challenge, which was held at the Mililani YMCA on Sept. 1, and was impressed with the entire event.

The kids had so much fun throughout the day that they didn't care if they won or lost during the competition segment of the program.

During the running competition, however, Andy never allowed a child to come in last place by him or herself. On numerous occasions he'd be sitting with the kids, just being one of the boys. What a class act.

We were also pleasantly surprised by the great lunch that was provided by the YMCA at no charge.

Thanks to all involved for making it a special day for my grandson, whose father is currently deployed.

H-1 FREEWAY

MCCULLY OVERPASS HAS BECOME A LITTER PILE

The H-1 Freeway overpass on McCully Street is quickly becoming the biggest cigarette litter pile in the city.

Thousands of discarded cigarette butts, (not to mention other forms of garbage, such as plastic and broken glass) are stuck between the corner of the road and the pedestrian path, underneath the patches of wild weeds growing miraculously from the concrete.

I am making a plea to motorists: Please do not throw your cigarette butts onto our streets like this.

And to the city: Please clean this up, and put up a no-littering sign.