A letter writer said that he has “gone more than 80 years and never been in a situation where I could save a life or even prevent a robbery if I were armed” (“Guns don’t offer much protection,” Star-Advertiser, Letters, June 22).

Thankfully, most of us will be that fortunate. However, just recently in Los Angeles, three gunmen tried to rob a stereo store at gunpoint. The store owner killed two and wounded the third member of the group. No one else was injured. If not for his actions, it could have ended entirely differently.

I hope and pray that none of us ever faces that situation. But please leave that option to the legal, licensed gun owner.

John Waring

Kailua

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Rail project beset with lies about cost

Ever since rail was slyly maneuvered into existence by Mufi Hannemann and Honolulu’s usual gang of construction-architecture-union leaders, the citizens of Oahu have been lied to non-stop.

Our elected officials promise “this is the last time” and then go back to the Legislature for more money. Lies and more lies.

I thought for a moment that House Finance Chairwoman Sylvia Luke would stand up to the pro-rail faction.

She did have the courage to call out Mayor Kirk Caldwell. But now that the hotel industry would be on the hook for financing rail, it’s all fine (“Plan would raise hotel tax for rail,” Star-Advertiser, April 29). The lies about rail don’t matter as long as the money doesn’t come from the general excise tax.

Those who originally opposed rail predicted that this would happen: Power brokers will take over our entire government and we and the tourists will continue to pay for this corrupt mess. Rail must stop at Middle Street and be done with.

Stuart Allan

Waikiki

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Poor rail planning keeps raising costs

When the rail project started, people were shown the route and what the stations would be like. They were asked for their input, to no effect. The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART) selected the kind of rail cars to be used and who would build them.

HART started to build the rail without first acquiring all of the land and rights of way for the entire route. It also failed to check off the utilities that were in the way.

Then I saw in the paper that HART was still acquiring land by eminent domain with short notice, something that should have been done before starting to build.

It also failed to account for how people will get to the rail stations. Where are people from Waianae going to park when they get to the rail station?

All of this indecision and poor planning are costing the city more and more money.

Richard Kinoshita

Palolo

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Nuclear energy can fight climate change

Over the decades, lots of time, energy and money have been spent trying to understand the consequences of global warming.

Nuclear energy burns clean. All funds and energy should be used to study and implement nuclear energy safely.

Most U.S. warships use nuclear power. France’s energy is 75 percent nuclear-powered. The world must use nuclear soon. The consequences of global warming are too terrible to contemplate.

Richard Sewake

Wahiawa