Time for new people to take lead in politics

With the primary election soon over and the general election quickly approaching, many people are complaining about how bad it is in Hawaii and how change is badly needed. Both people and politicians know change is badly needed, but the people always elect the same people into office. Politicians promise change, but never follow through. The time has come that the people of Hawaii make a clear and bold statement to vote all incumbents out of office and put in new blood.

Anyone can win an election, but can the person lead the state? We have to ask ourselves, who can lead Hawaii and Honolulu the best? It seems that our present politicians were not able to lead Hawaii well, so it’s time to let new people prove themselves to lead Hawaii to a better future.

Bicyclists should use rear-view mirrors

It would enhance bike safety on our roadways to simply require a rear-view mirror on all bikes that use the bike lanes and/or roadways.

All too often, while driving on the road adjacent to a bike lane, during which I certainly maintain my attention to the bikers, I note that the biker drifts over the line onto the roadway, unaware that a car is approaching from the rear. Then, when the biker notices the car, he or she immediately moves back into the bike lane.

An inexpensive rear-view mirror would certainly make the biker aware of the presence of an approaching car.

Rude driver seemed oblivious to safety

What a coincidence that your article on pedestrians ("Protecting pedestrians," Star-Advertiser, Sept. 16) appeared on the same day I was honked at, yelled at across three lanes of traffic and threatened by another driver. Why?

Because I waited for approximately a dozen students to clear the crosswalk at the corner of Salt Lake Boulevard and Bougainville.

I guess the driver behind me was furious that I did not turn right as soon as the light turned green and plow through a bunch of teenagers, or at least move up six inches or so.

She then proceeded to yell at me while driving in front of Radford High School and Makalapa Elementary School.

So much for driving with aloha.

Christians must love God and all people

There are many religions in this world and hundreds of millions of adherents. Most religions stand on a foundation of one or more deities. What sets Christianity apart is that it rests upon two legs: love of God and love of man. Its central theme does not choose one over the other but clearly states we cannot have the love of God in the absence of the love of man. When we mistreat other human beings, we abandon the very principles that act as underpinnings for Christianity.

Whether we are burning books, banning temples or denying equal rights, if, in our fear, we do not respect the hearts of our brothers and sisters, we certainly cannot love them. As Christians we need not love all the acts of others. However, if we do not still love them, we abandon our theology for some sort of philosophy that is no longer essentially Christianity.

Matayoshi needs all kokua she can muster

It continually amazes me why people seem to think leaders with business backgrounds have all the answers to the problems. While I wish Kathryn Matayoshi nothing but the best of success, having a background in business and being an attorney are not prerequisites for success as a school superintendent.

While business leaders have cachet due to some of their successes, they also need to take responsibility for their failures, e.g., Enron, Wall Street bailouts, the mortgage crisis, Worldcom, Circuit City, etc.

Matayoshi has her job cut out for her. Her biggest challenge is creating a culture of collaboration, responsiveness and success in the Department of Education. She will need all the kokua she can muster.