With the resignations of U.S. Sen. Al Franken and U.S. Rep. John Conyers from Congress over allegations of sexual misconduct, it is time to hold all those at the highest levels of government accountable, regardless of political party.

Twenty women have come forward with allegations of sexual harassment or assault by Donald Trump. Megyn Kelly interviewed three women who accused Trump of assaulting them.

It is past time to investigate accusations of sexual assault against the president and hold him as accountable as any other abuser.

I’m one of more than 270,000 people who signed a MoveOn member’s petition asking Congress and the Department of Justice to do just that.

I hope others will do the same or otherwise make their voices heard.

Andrea Duncan

Kaneohe

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USS Bowfin strike helped end war

In response to Rodney Inefuku (“Bowfin sank ship carrying children,” Star-Advertiser, Letters, Dec. 9): He said the submarine USS Bowfin sank a Japanese cargo ship during World War II with some 826 children on board. It is an event like this that gives rise to the phrase, “War is hell.”

I am quite certain the captain of the Bowfin at the time had no knowledge of the presence of children on a cargo ship. But I believe that action contributed to the end of a war started by the Japanese, and not by the U.S.

Jim Pollock

Kaneohe

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Don’t let balloons pollute oceans

I have all respect for ceremonies being held for loved ones, but letting balloons go to fly into the sky is not a good thing.

Those balloons will have to come down somewhere and, here in the islands, they will come down in the ocean. Our oceans are polluted enough.

Lloyd Yamashiro

Ewa Beach

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City Lights sets religion aside

After viewing the city’s displays of Santa, a wonderfully decorated Christmas tree, elves and other themes, we came across smaller displays segregated in the back.

One showed a manger scene; another had big red letters saying, “JESUS,” and another proclaimed, “Jesus, the Gift of Christmas.” In front of each of these displays is a disclaimer: “This display is privately funded. No City and County of Honolulu funds have been used to fund this display. This display is not part of the Honolulu City Lights Program and is neither sponsored by nor endorsed by the City and County of Honolulu.”

Webster’s definition of Christmas is: “The annual Christian festival celebrating Christ’s birth, held on December 25 in the Western Church.”

How tragic that our government has yielded to atheists to turn centuries of honored tradition into a politically correct event. A major sign of most nations’ demise under totalitarian regimes was the abolition of religious freedom in the public square.

John Nakao

Ala Moana

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Act to combat N. Shore violence

We are losing the battle with crime here on the North Shore. The latest was an innocent woman beaten to death and her young child tied up to bear the brutal and fatal beating of her mother (“Woman slain on North Shore; daughter found bound upstairs,” Star-Advertiser, Top News, Dec. 7).

There was a beating at a 7-Eleven store, a murder at a homeless camp in Waialua and the slashing of Jerry Pedro at Malama Market (“Repeat offender charged in attack at Haleiwa store,” Star-Advertiser, April 21). How much more horrific does it have to get to have a war against crime and drugs?

This is unacceptable. I have spoken to the police department, the mayor’s office and our politicians, with my concerns falling on deaf ears. We cannot become complacent and numb to what is happening to our beautiful island. We need to take a proactive stance, not a reactive one. This woman and her child did not deserve this. God be with this little girl and her family.

Marilee Y. Lyons

Haleiwa

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City officials aid builders’ schemes

Perhaps City Councilman Ikaika Anderson was inappropriate — or even racist — to ask developers how many of Hawaii City Plaza’s units on Sheridan Street were sold or being marketed to investors from China (“Council gives OK to Keeaumoku condo tower project,” Star-Advertiser, Dec. 7).

Does it matter? More important than the origin of investor money is the City Council’s pattern of freely approving condo projects with “variances” for height, density, etc.

Developers often get around required amounts of “affordable” units for their projects by asking for a variance and paying the city a bribe — sorry, an “in lieu fee” — to avoid building the units.

City officials who assist developers’ schemes have no right to criticize them.

Sean Goodspeed

Ala Moana