Your article glosses over one aspect of a mass-casualty scenario (“Isles lack hospital space for large-scale disasters,” Star-Advertiser, Feb. 12).

In the event of a nuclear air burst over Honolulu, it is unlikely that the hospitals would be operational or even exist. If not physically damaged or destroyed by the event itself, it is doubtful that much of the facilities or equipment would be operational.

Such an event would take out the electrical grid and the electromagnetic pulses would fry the computer chips used in virtually everything that we depend on today, including backup systems.

I doubt that any city in the world is actually prepared for such an event.

Joe Birts

Kailua-Kona

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Why a lack of help for Hawaiian kids?

As upset as I am about the street youth study (“Troubled lives of street youth,” Star-Advertiser, Feb. 9), I am more upset that almost half of these children identify as Hawaiian or part-Hawaiian.

Where are the eleemosynary organizations that should be aiding them? And why do kanaka maoli not advocate for the big trusts to provide aid?

Valerie Hashimoto

Kaneohe

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Death with dignity works in other states

Most Hawaii voters favor allowing physicians to prescribe a medication for self-administration by terminally ill patients who wish to die with dignity, free of pain, and at the time and place of their choosing.

This process would be available only to those meeting the rigid criteria included in current proposed legislative bills.

Reviews of case histories in states where similar legislation has been legal for up to 20 years do show a very small number of abuses — each such abuse, however, being in an area of record- keeping.

None show actual instances of coercion, forced use, or any violation of personal rights and safeguards. Opponents would have you think otherwise, but cannot support their positions with factual data.

Those opposing based upon their religious beliefs, or for any other reason, simply need not participate. But they should not be allowed to keep me from utilizing this humane process.

Stephen Gross

Hilo

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Let homeless live at City Hall, Capitol

If the mayor and governor are really sincere, and have true and boundless compassion for the homeless, then stop moving them and forcing their relocation so much.

Let them camp on all the green lawns around Honolulu Hale and the state Capitol. You could fence the areas easily, and the surrounding buildings have restroom facilities. Trash pickup can easily be arranged by the city, and they would even have police protection in the immediate area.

This could result in less government spending on moving the homeless around so much, and the government can still work with the homeless to get them the help they need or get them into housing somewhere.

This becomes a win-win for all parties.

Clifton T. Johnson

Waikiki

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Today’s homeless lack sense of pono

The article regarding the damage at the homeless encampments in Waianae got me to thinking (“Growing oceanfront camp at center of dispute at harbor,” Star-Advertiser, Feb. 11).

Back in the day of the apuhuaa, everyone worked the land, farming or fishing the ponds and contributing to the general welfare. Anyone who purposely acted inappropriately would surely have been punished or even exiled.

Today’s homeless seem to think they have the right to destroy public areas, and show no sense of responsibility to the larger populace. They have no sense of pono.

Shame on them. I have lost my sympathy for their plight. It can only worsen, as they bequeath their poisonous attitudes to their young.

Linda Umstead

Mililani

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LG candidates did well at forum

It was refreshing to attend a forum of five candidates for the same political office who did not blast each other with snide, backstabbing comments (“Rivals lay out plans for state’s No. 2 job,” Star-Advertiser, Feb. 11).

It was pretty remarkable that the five Democratic candidates for lieutenant governor, who spoke on Saturday at the Democratic Party’s Labor and LGBT Caucuses forum, were passionate about their desire to serve, clear about how they could make the office of lieutenant governor uniquely effective, and focused on the creative and specific ways they would do so.

We’re lucky we live in Hawaii and have such great candidates who want to serve we, the people.

Lorna Strand

Aiea

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Charge wrecking fee with car purchase

Deadbeats are dumping and abandoning their broken motor vehicles everywhere on public property. It is like stealing taxpayers’ money as the public has to pay for the removal and wrecking.

Here is how to prevent that plague: Every vehicle buyer pays a generous removal/wrecking fee with registration. That fee stays with the car and only gets returned (minus wrecking fee, if any) to the last owner when the car is delivered to an officially approved wrecker, who reports it to the Division of Motor Vehicles.

This would also remove the blight of private properties being used as dump yards for slowly rotting vehicles.

Volker Hildebrandt

Kaneohe