Urinating on dead can alienate allies

Joseph Walkenhauer’s letter ("Give Marines benefit of doubt," Star-Advertiser, Jan. 26) was incredibly ignorant of why any armed forces personnel behaving badly matters.

When Marines, Navy, Army or Air Force service members urinate on dead enemy bodies, or rape women in Okinawa or anywhere else across the globe, it puts all Americans, including non-offending service members, in danger. It also alienates our allies who will then insist we leave bases that may be strategic to our national defense.

No one disputes the right to fight and kill if one is attacked. But the enemy urinated on were already dead. The United States also promotes and teaches democracy. What a lesson to the world these Marines taught.

The few bad apples should be held accountable. They should also get therapy.

Nancy Manali-Leonardo
Waikiki

Teachers deserve to get their back pay

Richard Borreca’s "On Politics" column ("At least 5 big issues await cash-strapped Legislature," Star-Advertiser, Jan. 13) left out a long-overdue issue: The Legislature must release the back wages that the substitute teachers for the state Department of Education have been rewarded.

These wages go back a decade. We just want a little respect — and our money!

Jack Francis Whalen
Honolulu

Teacher evaluation needs to be fair

The recent rejection of the proposed new Hawaii State Teachers Association contract by the teachers does no one any good, especially the teachers themselves, because it chips away at their public support.

However, I can understand some teachers’ uneasiness with the evaluation system proposed linking pay raises to student performance. There is an unspoken reality that students in poorer areas do not respond to the learning process as well as do students from higher socioeconomic areas. Thus, good teachers assigned to the poorer districts probably would not achieve the same gains with their students as those who come better prepared from the more affluent areas.

Consideration to this reality should be factored into the pay raise process, so creative, hard-working, dedicated teachers assigned to these areas aren’t penalized because their students don’t move along as quickly. Particularly in the poorer areas, we need the best and brightest teachers, with grit and energy.

Art Todd
Kaneohe

Potholes a danger along North Shore

Now that Waikiki has been spruced up and is beautiful, isn’t it about time that we honored the memory of King Kamehameha by repairing the disastrous and dangerous conditions of the highway named after him?

He would weep at the copious, unsafe potholes in the North Shore area. Our automobiles and tires are fast wearing down and soon will be falling apart.

Repairs should begin at Sunset Beach and extend on to Waimea Bay. Later, continue west to Haleiwa and east to Laie.

I write this in concern for the safety of the drivers and the pedestrians. Serious accidents are waiting to happen.

Kit Whyte
Kahuku

Alternative energy puts HECO at risk

Hawaiian Electric Co. is required to maintain the infrastructure to produce and distribute electricity. Being a utility, it is entitled by law to earn a specified rate of return.

An unintended consequence resulting from households adding solar panels and others seeking alternative energy to reduce dependence on imported oil is that there will be less usage of generated power, so electric rates will have to be raised continually.

Among those who will suffer in particular are those living in high-rise condominiums, if their board has not found a way to install solar panels for the building. There are also many offices in high-rises and businesses in shopping malls that face the same increases in electricity costs.

Ronald Wong
Salt Lake

Bring back van cams to catch speeders

After hearing about that police officer dying on the freeway, I got really upset because too many people are dying on our roadways needlessly. Quite a few people go 10 to 40 mph faster than the posted speed limit.

People complain if they get a ticket for speeding and ask why the police don’t go after the real criminals. When you speed and cause an accident and you kill someone, you’re as much a criminal as those who do go out and commit crimes.

I think that we should bring back van cams. When we had the van cams, people slowed down quite a bit. The time to act is now and not after we have more fatalities and deaths.

Richard Renio
Waianae

Do isle delegates back censorship?

I’m curious as to where our members of Congress stand in regards to SOPA (H.R. 3261) and PIPA (S 968).

None have put forward a definitive position on these bills, despite the vast powers of Internet censorship they would enable. This lack of commitment for or against is confusing and, in response to those protesting these bills, I think we deserve to know where our elected officials stand.

Jonathan Banasihan
Ewa Beach