Taking drugs can end badly

Following the tragic loss of a young athlete recently, we want to inform young people who are experimenting with ecstasy that it is frequently laced with other toxic drug combinations such as methamphetamine, cocaine, heroine, PCP, psychedelics or other harmful drugs.

Those seemingly "clean" youth who do not suffer from addiction nor have a habitual pattern of drug abuse but choose to occasionally experiment with a relatively unknown toxic drug combination can experience severe reactions, dependingupon their individual brain chemistry.

It takes only one critical moment to make a disastrous mistake. We caution young people who are caught up in the excitement of a concert or party to not take something that you don’t know exactly what it is.

Alan Johnson
President, Hina Mauka

Limit access at freeway entries

The concept of restriping the H-1 freeway between Punahou and Middle streets to create four narrow lanes from the three that now exist in both directions may not be the best solution to the gridlock in that area ("Changing lanes?" Star-Advertiser, April 11).

Coning off the entry onto H-1 west from Lunalilo Street to eliminate the bottleneck at Vineyard Boulevard in the morning has proven to be very effective and should remain in place all day. This would achieve the cost savings desired and reduce afternoon and early evening congestion as well.

There are five entry points onto H-1 east crowded into the subject area, compounded by the jockeying for the Punahou exit. A suggested solution is to cone off the ramps at Ward and Piikoi during rush-hour traffic. An inconvenience for a few hundred motorists to the benefit of thousands. Why not try an experiment and measure the results?

Terry Inglett
Waialae-Kahala

‘Godly’ values can be divisive

I’m sure Melvin Partido Sr. means well, but in his letter he did a great injustice to godly people everywhere when he intimated that only evangelical Christians and the Republican Party have "godly" values ("Vote for candidates with Godly values," Letters, Star-Advertiser, April 16).

I no longer identify with evangelical Christians because of this kind of mistaken thinking that assumes your God is the biggest and best. That is not a godly virtue, but it is typical of American prideful ignorance and arrogance. It is this kind of thinking that alienates and divides good Americans.

Mark Yasuhara
Aiea

Christie treated much differently

Recently it was reported that Honolulu police Officer Michael Chu had been charged with marijuana growing and distribution offenses. Chu was quickly released on $25,000 bail.

Contrast that with Roger Christie, charged with essentially the same crime but denied bail and held in a federal detention center for almost two years awaiting trial. One might ask what is the difference between these two cases.

The only apparent difference is that Christie has been an activist for the legalization of marijuana for many years. He has worked on efforts that killed Operation Green Harvest on Hawaii island and on the vote by that county to advise law enforcement to make marijuana arrests its lowest priority.

The evidence suggests Christie’s incarceration, denial of bail and prompt justice are due to his political beliefs. If true, it is the judge and prosecutor in his case who are the real danger to our community.

Tracy Ryan
Honolulu

Teachers union being selfish?

It seems that the state Department of Education is trying to propose changes to improve our public education system.

The response of the Hawaii State Teachers Association to every proposal is invariably a resounding no, citing some threat to collective bargaining rights.

Wouldn’t it be much more helpful if the HSTA responded with a counter proposal that addresses the DOE’s issues and would also not be perceived as a threat to its existence?

These situations lead to the perception that while the DOE is thinking of the students’ welfare, the union thinks only of itself.

Steve Chong
Mililani

Big businesses shill for rail

The money spent to promote the rail project by the city and construction unions is now joined by money from private businesses who will profit from rail ("Business leaders seek to raise funds to promote city rail project," Star-Advertiser, April 15).

They must convince taxpayers that a 60-foot-high, two-lane concrete scar disfiguring Oahu’s coastline will "benefit Oahu’s special environment and improve the lifestyles for so many island families," per Constance Lau, chief executive of Hawaiian Electric Industries. She is joined by the James Campbell Co., Castle & Cooke and the other usual suspects who organized "Move Oahu Forward."

They sold us the "Second City" to allow suburban sprawl along H-1 to Ewa; 30 years later no "city" has appeared. Expect the same misinformation from these same old business leaders who created the traffic we are stuck in every day.

This island needs multi-modal transportation projects that reduce congestion, not a $5.3 billion project eating taxpayers alive with no effect on traffic.

Stuart Feinberg
Wahiawa

Stop violence against women

Mahalo to the state attorney general, David Louie, for being one of 53 attorneys general to endorse a letter to Congress urging the passage of the Violence Against Women Act reauthorization bill.

VAWA funds have helped programs in Hawaii, including those that educate students on teen dating violence prevention and rape. We all know someone who has been a victim of domestic violence. My law school study partner was a victim of domestic violence, including torture.

I am grateful to U.S. Sens. Patrick Leahy and Mike Crapo for introducing the bipartisan measure.

The American Bar Association is meeting with members of Congress on ABA Day today, and I hope the VAWA reauthorization bill moves toward the finish line.

Margaret Masunaga
Kealakekua, Hawaii island

In 1775, Revere went for a ride

If you’re interested in the Revolutionary War, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow or Paul Revere, then celebrate today, April 18.

"Listen my children and you shall hear

Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere,

On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-five;

Hardly a man is now alive

Who remembers that famous day and year."

Paul Revere’s ride is only one example of the many acts of bravery thatled to our victory in becoming the United States of America.

Read Longfellow’s poem and celebrate the 18th of April.

Michal Cohen
Waikiki