The rich once helped society

Thanks to a recent Supreme Court decision, rich people can now spend as much money as they want on political campaigns. From what I am seeing on TV and receiving in the mail, they are spending large amounts of money in what I would call the dumbing-down of America.

In contrast, Andrew Carnegie financed the construction of 1,689 libraries and founded a university, a research center and the Carnegie Corporation, which supports much good work. John D. Rockefeller financed the University of Chicago, Spelman College, a campaign to eliminate hookworm in the South, land purchases for national parks and more. Leland Stanford founded Stanford University.

Just compare the different uses of money, then and now.

Harold Loomis
Kaimuki

Like lava, court causes disaster

The editorial cartoon comparing the lava flow with President Barack Obama has the wrong federal branch (Star-Advertiser, Oct. 30).

The Hawaiian volcano flow is like the Supreme Court with its black robes.

The Supreme Court decided that corporations are people and money is speech.

It decided there is a right to carry a gun in public, yet with birth control, women do not have the right to their bodies.

Where is the right to have a living wage?

Where is the right to know what is in our food?

Where is the right to protect our land and air?

Mary A. Guinger
Kaneohe

Same laws for police, civilians

The recent message from the State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers was timely and welcomed (Star-Advertiser, Oct. 27).

It delivered a message not only to the community but to its membership.

Everyone agrees that on any workforce there are some who do not fit in. The concern of the public is that when an incident occurs, justice should be followed whether it involves a civilian or a police officer.

Laws and regulation are for the common good; there is not a separate or lesser standard for police officers.

When courtesies are extended to a citizen, similar courtesies are acceptable when extended to a fellow officer, since they are citizens also.

Hawaii’s citizens respect, obey and are concerned for the well-being of police officers who risk their lives to protect the public.

In return, police officers should respect the rights of citizens and take the required action when a police officer violates the civil rights of a citizen or the law of the state.

Leonard Leong
Manoa

Plan for more preschools

I strongly support access to preschool for all our young children. But where will all the added children go? Shall they double up in existing private preschool space?

Let’s fund a blue-ribbon state Department of Education task force to properly plan this important initiative.

Identify the number of children, sites for the classroom space needed and sources of prefabricated temporary classrooms that could be reconfigured into housing after permanent facilities can be built.

Architecture and landscape architecture students at the University of Hawaii’s Manoa campus might be interested in helping the task force.

Let’s build on the momentum of support for preschool.

But vote No for the quickie shortcut on the ballot, which produces questions that trouble many people, beginning with opening the public purse to private institutions and blurring the line between church and state.

Janet Gillmar
Palolo Valley

Vote for Maui GMO initiative

I found the commentaries on the Maui GMOinitiative enlightening ("Maui’s GMO muddle," Star-Advertiser, Oct. 29).

Hector Valenzuela, a University of Hawaii professor, addressed the issue specifically, stating that ingesting and breathing GMOs is harmful, and validly refuting all the television ad lies about voting Yes.

On the other hand, Robert Paull, another UH professor, never specifically addressed the GMO harm issue and went off on irrelevant tangents.

This is always the way it is. When someone is specific, it is always refuted with conjecture.

The bottom line: Vote Yes on the Maui initiative, save your health, and do not buy into the biotech industry’s attempt to avoid a "bottom-line" catastrophe.

Hesh Goldstein
Hawaii Kai