Like it or not, system works

We are all very proud of our American system of justice. It was formed in response to unlimited power by government to arrest, charge and convict based on little evidence. In our current system, the government has to show someone accused of a crime to be "guilty beyond a reasonable doubt." There has to be something very close to certainty that the accused person actually did the crime.

When that cannot be shown, either because the evidence doesn’t support conviction or because of the government’s errors, the people affected by an acquittal, such as the victims and their families, may find it hard to take comfort in the fact that the system was designed to minimize wrongful convictions. But the alternative is convicting someone who may not have done the crime.

I feel sympathy for the family and friends of Trayvon Martin, but the jury’s verdict was not wrong.

Tom Koenig
Mililani

Race a factor in Elderts’ death

"Hilahila ‘ole keia po’e haole" (The haoles are shameless) — spoken by Hawaiians attending the funeral of Joseph Kahahawai.

It is time for Native Hawaiians and others to speak out and protest the killing of Kollin Keali‘i Elderts by Christopher Deedy.

You can’t ignore the similarities between this case and Hawaii’s infamous 1931 Massie case. Many Hawaiians were traumatized by the kidnapping and execution-style death of Joseph Kahahawai, one of five local men accused of the alleged rape of Thalia Massie, wife of a Navy lieutenant. Like Elderts, Kahahawai was in his early 20s. His murder by Thalia’s mother, husband and enlisted men was justified as an "honor killing."

In 1931 most haoles sided with the racist murderers. Hawaiians and Asians were vilified in the media and military nationwide. Today, in 2013, the killings of Kollin Elderts and Trayvon Martin in Florida must be opposed. Justice for Kollin Keali‘i Elderts.

Kiti Kahalelauniu Bartel
Makiki

Rail will block waterfront view

At a time when many cities, including Boston and San Francisco, are enjoying the positive economic and aesthetic results of razing ugly elevated highways from their waterfronts, Ho-nolulu’s powers-that-be continue to promote an economically misguided, ugly elevated rail system.

If built as planned, the elevated concrete piers, track beds and stations will create a physical, visual and psychological barrier between our historic and architecturally significant downtown and the waterfront areas on either side of the Aloha Tower. Building elevated rail will prevent any meaningful redevelopment of our valuable waterfront.

Decades ahead, I can envision a future politician saying, "Mr./Ms. Mayor, tear down this wall!" Mahalo to our wise judges for their recent opinion ("Court asks review of rail system route," Star-Advertiser, July 12).

Paul Davis
Makiki

Let paying fans have UH seats

As a rabid University of Hawaii Rainbow Warriors football fan and longtime season ticket holder, I simply can’t sit quietly without commenting upon the front page article about free tickets given away by the thousands to UH football and other sporting events ("UH to change free-ticket policy," Star-Advertiser, July 15).

Let me get this straight. I pay big bucks for football season tickets, Koa Anuenue Booster Club premium charges, parking, food, drinks, etc., while thousands of other Hawaii folks who presumably don’t buy season tickets themselves get all this stuff free of charge? Even more insulting, these folks apparently get very good seats — presumably the very same seats I ask to relocate to each and every year.

Well, now I know why these great seats are never available. Perhaps I wouldn’t be so upset if I knew these people spent a bunch of money at Aloha Stadium to benefit the UH athletic department. But I think we all know the answer to that.

P. Gregory Frey
Hawaii Kai

Divorce belies marriage claims

Two articles in Sunday’s Star-Advertiser refute the arguments against same-sex marriage, those arguments being that marriage should be only between one man and one woman, because there is something sacred and special about that kind of relationship.

One article stated that "the divorce rate for people over 50 has doubled in the past 20 years … and will hit more than 800,000 divorces a year by 2030" ("10 things baby boomers won’t tell you," Star-Advertiser, July 14). The other article stated that "the annual divorce rate for gay couples averages 1.1 percent, lower than the 2 percent annual rate among opposite-sex couples" ("Divorce is a new reality for couples of same sex," Star-Advertiser, July 14).

Therefore it seems that the solemn, sacred, legal and sometimes religious vow or oath of "Til death do us part" is meaningless. Straight couples have a worse track record than gay couples! If "marriage forever" is the hallmark, then perhaps straights should not be allowed to marry or divorce.

A better solution is to make "civil union" the hallmark, with all of the governmental benefits, and "marriage" merely a subsequent religious event with no governmental benefits.

Garrett F. Saikley
Hawaii Kai

Get out of Afghanistan

The reported that President Barack Obama — frustrated by Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s lukewarm alliance — is pondering an earlier United States exit from Afghanistan ("Obama ponders full U.S. pullout over his falling out with Karzai," Star-Advertiser, July 9).

Word to the wise: The area has never been conquered and consolidated by any world leader. Neither the Roman Empire, nor the Mongol Empire, nor the British Empire, nor the Soviet Empire has been able to unify the territory.

As I understand it, the mountainous terrain of the region prevents unification because it favors separated hamlets over more centralized towns and cities. This being the case, our nation should not overstep our capability; instead, we should exit Afghanistan as soon as possible.

Stuart N. Taba
Manoa

Officials ignore Laniakea traffic

Those of us who live on the North Shore suffer long lines of traffic as tourists and island residents cross Kamehameha Highway willy-nilly at Laniakea to see the turtles on the beach.

The backed-up traffic, often into the bypass, is horrendous every day now. This traffic buildup has been going on since 2005 and the city and state continue to ignore us, citing liability issues. Our North Shore Neighborhood Board even set up a transportation committee to work with the city and state, and our elected officials have tried in vain to get both entities to fix the problem.

The governor and the mayor need to get their act together and fix this problem now. I hope more North Shore residents voice their anger at the exorbitant delay not just at the neighborhood board meetings and with district’s elected officials, but by writing letters to the editor, so all will know what we are going through.

Andrea Davis
Haleiwa