Homeless people need homes. Pretty obvious, I know. But we seem to think we can push our homeless out of their chosen lairs and expect them to do what, exactly?

We build only luxury homes and apartments, and developers are allowed to provide token “affordable” units.

Most resources for the homeless are geared toward families. Our hearts go out to families and correctly so. But we are not solving the root cause of the problem. National studies have shown that most people experiencing homelessness are single men.

We need homes that will provide for the demographic most in need. My solution: Build high-rises in every town to spread the burden.

Who pays? The people who caused the problem. People who don’t live in their homes, investors and developers. In this case, the rich will have to subsidize the poor — well, if they want someone to serve their lattes.

Joseph T. Bussen

Kailua

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Compose and sing new sports anthem

Let’s not punish athletes for expressing their principled protests of conscience, or put people in jail, or stop watching the NFL. There are other solutions:

>> Instead of singing about the “rockets’ red glare” and “bombs bursting in air,” let’s sing a new anthem especially written for sporting events. Sports are games, not wars.

>> We even have someone to compose the new anthem: Lin-Manuel Miranda, an American with song in his soul, celebrity and local ties (“Moana”). Let him inaugurate it with someone like Beyoncé at a Super Bowl.

>> Make it easily singable.

>> Let the words re-define what the game is for. De-emphasize the win.

Dave Shojii and my father Don Ladd (who taught the boys baseball on Kauai) emphasized that the most important thing a coach can teach is that playing the game is more important than the win; and to create a team that is a band of brothers or sisters, where each individual can be counted on to watch the others’ backs.

Let Hawaii show America how to embrace and include, not divide.

Doris M. Ladd

Moiliili

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NFL players can’t revere flag like vets

If you have ever fought for your country, you know there’s one of two ways that you can go home — carrying the flag or under the flag.

For all the superstars in the NFL, if they lose the game, they can play again. In the military, if you lose the game, you can’t play again. Freedom is not free.

I fought for the flag in Korea, 1950-51, and Vietnam, 1967-68.

James Ace Kaleohano

U.S. Army (retired)

Nanakuli

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B&Bs are overtaking our neighborhoods

In reading a letter about Airbnb (“Let Airbnb hosts share their homes,” Star-Advertiser, Oct. 18), I thought, “Well, this person doesn’t live in Kailua.” But, lo and behold, it was from someone in Kailua.

Apparently this writer has no idea how many B&Bs there are in her area. Just one minor site that I looked at covered about one quarter of the houses. I looked because friends had stayed at one of their places and had a big problem at the last minute. There was no one to take care of it; the owners were never present.

With the many hundreds of B&Bs in Kailua, there are fewer and fewer real residents around. No real neighbors, no close-by friends, no one from whom to borrow a cup of sugar, no one to relate to. Just greedy neighbors and off-island buyers.

Rules and laws don’t work. There are not enough people to enforce them. Just plain outlaw them, or limit the number that have to be registered and pay hotel taxes.

Gretchen Gould

Kaneohe

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WWII SS outfit recalls traumatic memories

Recently at the Blaisdell, I passed an exhibition displaying historic arms and armor.

I was traumatized. Outside the exhibit hall, taking a break, was a handsome local fellow dressed in full stormtrooper (SS) outfit.

He was fascinating with his tall polished black boots, black long-sleeved shirt, black tie and that arm band with the bright red swastika showing his powerful status. Without doubt an impressive figure.

Two things came to mind. First, that as a non-Aryan, he himself would have been at the front of the line to board the train destined for the Holocaust camp — shoved by men in that very outfit.

Second, me, with a Jewish name and with Semitic genes, would have been just in front of him.

Safe in Hawaii and 77 years later, I was still traumatized.

John Wollstein

Waikiki

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Marco Polo fire report is suspicious

It saddens me to hear that no cause was found in the Marco Polo building fire (“Cause of Marco Polo fire deemed ‘undetermined’,” Star-Advertiser, Oct. 17).

Something sounds suspicious, like maybe the management is trying to hide something — especially when our government officials decided to wait on mandating putting sprinklers in all high-rises.

It looks like greed and corruption have shown their ugly heads; to put money over people shows what is important to these people in power. It’s time for change and to get new management for the building and new leaders among our legislators.

Alan Kim

Moiliili