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LETTERS for September 5 issue

By Staff | Sep 5, 2013

Use rocks along the shoreline

Just wondering… Lahaina is the home of rocks! Piles of ’em!

Rocks were used to build Kahului, Maalaea and Lahaina Harbors, I believe. They were also used to fortify many seaside areas on Maui.

I wonder why the same is not applied at the shoreline road restoration near Launiupoko Park. Ocean/shoreline rocks are removed instead!

HERBERT M. CHUN, Lahaina

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Is the LHS dress code enforced?

This year, Lahainaluna High School changed and updated its dress code policy after deciding not to have a standard school uniform.

Unfortunately, from my observations this week, not many of the students “got the memo,” and/or the parents don’t care.

While waiting in traffic at LHS, students passed by wearing skirts so short that the bottom was only inches from their private area.

Another girl had on shorts where her buttocks were hanging out (I had to turn my head as she got into her parents’ car).

I also got the message that a “B*tch ruined my vibe,” as stated on another student’s shirt.

It’s horrible to see such sexual things on a school campus. Students are dressing way too sexual.

My question is, what’s happening when teachers see this in class, and what’s going on with their parents?

NAME WITHHELD BY REQUEST

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Celebrate Constitution Week in Hawaii

On Sept. 17, 1787, delegates signed the Constitution of the United States of America. In celebration of the signing, the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) successfully petitioned Congress in 1955 to set aside Sept. 17-23 annually for the observance of Constitution Week. Sept. 17, 2013 signifies the 226th anniversary of the signing of the Constitution.

The DAR continues to be actively involved in promoting Constitution Week and educating the public on the U.S. Constitution. This year, DAR Hawaii has successfully obtained proclamations from Governor Abercrombie and the mayors of the City & County of Honolulu, the Island of Hawaii, Maui, and Kauai proclaiming Sept. 17-23, 2013, as Constitution Week in Hawaii and its counties.

The aims of the celebration are to (1) emphasize citizens’ responsibilities for protecting and defending the Constitution; (2) inform the people that the Constitution is the foundation for our American way of life; and (3) encourage the study of the historical events which led to the framing of the Constitution.

The United States of America functions as a republic under the Constitution, which is the oldest document still in active use that outlines the self-government of a people. This landmark idea that men had the inalienable right as individuals to be free and live their lives under their own governance was the impetus of the American Revolution. Today, the Constitution stands as an icon of freedom for people around the world. It is the first charter of its kind to reflect the philosophical view, radical for its time, that government derives its power from the people. It also created a strong central government made up of three branches – legislative, executive, and judicial – each of which would be perpetually restrained by a sophisticated set of checks and balances. This unique document has been the inspiration of constitutions in other countries as well as various states, including Hawaii.

The Daughters of the American Revolution is a nonprofit, nonpolitical, volunteer women’s service organization dedicated to promoting patriotism, preserving American history and securing America’s future through better education to children. DAR members volunteer more than 250,000 hours annually to veteran patients, award thousands of dollars in scholarships and financial aid each year to students, and support schools for under-served children with annual donations exceeding one million dollars.

As one of the most inclusive genealogical societies in the country, DAR boasts 170,000 members in 3,000 chapters across the United States and internationally. Any woman 18 years or older – regardless of race, religion or ethnic background – who can prove lineal descent from a patriot of the American Revolution is eligible for membership. More about the Constitution and the DAR may be found at www.dar.org.

NATIONAL SOCIETY DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, HAWAII STATE ORGANIZATION

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Turn off the money to Egypt

The United States and our president must come together today and stop all money flowing from our hard-earned tax dollars to Egypt. Yes, I am talking about your money, and your children’s money, and your grandparents’ hard-earned tax dollars flowing into Egypt at the rate of $1.5 billion each year. Since 1948, we have given over $71 billion to Egypt. That is more money than we have given to any nation, except Israel.

Where does this money go? Approximately $1.2 billion goes to support an Egyptian military, while the rest goes to sanitation and other humanitarian efforts.

In the United States, we have been cutting back on our own military budget. Our government talks of cutting military medical benefits and military retirement benefits, while many homeless veterans are sleeping in the streets of America. As our soldiers are expected to defend us in other countries, they are doing it with aging weapons and aging supplies, all because of a tightening military budget.

More and more excuses are being found to downsize our soldiers from the military because of a tightening military budget.

Our president wants our military to be lean. Does this mean lean, so that we can send billions to Egypt? Lean, so that we can send more billions to Iraq, Afghanistan and other nations that hate us? Why should we continue to reward a nation for fighting and being totally dysfunctional? If we had money to hand out, then it should be as a reward for bringing about peace and helping other nations to be at peace.

At the forefront of this problem is our empty national checking account. Our inter-states are falling apart; our bridges are crumbling; our national parks are showing neglect; American people are hungry, jobless, homeless; and our border security in the south continues to be weak.

Thousands of our own military service people cannot afford to fly home to visit family. They cannot afford to buy cars and have to make do with small uniform allowances each year. Average America stands in line to fill out job applications at Walmart and McDonalds in hopes of landing an $8 an hour job to work 30 hours a week.

We shovel our hard-earned taxpayer dollars overseas to Egypt, while they kill hundreds, burn down Christian churches and shake their fists at America.

Saudi Arabia is threatening to send whatever funding we stop sending to Egypt. Good. They can even double it if they want. If we stop buying oil from Saudi Arabia today, it will not be soon enough.

GLENN MOLLETTE

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Hokule’a carries timely message

Mahalo to everyone responsible for making the Hokule’a’s worldwide voyage to Malama Honua a reality. History has shown that if we can show a better future, we can change the status quo and build the movement necessary to change the world.

Hokule’a is spreading this message worldwide; how they manage their resources on the canoe is the same way we need to manage our natural resources on land. When people have a tangible example of a sustainable future, they become empowered to courageously point out that radical changes for the better are possible.

I was fortunate enough to be at Honolua when the crews of Hokule’a and Hikianalia came ashore. I missed much of the ceremonial protocol, because my one-year-old had other ideas of what she wanted to experience, but I was still able to feel the significance of this journey.

What a timely message for us at Honolua about our kuleana to malama this sacred site and our Earth. Many people believe that because the state has set aside $20 million toward the acquisition of 280 acres that the struggle is over. In reality, it has just begun.

Imminent development no longer looms large overhead; now our efforts must focus on a sustainable future for Honolua and what our role in that future will be.

Hokule’a first set sail from Honolua Bay in 1976 on its voyage to Tahiti. We have all come so far in the last 37 years, but there is still much to be done.

TAMARA PALTIN, Lahaina