Letters To The Editor
Christian Sharia
Thank you to Bob Jones for his column “Men Who Want To Control Women.”
He didn’t use this term, but what he’s really writing about is the imposition by conservatives of “Christian Sharia Law” across America.
I believe in the freedom of religion, meaning you can worship whatever god or gods you want to worship.
But I also claim freedom from religion, meaning you and your religion cannot tell me what is proper behavior.
It’s odd – these same people talk about wanting less government control of their lives, but not apparently other people’s lives.
Anna Matsuda
Honolulu
Waikiki parallel?
Thank you for publishing letters regarding the folly of rail – or at least the current rail plan being forced down our throats by the city and others who stand to profit from it.
This particular plan – and the aggressiveness being displayed by city officials – reminds me of the way Waikiki was developed. We could have built lovely tropical resorts instead of the massive concrete high-rises right on the beach.
With rail, we could do something unique to Hawaii, with a system that actually addresses traffic needs – including giving the university a stop. Instead, as with Waikiki development, government leads the way in what is basically a land/money grab – except for taxpayers who will be left holding the bill long after federal funds dry up.
And as in Waikiki, we will be left with an eyesore.
David Jones
Honolulu
Get real on rail
A question politicians dare not poll: How many people support rail thinking they can drive because all their neighbors will miraculously opt to make room for them on the freeway by riding rail?
Guess what, your neighbors are thinking the same about you!
More questions: How few actually intend to ride it regularly each week?
And how many support rail simply because they falsely think it will create more jobs? Rail taxes kill more jobs than rail creates.
The traffic solution that beats rail in almost every way is to build jobs on the Leeward Coast. That way people would not have to clog the freeway, and billions would be saved in not moving thousands of people 20 miles twice a day!
We have many more pressing needs than rail. Our education system is in trouble and two major hospitals have closed down. Yet we are going to drain our resources on ultra-expensive rail.
The “free” $1.5 billion from the federal government is constantly touted as the reason for rail. The reality is that it is far from free. It will cost us $4 billion and a commitment to millions more in order to get it.
Leighton Loo
Mililani
Send your letters to dchapman@midweek.com.
