WAIKELE BEATING

WHY NO CONCERN OR SUPPORT FOR VICTIMS?

I was disgusted and angry when I read about the beating of an innocent couple in front of their 3-year-old child over a fender bender.

What makes it worse is that the so-called "man" was arrested and his bail was only set at $20,000, and then on Friday I read that a woman who was caught trying to sell stolen copper was arrested and her bail was set at $50,000.

What gives? Is a human being worth less than copper in Hawai'i?

And why isn't this beating treated like a hate crime? Is it because the victims are white? Imagine the headlines and the response if this were an attack on a black family by some whites.

Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, the NAACP and the ACLU would be all over this story.

When the victims are white, however, there is no concern, no uproar, no support for the victims. So much for the spirit of "aloha!"

ATTACK SHOWED HATRED AND RACISM INVOLVED

While the beating of the Dussel couple in Waikele may not, by law, qualify as a "hate crime," it is clear that hatred and racism were involved.

The violent beating of the couple in front of their 3-year-old for a minor accident is despicable and criminal. Civilized people don't behave this way.

I wonder what the response would be if it were a white father and son beating a Hawaiian couple, yelling racial slurs. Would it be called a racist hate crime then?

Do we continue to allow double standards to exist in our society, where perceived victimized righteousness based on ethnicity excuses atrocious behavior?

This was an act of violence and should be punished fully as such.

PARKING LOT ATTACK WAS CLEARLY A HATE CRIME

Outrageous. To claim the brutal parking lot beatings in Waikele were not racially motivated is absurd.

Both victims could easily be dead. The perpetrators should be in jail, charged with attempted murder.

Just because the state has a poorly written law, as usual, doesn't mean these beatings were not hate crimes.

The beatings occurred in a parking lot after a fender bender. Racial slurs preceded the beatings, right in front of the victims' 3- year-old child.

Federal prosecutors should step in and file charges under federal hate crime statutes.

Otherwise, it is clear that these criminals will suffer virtually no real consequences for their despicable behavior.

HAWAIIAN DEVASTATED BY ATTACK ON COUPLE

As a Hawaiian now living in the state of Washington, I was devastated about this brutal beating allegedly by Hawaiians on the couple in Waikele.

The quandary is whether this can be classified as a hate crime or road rage.

If the ethnicity of the parties were "local grown," perhaps the beating would not have occurred and words would have resolved this fender bender.

It appears to me, from the news report, that uttering the racial epithet fueled the physical violence; therefore, I would classify this as a hate issue.

Shame on those who think that past offenses against the monarchy can be resolved by such degrading human behavior — in front of a baby, no less.

I apologize to the Dussells, and believe that other Hawaiians, like myself, are grieved at the shame brought to our honorable race.

ANGER-MANAGEMENT HELP CLEARLY NEEDED

I just finished reading the Feb 24 article pertaining to the beating of a man and woman in the Waikele Center parking lot last Monday over a fender bender.

Whether or not it was a "hate crime" in the legal sense, what apparently transpired was a manifestation of anger that is entirely beyond what the majority of most human beings would do in a similar situation.

There is no monopoly by any racial or ethnic group in these (thankfully) rare events.

Obviously, beyond whatever civil/criminal actions are taken, I would like to see these two men get some anger-management help, and hopefully become better citizens instead of behaving like sociopaths.

As far as the racial slur — well, most of us, I'm sad to say, have used (or thought) them when confronted with anger/frustration — and especially when further burdened with a limited vocabulary.

INTERISLAND

MOST PEOPLE EAGERLY ANTICIPATING NEW FERRY

It is interesting that the Superferry has been singled out for special negative treatment by a few "representatives."

Those elected officials do not represent me, most all of my friends and many of the employees where I work.

We are all excited and very much welcome the Superferry and all of the options it will provide us and the state of Hawai'i. These are regular working family people who are already making plans that include the ferry for transportation between the islands for work and pleasure.

Just whom are you "representatives" for? Are you working for us or Young Brothers or the interisland airines?

Please don't let the established big-money interests mess up opportunities for Hawai'i and her people only to benefit a few wealthy interests.

The election last fall showed that sort of politics is no longer welcomed.

TEACHERS

HSTA FOR TESTS WHEN DRUG USE SUSPECTED

Some readers may interpret comments about the Hawai'i State Teachers Association in The Advertiser's Feb. 19 editorial to mean that HSTA opposes drug testing of teachers.

For the record, HSTA has long been a strong supporter of drug-free schools. We believe no employee should come to school under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

The Advertiser's editorial is correct in stating that "random drug testing is an intrusion on privacy that shouldn't be mandated casually." HSTA agrees, and we take seriously our obligation to address and solve this issue.

We are negotiating a new contract with the DOE, and we have proposed provisions for maintaining a drug-free teacher workforce.

Our proposal would drug test teachers when a supervisor has reasonable suspicion a teacher may be under the influence of drugs and provide rehabilitation for offenders — and there are harsh penalties for teachers who fail to cooperate.

We believe our proposal will be more effective at keeping teachers drug free than random testing. With random testing, only a fraction of teachers will undergo the tests, and there is no assurance that drug users will be caught. Our proposal seeks to test those who are likely users of drugs, as indicated by their behavior.

Our proposed program, which trains all school employees to recognize the signs of drug use and report suspicious behavior, stands a much better chance of actually identifying those using and abusing drugs.

TELEVISION

ABC BELIEVES 'LOST' WILL KEEP DOMINANCE

Regarding your article, "Real 'Lost' Mystery: Can TV Show Survive?" the answer is yes.

"Lost" consistently has been one of the top 10 shows on television — including the weeks you referenced as evidence of its demise.

The show has aired in three different time slots since its 2004 debut and dominated each with the audience (adults 18-49) targeted by the network and coveted by advertisers.

"Lost" at 10 p.m. has increased ABC's audience for that hour by more than 5 million viewers and has beaten its closest competition by 33 percent in its target audience. "Lost" is ABC's highest-rated show in that time slot in 10 years and remains the No. 1 scripted show on Wednesday night.

The audience for "Lost" is smaller at 10 p.m. because the TV audience is smaller at that hour, about 12 percent smaller compared to 9 p.m.

However, that does not mean viewers aren't following the show. "Lost" continues to be one of the most recorded shows on DVRs and one of the most popular shows on iTunes and on ABC.com's broadband player.

Meanwhile, fans in more than 200 countries and territories tune in regularly both on air and online.

The new time slot hasn't changed the appeal of "Lost," and neither will the dire predictions of industry watchers and reporters.

"Lost" remains one of the most successful shows on television, and we'll continue to rely on the expertise and support of the Hawai'i community throughout its production run.

TAX MONEY

WELFARE RECIPIENTS SHOULD TAKE DRUG TEST

I have a question, not only for Maui County, but for the entire state of Hawai'i.

I have a job. I work, they pay me, I pay my taxes and the government distributes my taxes as it sees fit.

In order for me to get that paycheck, I am required to pass a random urine test, which I have no problem with. What I do have a problem with is the distribution of my taxes to people who don't have to pass a urine test. Shouldn't one have to pass a urine test to get a welfare check, because I have to pass one to earn it for them?

Please understand, I have nothing against helping people get back on their feet. I do, on the other hand, have a problem with helping someone sit on his or her butt.

Can you imagine how much the state of Hawai'i would save if people had to pass a urine test to get a public assistance check?