MYANMAR TRAGEDY

MANY WILL DIE BECAUSE JUNTA FEARS DEMOCRACY

To respond to Michael Aung-Thwin's May 8 letter ("Myanmar tragedy shouldn't be politicized"): First, if he had been in Yangon and criticized one of the military junta's wives, as he slandered Laura Bush, he would have been imprisoned for life. This is the military junta that overthrew the constitution in 1988 and has put Nobel Prize-winner Aung San Suu Kyi under house arrest since 1990.

Second, there is more than $60 million worth of private relief aid sitting in Santa Barbara, Calif., that the military junta will not allow to be delivered.

Finally, there are three U.S. Navy ships, minutes from shore, with water purification units, tons of food and more than 80 medical personnel waiting to help the victims that the military junta, for political reasons, will not let ashore or allow to evacuate victims.

The initial typhoon might have killed thousands, but tens of thousands will die because the military junta is too afraid of democracy.

MIDEAST

JIMMY CARTER MISSION WAS LARGELY A FAILURE

The "Carter merits thanks for Mideast mission" letter (April 26) fails to mention that the mission, if you can call it that, was a failure.

Hamas leadership's immediate contradiction of former President Jimmy Carter's claim that Hamas had accepted the existence of Israel was largely unreported.

The "insufferable twit," as he was aptly described by a conservative publication, delights in carrying on at foreign policy grandstanding as long as the effort is at odds with what the administration is promoting.

This can only be attributed to an ego the size of Georgia. What ever happened to former presidents retiring to comfortable obscurity?

TRANSIT

PROPOSED RAIL SYSTEM WILL MEAN URBAN BLIGHT

The design for the Honolulu mass-transit system was top-down from the start, with city transportation engineers deciding what would be the easiest/cheapest to build and then sending out representatives to explain the system to the public.

There have been dozens of "talk-story" meetings, but the format is always the same: "We (the city) talk, you (the public) listen."

Despite a near-complete lack of community support in the central urban areas and pleas by urban designers and civic groups to consider alternatives, city officials are determined to fast track the project. Pleas to reconsider or modify aspects of the project, even when coming from the City Council, have been stonewalled.

At this point, reasonable citizens who question the system have no choice but to sign the Stop Rail Now petition.

Mass transit in some form is a good idea, but the current system will result in urban blight and a huge price tag for a city of our size. If we are to have mass transit, let's do it right or not at all.

RAIL OPPONENTS WANT TO BLOCK GOVERNMENT

Your editorial labeling rail opponents as obstructionists hit the mark perfectly.

In addition to such simplistic alternatives as synchronized lights and telecommuting, I heard one Republican state senator suggest removal of uninsured motorists as a solution to traffic gridlock.

These silly mental acrobatics should remind the public that many prominent rail opponents are disciples of anti-tax guru Grover Norquist, who once stated, "My goal is to cut government in half in 25 years to get it down to the size where we can drown it in the bathtub." This helps explain why the anti-rail crowd has proposed no meaningful alternatives: They are less interested in improving Honolulu's traffic than blocking governmental programs on all fronts.

'AHUIMANU

SHAME ON THOSE WHO OPPOSED DEVELOPMENT

This letter is in response to the May 6 letter titled "Grateful for help in stopping development."

I'm a lifelong resident of 'Ahuimanu; in fact, I even attended 'Ahuimanu Elementary School many years ago. Shame on Shirley Samuelson, Jamie Kamailani Boyd, Jeff Cuppett and Clayton Hee for being selfish and greedy Democrats.

'Ahuimanu is such a beautiful place, and these liberal special interest groups feel entitled to hoard the community all to themselves.

I support the project and hope that my friends, family or any kind-hearted American family can someday purchase a unit in The Woods at 'Ahuimanu.

People should be able to experience the beauty of living in this part of the island, something I've been able to enjoy for many decades.

OBAMA

ABILITY IN CHOOSING ADVISERS IS IMPORTANT

Sen. Barack Obama and his supporters keep trying to dodge the issues of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, the Weather Underground, and other friends and associates of this presidential candidate.

Obama and his supporters claim foul when he is questioned regarding his choice of associates and demand that we stick to the "real issues" like Iraq and our economy.

I'm sorry, Sen. Obama, but the real issues include your ability to select appropriate advisers and appoint the appropriate people to important posts.

The real issues concern your integrity and your decision-making abilities.

During the next four years, our country will face many more problems than the issues you want to discuss now. As voters we want to be assured that whoever is elected can make the best decisions for this country and appoint the best people to responsible positions, regardless of what problems we may face.