Drug test teachers
I’m a student at Hilo High School who would like to inform you about drug testing schoolteachers on the Big Island and all the Hawaiian Islands.
I think teachers should get drug tested because drug use can effect the learning in classes. Drug use also can create a dangerous relationship between the teacher and students. In Hawaii, we set a good example for our keiki and those who we are surrounded by, especially in school, because that is where we students grow and become good, respectful students.
This matters to me because we need our future kids to be learning in a healthy and safe environment. About 4 percent of teachers nationwide reportedly are using illegal drugs. It really bothers me that teachers aren’t getting tested.
Would you want your kids to be in school with a teacher who does drugs? That’s the only thing I worry about when I’m in school.
There are students who think a certain teacher does drugs after seeing them off the school campus and because of the way the teacher acts.
Carlmi Kawakami
Hilo
Build dikes
Is the “Sea level forecast (really) daunting” (Tribune-Herald, Dec. 30)?
A state report predicts that by 2100, the sea level will rise 3.2 feet and displace 1,000 residents.
My view is that a 1-meter rise in the ocean can be easily met with a dike. Such a dike, if formed at 1 inch per year, would be more than 2 meters high by 2100. I have seen dikes up to 9 meters tall in Holland, Germany and Australia. And by 2100, similar dikes could protect more than 2,000 Hawaii residents.
Howard Horton
Naalehu
‘Pot’ and teens
Why should we legalize marijuana in Hawaii just because several states have chosen to do so?
And why should we have legalization on the basis of treating patients with pain issues and other nontreatable issues through legal medications?
We have Hawaiian herbs, Chinese herbs and acupuncture that basically can do the same thing. Besides, legalization will undoubtedly encourage underage teens to get it either on the black market or steal it from patients who are using.
Research has shown that regular use of marijuana can cause irreparable brain damage in teenagers.
Stan Aoki
Hilo