COVERAGE LACKING

I was disappointed in the news coverage of the recent "Crisis on Drugs"
meeting in Kilauea (Tues., April 1, 2003) The writer did a good job
summarizing the comments made by panel participants but that was only half
the meeting. Each panel participant was given ten minutes to speak.

Their speeches covered only about half of the four hour meeting. I wonder if
the reporter left the meeting early.

What was missing in the report were the concerns of the community: their
fears of reporting criminal activity, their lack of trust in whom to go to
with information and frustration with present laws. What was also missing in
the report was the great job done by Mel Rapoza in facilitating the meeting
and by the representatives from the KPD who fielded some difficult questions
and helped to keep civility with a volatile issue.

If we are to make progress against the crisis on drugs then we need to
report openly and completely. A quote from the article bears repeating:

"'The shame is going out the window' once people start opening up and
acknowledging the issues." Let's have that in all aspects of this community
crisis.

Stephen L. Thompson

Princeville