And where do you think Americans got their "ugly American" reputation? Partly it came from our acting like everyone should speak English no matter what country we were visiting.

And even though many in the world learn English it is to our disadvantage that we learn only English. Speaking another language provides a knowledge of another culture that one just cannot get without language.

One of our big problems after Sept. 11 was our lack of Americans who spoke Arabic. And it would be to our advantage to have diplomats and business people who speak Mandarin when we are dealing with the Chinese, and Russian speakers when doing business in Russia, and you see where this is going.

It's exactly 119 miles around the Koolau mountain range from my house in east Honolulu through downtown, Pearl Harbor, and Wahiawa to Kahuku, then back down along the windward coast to Kaneohe, Kailua and Waimanalo around Makapuu Point and back to my house.

The towns of Kahuku on the north shore and Makaha on Oahu's leeward coast are the farthest points one can drive from my place, and both are about 60 miles one way.

You will find that if you live here long enough that your perspective about distances shrinks accordingly, in direct proportion to the amount of actual travel you can do on the island. For example, while I would never even think twice about driving 50 miles on the U.S. mainland, that same distance practically takes you from one end of Oahu to the other. Thus, that 50-mile drive actually seems to be farther than it really is. It's sort of hard to explain, but does that make any sense?

I think that this unconscious adjustment to my perspective of distance is my own psyche's way of coping with living in the relatively confined area of an island.

You're usually pretty bright in expressing your points of view, although, admittedly, you sometimes invite some "overenthusiastic" reactions. But, this topic isn't even close. It falls under the, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it," or the one I like even better, "don't go looking for trouble, it'll find you."

The separation of Church and State is so fundamental that I don't even think of it as a "Religious" topic. It belongs right up there with the 1'st Amendment, Freedom of Speech.

People have a million ways to express their religious feelings, without asking the Government to take an active role in the expression of those feelings. Any private entity could host the type of display in question. It shouldn't be difficult at all, with millions of companies out there, to find some that would host it. Check Papa John`s, for instance. But, even private companies have taken a more cautious stand in expressing religious customs; "Happy Holidays, instead of "Merry Christmas," for instance. Granted, their "sensitivity" is more related to their cash register than their moral feelings, but, in any event, they recognize that when you get into something so deeply personal you're just bound to offend someone.

Freedom of religion means you can worship any way you like; freedom from religion means you shouldn't be compelled to pay (through your tax dollars) for beliefs contrary to yours.

I have no problem with religious displays on property owned by the religion involved. I often find it to be moving. A creche on Church property - great.

People putting any kind of display on their own property, or on their window sills - great.