I am a voter, taxpayer, father, husband, physician, SHOPO supporter and law-abiding small businessman, not a criminal! I'm really weary of politicians who pretend that useless laws like an assault-weapon ban are effective crime-control measures.

Abercrombie's voting record ranks him among the most wasteful and highest spending incumbents in Congress. He can try to hide his record behind the thin promise of crime control through restrictive firearms legislation. It didn't work for Rey Graulty. It may not work for Abercrombie.

Dr. Max Cooper
Vice President
Hawaii Rifle Association

What Swindle is saying is that we aren't bright enough to choose our elected officials. The real questions come down to this:

1) If we are happy with somebody, why shouldn't we be allowed to elect him or her as often as we want?

2) Isn't it our right to vote for the candidate of our choice without somebody in Washington telling us we've elected that person too many times?

Remember a bitter and angry Orson Swindle, who after he lost the election in 1994 said we weren't smart enough to pick our elected officials? I guess he thinks we're still not smart enough.

Wil Castro
Waipahu

To me, a layman, it says that in order to support the military we can carry arms. That would mean our weapons must be state-of-the-art, up-to-date, or else they won't help the military much. To be of use, we are entitled to carry rapid fire assault weapons, even bazookas, etc. It seems to me like laws against that are unconstitutional.

The military hasn't needed help from civilians for at least 150 years, except to draft them. There's no more need to have the man of the house grab his rifle off the wall over the fireplace to rush out and join his neighbors to fight the Indians, or whatever.

But that was what the Second Amendment was meant to do, when our founding fathers realized that the U.S. didn't have much of an army and needed help from volunteers.

If you don't want people to carry guns around, except by special permission, repeal the Second Amendment. It's a historical oddity.

Ted Chernin

President Clinton's commitment to small business is solid. He is fighting hard for a balanced budget that keeps our nation on sound financial footing. He is working to reduce the deficit.

He is proposing more small-business expensing, strengthened and simplified employer-provider pension coverage, a 50 percent health insurance deduction for the self-employed, and worker training tax credits to help small businesses sharpen their competitive edge. Small businesses employ almost 60 percent of U.S. workers.

In this age of possibility, small businesses are examples of how individual dreams can be realized when we all do our part. President Clinton's record is clear: He understands that a better economy begins with small business.

Lisa M. Kotero
President
Kotero Design Corp.