Letters to the Editor

Message from prison: proud to be American

I am 21 years old and incarcerated at the women's prison in Kailua. I am doing a five-year sentence with a mandatory minimum of one year and two months. I am not incarcerated for a crime of violence, which in my opinion is an unjustifiable act of ignorance.

The attacks that took place on Sept. 11 made me realize how precious life is and how grateful I am to be a citizen of this country regardless of my predicament.

I've been listening to the news radio stations and reading newspaper articles regarding these events, and the strength and courage that the people of our country are showing is not only admirable, but also inspiring.

My heart goes out to all those who lost families and loved ones in the attacks.

Nicole Gillespie

Hale'iwa alive, well despite challenges

The Nov. 15 front-page article regarding the demise of a business in Hale'iwa was as distasteful and counterproductive as running obits or legal notices on the front page would be. It is exactly this kind of negative imagery that hurts everyone else still in business.

Hale'iwa is a colorful, vibrant country town with unique shops and locally created merchandise. Yes, it is more challenging since 9/11, although surf season is our best time of the year. The article pointed out that the shop had been having trouble for some time. There is always some turnover in a small, dynamic town like Hale'iwa. Merchants are open and eager to serve.

Turn off the Joe Leong bypass and check out what's new, or just pull over for your favorite flavor of shave-ice.

Robt. Leinau
Hale'iwa

Look for the good in these trying times

Maintain a sense of normalcy. This is the advice given in response to our fear and increasing anxiety to recent catastrophic events.

After the Sept. 11 attack, shaken individuals attempted to achieve normalcy. Yet, only weeks later, the news spread word of disease and more destruction. Dengue fever, anthrax scares and our increasing unemployment rates and affected economy filled our newspapers and television screens. Panic assumed its expected forms of fear and anger in our Aloha State. And yet, after all we've been through recently, we are asked to return to life before Sept. 11.

First of all, without active denial, this is impossible. Take a trip to the airport and experience what it's like to be frisked, and then try to forget that among tired and fearful travelers, there are men in uniform dressed with guns securing the area. In that case, forget about turning on the television unless you can stomach the endless stations of daily panic-producing news coverage. Opting for a normal life void of the events of and following Sept. 11 may not be feasible or reasonable.

Instead, Americans may need to find the silver lining in this unrelenting storm. Events become tragedies when in the test called life, we fail by passing up opportunities of hope and brotherhood in giving in to fear and anger. We allow the events to maintain power and control while individually we get weaker and so does our nation. The tragedy would be if these events gain precedence over our own faith in each other, in our state and in our nation.

Unless we can find the lesson, and unless we appreciate and learn from the pain, tragedies will continue to remind and test us on love and the ephemeral nature of life.

Brandi-Ann Tanaka

Military families also are making sacrifice

As the holiday season approaches, I would like to honor not only those serving in our military during these turbulent times, but also their families and loved ones whose sacrifices I can probably never repay.

Perhaps one way I can acknowledge the tremendous sacrifice that you are all making is to instill in my two sons the awareness that unselfish, caring people, such as you and your loved ones serving our country, have made their lives and futures that much safer.

Trancita Winquist
Waimanalo

Little girl is watching and will emulate you

My daughter is 2 1/2 now, and it is time to send my selfish reminder: She will do what you do.

So thank you to nonsmokers and those brave enough to write and vote for anti-tobacco legislation. Thank you to you who are kind, considerate, patient, forgiving, peaceful, open-minded and empathetic. Thank you to those who wear helmets, signal, recycle, read, exercise, buy in bulk, conserve, protect, help and commit random acts of kindness.

My daughter is watching, and you help her to do the right thing. You are heroes to me.

Eric McCutcheon

'Military tribunals' ignore safeguards

Compare the legal standard of the new Bush "military tribunals" to those of the Nuremberg trials. Nazi war defendants, charged with millions of deaths, were tried before media reporters, in public courts, by respected judges and defended by able attorneys.

President Bush wants secret military courts to try non-citizens for alleged crimes of terrorism without any of the legal safeguards in our Constitution. Clearly, Muslim or other non-citizens could be charged with terrorism and found guilty without any media or public knowledge. Who would be sure of this "justice"?

This is the same president who recently withdrew membership in the International Criminal Court accepted by 139 other nations. What does all this tell us about the Bush idea of law and justice?

Jerome G. Manis

Tourists come here for scenery, climate

Your Nov. 6 editorial about gambling has generated a lot of pro-gambling letters, notably from Gary Edwards, J. Schmidt and several displaced tourist industry employees.

Edwards in particular cites Alaska, the Caribbean and Mexico as destinations stealing our business. He goes on to stay that "the reason people go to Las Vegas is not for the scenery and climate in the middle of the desert. It is because they can gamble." Well, I say the reason people come to Hawai'i is the scenery and climate in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. It is not because they can gamble here.

The Rev. Billy Graham once wrote that a drowning man will grab at a straw if it were tossed at him. In this time of economic crisis and increased unemployment, I can see how many will grab at this supposed "panacea" of gambling. I urge my fellow Hawai'i residents to resist this impulse.

Arvid T. Youngquist

Why can't driver's test be given in Hawaiian?

If Hawaiian is an official language of the state of Hawai'i, why is it that I am unable to take a driver's licensing exam in 'olelo Hawai'i when it is possible to take the test in a number of foreign languages?

It would be beneficial to the preservation and perpetuation of the language if a Hawaiian test were available.

It's troubling that the state can give outsiders a higher status than kanaka maoli.

Clifford Wassman
Mililani

Repeal the Jones Act, and shippers will come

I note in the Letters to the Editor an increasing sentiment for repeal of the Jones Act and also note the opinion piece by the chief inspector of the U.S. Customs Service defending the Jones Act and Matson. I can only conclude that Creighton Goldsmith has never been on the other side of the street and had to deal with the arrogance of Matson as a shipper.

Matson Navigation Co. is the best advertisement for repeal of the Jones Act. Its offer of free trips to Hawai'i for a few tourists is a typical hollow gesture by a monopoly business that holds the state of Hawai'i in its bondage.

If it really wanted to do something for Hawai'i and its economy, Matson would have rescinded the fuel surcharge on all cargo. It is quick to add such surcharges when oil prices go up but does not remove them when prices fall. Of course, removing the surcharge would lower the profits of Alexander & Baldwin, so we can see where its true interests lie.

The Jones Act and the Passenger Service Act have both outlived their usefulness, and it is time for repeal. There are plenty of shipping services that would jump into the lucrative Hawai'i trade and lower the cost of living for all of us. One-way shipping is not unusual in today's world.

It is time that Sen. Inouye starts to represent all of the citizens of Hawai'i and not just the shareholders of Alexander & Baldwin.

C. Pardee Erdman
'Ulupalakua Ranch, Kula, Maui

Kaua'i police officers are committed to serve

I am writing this letter on behalf of the Kaua'i chapter board of directors, State of Hawai'i Organization of Police Officers, to reassure you that despite all of the publicity that the Kaua'i Police Department has been having these past few months, the officers and civilian employees of the Kaua'i Police Department strive to serve you, the community, as best as possible.

We also want to make it known that working with Acting Chief Wilfred Ihu and his staff, we have opened up tremendous lines of communication and developed one of the best working relationships between management and labor in a long time within the KPD.

Once again, citizens of Kaua'i, we, the police officers of the Kaua'i Police Department, will continue to provide you with the best possible services and commitment to do our jobs as best as we can.

Stanton Koizumi
Vice chairman of the board, Kaua'i chapter, SHOPO

Cruise line brought us aloha

I would like to express my thanks and appreciation to American Hawai'i Cruises for all they did to bring the aloha spirit to thousands of passengers they carried around our Island paradise — and to me, who enjoyed every minute of my 61 cruises with them. They were great ambassadors for our Islands, and losing them is a tremendous loss.

I am grateful to each and every one of my shipboard 'ohana who honored me with the title of "auntie" and took such tender loving care of me — they were the best.

I would also like to extend my thanks, gratitude and best wishes to Kate Ahia and the kupuna group of Hilo who came on board to spread their special aloha to everyone and always made me feel special.

Now I'm hoping that each one of my 'ohana will be gainfully employed, and that our paths will cross again someday, for to me they are family — a family that I hope will have a blessed Thanksgiving, a Merry Christmas and a happy 2002 and life that is good to them.

Auntie Janie Thombs