Letters to the Editor
Tourism promotion trips are good idea
Sending former Govs. George Ariyoshi and John Waihee to Japan to promote tourism, particularly when their visit coincided with the bombing of Kabul, was a good idea.
According to John Marks of the San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau: "The Japanese traveler does not like to enter uncharted waters when there is turbulence." How bad is it at SFO? Four jumbo jets, with a combined capacity of 1,600, arrive daily from Narita. But these jets carry only 300 passengers.
In time, the Japanese will be back.
Gov. Cayetano might also consider trips to France and Korea: The combined number of French and Korean travelers at SFO during 1999 slightly exceeded the number of Japanese travelers. Lt. Gov. Mazie Hirono might consider trips to Canada and Mexico.
Richard Thompson
Visiting professor, Honam University, Korea
Leeward campus makes good sense
The proposal to follow through on the state's long-standing commitment to build a permanent four-year undergraduate campus in Leeward O'ahu is not a "Dobelle plan," as a recent letter writer said. Rather, it is the culmination of deliberate policy decisions carried out by the Board of Regents and the state administration.
The purpose of UH-West O'ahu is to serve the needs of a growing population in the Leeward-central area where — in the not too distant future — 70 percent of O'ahu's residents will live. The building of this campus will mean less traffic on our highways fighting to get into downtown Honolulu; greater access and convenience to the residents of the highly populated Leeward-central area; and the opportunity for UH-Manoa to finally achieve its potential as the "Berkeley of the Pacific."
As to the stadium, a September poll of Hawai'i's residents showed there is little support for a new stadium, and President Dobelle has already stated that the stadium is no longer being considered. Further, that same poll showed that nearly 70 percent of those responding wanted fully functioning, high-quality university campuses at several locations throughout the Islands.
Over the years, UH-West O'ahu students and alumni have consistently expressed high levels of satisfaction with the quality of the education they received at the campus. Isn't it time we listen to the people? Build UH-West O'ahu! Its time has come.
William A. Pearman
Chancellor, University of Hawai'i — West O'ahu
Arctic wildlife refuge must be preserved
I am very disappointed in Sen. Akaka's recent statement that he supports drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Akaka is the only Democrat on the Senate Energy Committee who plans to vote in favor of drilling.
Contrary to what Akaka has been told, there is no such thing as drilling for oil on the Arctic tundra without having a detrimental impact on the ecosystem, wildlife and native tribes.
I worked as a consultant on an experimental oil platform three miles offshore of the refuge monitoring marine mammals a few years ago. From land and helicopter, I saw the ugly effect that oil drilling has on Prudhoe Bay. In contrast, I saw how pristine the refuge is. The roadless, wildflower-covered tundra of the coastal plain, with musk ox, arctic fox and caribou, has a backdrop of the dramatic Brooks Mountain Range. It is breathtaking.
If we allow drilling in the refuge, the polar bears that rely on the coastline for denning will have to move east into Canada; they cannot go west into Prudhoe and the National Petroleum Reserve. And other wildlife like the musk ox and caribou will have their grazing and calving grounds irreversibly disturbed by drilling.
Even if you haven't seen the refuge, isn't it nice to know that pristine wilderness still exists? Please call or write Sen. Akaka and urge him to vote against drilling in the refuge. It's not too late to save this precious wildlife refuge. It's just not worth it for a possible six months worth of oil 10 years from now.
Julie Rivers
How did bin Laden manipulate us so?
The Oct. 8 editorial page carried a column by Debra Friedman and Michael Hechter, both of the University of Washington. They said that by launching an attack on Osama bin Laden, et al., we are playing into his hands and doing just what he wants us to do.
I believe this. I also believe that when we invaded Europe on D-Day, we were doing just what Hitler wanted. And I believe that pigs have wings.
Ted Slack
Don't slander our symbol of liberty
In response to Richard Kinney's Oct. 3 letter: I have great respect for the kanaka maoli and the injustices done to them in the past, but I say to you, Mr. Kinney, you owe a humble apology to all American citizens for slandering our national symbol, for calling it a symbol of terror. You slandered the very symbol of liberty.
Why can't we put our political differences aside just for once and stand united against hatred and violence? Our flag is not a symbol of our government nor its armed forces, but a symbol of its people from diverse racial, ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds, and most of all its resolve to stand and come together in times of strife and war.
Let us not forget the brave men and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice in defending our right to be free. If they had not been able to do so, you wouldn't be able to make such statements as you did.
Surely ours is not a perfect society, but I wouldn't want to live anywhere else. E kupono me ke aloha: Stand in love, stand as one. God bless Hawai'i and God bless America.
Kenny Idemoto
