Letters to the Editor
Terrorists' bankers should get ultimatum
Reading through all the letters to the editor and of course all the different news articles, I, like many others, am frustrated. How do we retaliate? Attack a country, killing even more innocent people than those cowards did Tuesday? With no guarantee of getting those responsible?
Where do these terrorists keep their money? In large amounts of cash in a bedroll? In briefcases they carry with them? Or do they keep it in numbered accounts in some accommodating Swiss bank?
The best way to get back at these groups is to make them as poor as their countrymen. Take away their funds. And make the countries holding their funds understand that no matter how "neutral" they are, they are aiding and abetting terrorists who have declared war on the entire world — not just the U.S.A.
Give them a choice. Give up the funds or face the same actions as Afghanistan does.
Margo Akamine
Right-wing messages of hate aren't wanted
I was just "so overjoyed" to hear of the call for unity from Jerry Fallwell. I just hope that anyone who supports him or those of his ilk recognize the hate and venom behind his message.
To see Fallwell making a statement that he "blames pagans ... feminists ... abortionists ... gays and lesbians ... for the tragedy that has befallen our country" totally validates my repudiation of him and his supporters.
And then to hear Rick Hamada on the radio expressing his disgust over a concern about profiling blacks or Mexicans as a liberal weakness that we can't afford — I hope he is ready to give up his civil rights under our Constitution when he is targeted by appearance under profiling.
Isn't it our country's adherence to the very principles of civil liberties, civil rights and concern for everyone that makes the United States the target — for those wanting to find a better place and a better way to live?
This is a time that the messages of those such as Fallwell, Hamada and others should not become a focus as our country determines how to react to the tragedy we have experienced in a way that will not destroy our country.
Lance Bateman
We should rebuild through forgiveness
Will we be brave enough to emerge from this tragedy bathed in the light of justice? Is our nation strong enough to break the cycle of violence that's begun to spin? Can our community thoughts rise above revenge and move toward reconciliation?
I am not sure. My television and computer monitor have been invaluable sources of communication, discussion and revulsion. I am scared that our national and local leaders are too quick to pledge violent, military retaliation for terrorists and nations who harbor terrorists.
"Getting even" is not the answer. I believe our national priorities should be getting answers, seeking justice and reaching out to the families of the victims. Bigger military budgets, more covert intelligence spending and increased discrimination against Arab Americans will not leave a proud American legacy for our children.
We must reinstate a sense of safety for all of our communities. We must work together to create a tomorrow that we want to live in. I fear a tomorrow that is engaged in an endless cycle of tit-for-tat violence against an unknown enemy.
I hope Hawai'i and America are brave enough to be better than the terrorists. I urge local and national leaders to advocate for alternatives to military retaliation and to encourage the public to treat all Americans with respect, regardless of race or religion.
My Rwandan friend, Regina, who is helping her country to recover from the 1994 genocide by forgiving and rebuilding, inspires me to write these words. Make no mistake, violent retaliation will not end our grief, bring back those lost or make us feel safer.
Tiare Cross
It was an act of war, and now we are at war
Several people are trying to convince readers that the Sept. 11, 2001, attack on the United States of America was not an act of war and should not be compared to Pearl Harbor.
It is suggested that because this well-trained army did not follow enough rules of attack used six decades ago, the acts are terrorism, not war. Just as the enemy's leaders hide on another continent, those suggesting that this is not war are hiding from reality and are sadly trying to force their rules of war on a ruthless enemy.
Of course, I don't need to compare these earlier writers to the enemy to make my point, and I don't need to compare Tuesday's attack to Pearl Harbor to acknowledge it as war. A foreign enemy targeted this nation and successfully destroyed a significant part of its military headquarters and thousands of its citizens.
During Tuesday's attack, the enemy was screaming at us, "We are not terrorists!" For those who refuse to recognize this as an attack on a nation and its people, not on buildings, I have to wonder, what would it take, aside from following certain rules, to get them to agree that war has been declared on us?
David Flynn
