Letters to the Editor
Attack victims were denied civil rights
As we Americans go through a tremendous healing process and slowly rebuild our lives, do we also feel benevolent enough to forgive the cowardly person or persons responsible for the untimely death of thousands of innocent people, not to mention changing the skyline of New York? Or are we of one mind (mine), an eye for an eye?
The shock, the anger, the disbelief, the tears — all the emotions coursed through the heart of the greatest nation in the world, and yet we still hand out "benefits of doubt" or "innocent until proven guilty." This is called the democratic way, the civil way of handling things so as not to threaten our civil rights. Americans believe in civil rights.
The destruction of the World Trade Center did not incorporate the consensus of the thousands of folks who lost their lives. Not a single thought for civil rights were given to the people aboard the commercial airplanes that plowed into the WTC. And all the service people sworn to uphold the law, what about their civil rights?
I am one of the many thousands reacting with indignation toward the perpetrators. Our Constitution was written for the people, by the people and should not apply to anyone who harbors so much hate for the United States. If they commit a heinous and atrocious crime, the punishment is simple: Nuke 'em.
Kamila Anderson
We must support our armed forces
I read the article "Silent majority must speak up now in support of Army" in the Sept. 9 paper. I am disappointed to have read that some of us do not support our armed forces.
That we should turn them away from these Islands to train so that they may be fully ready to protect us is disappointing. That protecting the environment is more important than protecting the lives of America's combat soldiers — many in the past have sacrificed their lives to protect us — is heartbreaking.
Civilians and the military need to work together and not against each other. The Army has tried in many ways to compromise with Malama Makua in this situation, yet its efforts have been ignored.
It's difficult to get through to some people to support the military until a disaster happens, and then they think twice on their decision. That disaster has happened on U.S. soil just as it happened in the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
Mrs O. Bane
Democracy comes with a dear price
I, like the rest of America and, I hope, most of the world, am shocked by this savage attack by terrorists on our country.
I sincerely grieve for all the dead and unaccounted for, and I can only imagine what families are going through. It's just too immense to imagine, except in a very humble way. The rest of us are safe.
But are we? It has been proven that our doors have been wide open for too long and our security, no matter how good it is, is far lacking. To allow terrorists to slip in, even be welcomed and taught how to fly our airplanes so that they can destroy us, is unfathomable. To allow those same airplanes — four of them — to slip by air traffic controllers and all the other "spy" security we supposedly have leaves little room for confidence.
It will take this extreme disaster to jolt us into proper consciousness. I know that things will be very, very different in our country from now on, and well they should be. We Americans are too confident of our country and of ourselves, but this tragic event has changed everything — and forever, I hope.
Democracy comes with a dear price, my friends. Most of the time, no one realizes just how costly democracy is to each and every one of us. But, now, we have paid and we have paid dearly. Yet still, the debt is not settled. Only another payment has been made.
Yes, we will come together as a nation and we will increase our resolve.
But that resolve should not just include finding and punishing the perpetrators. This should be a beginning, a new beginning for all of us.
Donald D. Graber
Reader accusation was off the mark
I was incensed at the mischaracterization that Lance Bateman assigned to me in a Sept. 15 letter to the editor. If Bateman only had his facts straight, perhaps his own hatred of conservative views wouldn't get in the way of the truth.
In fact, I vehemently denounced racial profiling on my radio program, as an exercise that violates all Americans. However, let it be known, the law enforcement community must not suffer from knee-jerk reactionaries such as Bateman. In the battle against crime and terrorism, law enforcement must be afforded the opportunity to pursue criminals. It must be allowed to use investigative techniques to capture individuals such as those responsible for the horrific acts of last Tuesday.
Those who are in custody today for the hijack bombings were not arrested for their physical appearances. There was an associated behavior that trained law enforcement officials identified as suspicious. This does not constitute racial profiling.
Mr. Bateman, your outrage regarding Rev. Falwell is your opinion. You are entitled to it. However, I take umbrage at your attempt to associate me with comments from others that I did not voice, nor that I agree with. It appears in your vigor to denounce conservative thought, you are using guilt by association and "scorched earth" techniques to make your inaccurate statements.
The callers to the Rick Hamada Show and I do not always agree. In the flurry of viewpoints and opinions, you obviously were selective in your comprehension. Perhaps if you were to listen with your ears rather than your pen, you would have a better understanding about what it is you think you know.
Rick Hamada
Attack had nothing to do with president
The idea that the current president is responsible for the tragedies on the Mainland couldn't be further from the truth.
This evil plot was conceived years ago and would have been carried out no matter who was elected president. There is good evidence that the persons responsible began their training years ago, and there are fanatical groups out there that have declared war on the United States and its citizens.
Although there was an attack on us before, on our own soil, most of us never believed an attack of this proportion would be perpetrated on us. If you think that electing another president would have prevented this attack, you are sorely mistaken.
Should we identify those responsible, we must bring them to justice. Ultimately, it is also important that we wage peace, despite the views of those who threaten and attack us.
Charles Hirata
Wailuku
Cancelling sporting events was wrong
When cancelling all high school sporting events for last weekend, did anyone consider that the events could have been preceded with a moment of silence? Those events would have been a time for people to sing the National Anthem and for bonding as a group instead of dealing with this as individuals.
Why are you letting others outside our country dictate what we do? Isn't that exactly what these terrorists wanted?
Alan Kimball
Kailua
We must address what caused this
Why is America so hated in some parts of the world today? What desperation has caused people to kill themselves and us in terrorists acts?
Instead of America preparing for war with its unthinkable consequences for the world's future, our leaders should address and try to solve these problems.
Our military retaliation and destruction of foreign people and lands will only create a more unstable world.
The terrorists and their supporters should be caught and brought to justice. But only when we address these problems that have sown the seeds of destruction will we truly be free again.
Donald Yacoe
Sweet dreams for innocent victims
innocent people, innocent minds,
it has come time, draw shut the blinds.
times change, times remain,
this world we know is full of pain.
hear the cries, hear the song,
can someone explain where we went wrong?
strive to be true, strive to do right,
close your eyes, sweet dreams, sleep tight.
Tacy Taylor
Kane'ohe
No comparison to Pearl Harbor
As an American of Japanese ancestry, I take strong exception to those in the news media comparing the cowardly attack on the World Trade Center to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
Last Tuesday is far and away much, much worse for all Americans. The attack on Pearl Harbor was a military strike against a military target. Despicable, sneaky, call it what you will, but the attack on Pearl Harbor is not in the same ballpark.
My friends (none AJA) gave me a good-natured ribbing about the comparison to help ease the tension. I said a few wrong things and I apologize to them.
The vast majority of the Islamic world was sickened by what was done. Any member of the Nation of Islam who calls the cowardly act a jihad or whatever term those inhuman animals are calling it must work for the devil. No religion that worships a Supreme Being can call what was done last Tuesday an act of the hand of God, or Allah.
Gary N. Suzukawa
Schofield soldiers shouldn't be ticketed
I want to report a real travesty. Today I observed hundreds of cars parked all along the outside of Schofield Barracks. These cars belonged to soldiers who could not, for whatever reason, get their cars on base in time to report for duty, mainly because of the delays getting through security. So they were forced to park wherever they could find room.
These men and women who have the job of defending us, especially now in this time of national tragedy, are having their cars ticketed and towed by Honolulu's finest.
Mayor Harris, put the word out: Give these men and women a break. They are caught in a Catch-22 situation and are being abused by the city. This is wrong and should be stopped.
Richard Parnell
Hale'iwa
Let the marketplace take care of security
How can we best assure, long term, that commercial airliners will not be hijacked and used as weapons of destruction? First a look at history.
Our current top-down system of airport/airliner security is the responsibility of the FAA. Its system demanded all passengers and crew be disarmed and helpless while assuring the public that it, the FAA, had made air travel safe. This was proved false with the Sept. 11 disaster.
Instead of holding the FAA accountable, Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta established new guidelines, top down, in effect saying "Trust us, we will get it right this time." Such a system is one of responsibility without accountability.
Why not try bottom up, based on strict accountability as well as responsibility? Here's how that might work: Each organization providing air travel would be told, "You are responsible for assuring the safety of all passengers as well as making sure your airplanes do not become weapons of mass destruction." And further, "If you fail in the above, you will be held strictly accountable for all damage and loss of life.You are free to take all necessary action to accomplish the job."
What would happen? Well, first of all, we would all be as safe as possible and inconvenienced to a minimum because the carriers would want our business while at the same time avoiding incidents.
How would they do that? Don't know, but how's this for a guess? Every appropriate crew member would be armed, all flights would have on it one or more passengers, identity known only to the airline, who are armed and trained to take out any hijacker.
Richard O. Rowland
Don't use 'crusade'
Newspapers should avoid words like "crusade" (your Monday headline) to describe the present conflict. The vast majority of Muslims oppose terrorism; I think we should not indirectly characterize this war as Christian against Muslim, like the historical crusades.
Nancy P. Moss
Poor word choice
"Crusades" is not an advisable term to use. It has overtones of the unfortunate campaigns of the Middle Ages conducted in the name of Christianity.
Barbara Grimes
'Crusades' futile
Those who planned last week's terrorist attacks and those who provided technical and logistical support for its execution must be hunted down. No matter how far they run, no matter where they hide, we must catch up with them, find them and punish them. This is not revenge, it's justice.
However, whether it was a Bush administration soundbite or your headline, a U.S. "crusade" has me more than a little concerned. If I recall my history correctly, there were several "crusades" to wrestle the Holy Land from Muslim control and they spanned entire centuries. Even so, the forces of "Christendom" lost decisively.
Scott Suzuki-Jones
Editor's note: Readers Moss, Grimes and Jones have a point. The word "crusade" came directly from remarks by President Bush, and on a busy night seemed simply to refer to a concerted effort, without any religious overtones. However, seeing it the next morning in bold black letters made us wince as well.
