Letters to the Editor

Pro athletes also served in Vietnam

Regarding your May 31 article on Pat Tillman choosing to serve in the military over pro football: You noted that this had not happened since World War II. In the Vietnam War, seven or more pro athletes did serve.

One of them became the only pro athlete killed during that conflict. His name was Bob Kalsu, and he played college ball, as a starter, for Oklahoma from 1953-1957 on a squad that won 47 consecutive games — still a Division I record — and two national championships. He also played professionally, also as a starter, for the Buffalo Bills before choosing to honor an ROTC commitment.

He was a man who chose to give up the money, the glamour and the game he loved to serve his country. He paid the ultimate price. His name is on the wall of the Vietnam Memorial, and he should be acknowledged and never forgotten.

Robert Bethune

Dance review was out of step with audience

This is a brief review of Ana Paula Hofling's June 2 death-by-a-thousand-pinpricks criticism of Iona Contemporary Dance Theatre's "Destiny."

The night Hofling was seated as a critic, the full house around her gave the performance a standing ovation.

Maybe Hofling alone is right and the 2,000-plus who participated with enthusiasm in the "Destiny" season at Hawai'i Theatre are all wrong. Perhaps Hofling does not experience and respond to the real world before her eyes the way others do.

Hofling is described as a dancer and choreographer. I have not had the privilege of seeing her work publicly performed, and perhaps not many others have either: An Internet search brings up her name in dance exactly once — as a reviewer, locally.

With that in mind, a modest proposal for critics: In order to qualify to review an evening-length piece with 14 dancers and with original spoken word, music and video that earns standing ovations, the reviewer must already have produced, directed and choreographed a matching work, matchingly well received.

Gavan Daws

Civil War was fought to preserve the Union

The May 27 Island Voices column repeated a misconception regarding the Civil War that, I feel, has gained increasing popularity in the past several years, a fact I attribute to "political correctness."

The misconception is that the Civil War was fought to end slavery. This is not correct. The war was fought to preserve the Union.

In support of this statement, I submit the following quotation taken from a letter written by Abraham Lincoln to Horace Greely in August 1862, as follows:

"My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or destroy slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any slave, I would do it; and if I could do it by freeing all the slaves, I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone, I would also do that."

Louis H. Trigg
Pearl City

We must remember sacrifices they made

Thanks for your June 5 editorial on the Battle of Midway. In our new time of a different kind of war, it is fitting to remember all those who sacrificed in World War II so that we are still free in this new century.

We know the Ray family — Martin, Alan, John and Roger — in which all four young brothers went to war. All four were in regular combat, one was in a German prison camp, and one, Martin, gave his life aboard the destroyer Hammann on June 6, 1942.

We say some things so easily, it is too easy to forget the true pain, horror, grief and interrupted lives that such men and their families went through so that America can stay free.ÊAll of us living now owe a great debt to men like the Ray brothers.

David Watson
Kailua

Cheap shot by KHNL

In Wayne Harada's June 5 column, KHNL General Manager John Fink takes a cheap shot at KHON's coverage of Jeremy Harris' announcement that he was pulling out of the governor's race. Fink conveniently neglected to mention that on that day, Channel 2 News, early in the afternoon, was first on the air, long before any other station, broadcasting that Harris had decided to quit the race and would make an announcement at 4 p.m.

Joe Moore
Channel 2 News

Democratic party's over

Kudos to Mayor Harris for his most creative rendition of "Take this job and shove it." How so literally symbolic of the party is the ass.

Listen, and you will also hear the plaintive refrain, "The party's over ... "

George I. Nakamura
Mililani