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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Wednesday, April 2, 2003

Letters to the Editor

Iraqi nationalism will rise up against invader

As one who has been active in educating our local community on Middle Eastern affairs for over 20 years, I feel it is timely to remind everyone about something we all seem to have overlooked: Iraqi nationalism.

With the war in Iraq about to enter its third week, it is increasingly apparent that things are turning out to be different than we had been led to believe. There have been no major uprisings by the Iraqi people against their government, the Iraqi military has not collapsed and we are now hearing the words "guerrilla war" used to describe much of the resistance the armed forces of the U.S. and U.K. are facing.

In talking to my relatives and close friends who live and work in the Middle East, they have repeatedly scolded me for ignoring Iraqi nationalism. They remind me that Iraqi children learn from an early age the long tradition of Iraqi resistance to outsiders attempting to run their country.

Invaders ranging from the Persians, the Mongols, the Turks and the British have all found out the hard way that the Iraqi people will fight, and fight to the death even.

That this may very well be the case once again is starting to become apparent, as even the U.S. and U.K. militaries are starting to recognize that the Iraqis are fighting to defend their homes and families. The fastest way to unite a divided people is to confront them with a common enemy.

Historically, guerrilla wars are slow to start, yet seem to inevitably wear down the enemy in a long, nasty war of attrition.

Thomas C. Mountain
Founding member, Hawai'i Alliance for Peace and Justice in the Middle East


Commentary didn't deserve publishing

As a graduate of Princeton University, I am ashamed to see the March 29 commentary by Peter Singer reprinted in your newspaper ("How many lives is this war worth?").

Singer is involved in a quasi-science called bioethics. To those who know him, among other things, he has advocated infanticide. Now Singer chooses to lecture us on the subject of "killing innocents" in war.

Even the most casual reader of his column recognizes his two essential messages: War under any circumstance is evil and that the United States, by engaging in war in Iraq, is the villain. Nothing in this commentary considers the relationship between Saddam Hussein's responsibility for this war and the fact that civilians may die because of his actions.

I am equally ashamed for The Advertiser's staff member who chose to run this commentary during the first 10 days of the war. Do you really think this is the time and place to publish such a piece — one that clearly carries the message that America is wrong in seeking to eliminate a brutal tyrant such as Saddam?

Peter F.C. Armstrong


U.S. courting disaster in its Iraq war tactics

We are a week away from the most horrible military catastrophe in American history if President Bush does not make the necessary decision to stop the American lightning advance and limit the Iraqi territory U.S. forces have to defend to the minimum.

This military catastrophe would be self-imposed, because Gen. Tommy Franks is using his forces in a strategic proven error that would inevitably place them in a deathly dangerous defensive tactic. The farther the military moves, the more positions it would have to defend, and the longer and more vulnerable supply lines it has to protect. Defensive positions invite attack and shelling, and long and vulnerable supply lines favor ambush and land mine use.

This is nothing but French Gen. Henry Navarre's "L'Agony de l'Indochine" repeat, a repetition that Americans would not want to see.

Clinton's strategy in Yugoslavia that mainly used Air Force power — the American strength — proved to be efficient to keep the U.S. in offensive position. This should be better than the American passivity in the Vietnam defense that led us to defeat.

Dat Thinh Nguyen


Answers about war from the frontlines

I am a soldier in the United States Army, 21 years old, and in Kuwait. I am a 19 D Calvary Scout with the 3/69 Armor Battalion, attached to Charlie Company in the 1st Brigade of the 3rd Infantry Division.

You ask yourself "Why, why are we in the Middle East? Why don't we leave Saddam alone? Why do we even get involved?" It is because somebody has to. Now, "why us?" you may ask. Because we're the only ones who can with or without help. "Why now?" you say. Because, as you know, problems do not go away just by closing your eyes or turning your back or burying your head in the sand.

You talk of isolationism: "Let's just keep to ourselves, worry about ourselves, let the world worry about the world and we'll tend to our own." Well, look where it got the U.S.S.R. or China.

You must understand that I am the world, and you are the world and we are the world. And this freedom we have was not free. It took people who said "enough is enough" to stand up for themselves and what is right (even when the rest of the world was against them) and fight for what they believed.

And so here we are today, still defending that freedom given to us over 200 years ago. But we cannot do it if we don't have your support. We are your sons and daughters fighting for this same freedom. So, even as you would support your own sons and daughters in the decisions they make, I pray that you would also support us in the same fashion.

And remember, nothing in this world is free except the unconditional love of God.

Pfc. Nathan Kalani Bouchard


HTA funds should clean up the graffiti

I strongly suggest that part of the $8 million appropriated to the Hawai'i Tourism Authority should be spent on wiping out graffiti and cleaning up the Islands.

A tourist's first trip to Hawai'i will include seeing graffiti and trash along H-1 and Nimitz Highway — what a turnoff. The state should form some kind of partnership or compromise with private owners to eliminate graffiti and litter as soon as possible, and now is a most opportune time for the clean-up due to the lull in travel.

For those of you who commit these acts, you violate all of us who live in this state. I hope one day you are caught and receive just punishment. Your fellow countrymen are going to war for you, and the best you can do is create graffiti and litter. Shame on you.

Sharon Ansai
Pearl City


Animal abusers must be taken off streets

I'm very concerned that our legislators do not seem to take animal cruelty seriously. This is obvious from the way they've handled Senate Bill 1581. Do they realize that people who harm animals are much more likely to harm people? Ask the FBI. They use this as an indicator when profiling violent criminals.

On the matter of cockfighting being cultural, last time I looked, it was criminal. Let's not forget that other crimes are being committed while these poor birds are being tortured for sport.

Also, I've read the bill and it does not make hunters into criminals.

Our legislators need to stop making excuses and do what is right. People who abuse animals need to be taken off our streets.

Kelli Morimatsu


Golfer Michelle Wie a bright light in gloom

Wow-Wie! It has been nothing less than great to follow the news in the sports world surrounding Michelle Wie. From ESPN to The Golf Channel, from the local media to the final round on ABC, it was wonderful to see the 13-year-old wonder from Hawai'i give us fans a lift during these times.

Rather than staying glued to CNN for the latest on the war or hearing about the spread of SARS, channel surfing for the latest on her scores or features about her monster drives have been a great diversion from otherwise gloomy current events. Thank you, Michelle!

Gary Hashimoto
Waipahu


Civil servants shouldn't be in it for the money

A 12 percent cut in each state department is being requested. Is this money going toward raises for the state's legislators, department heads and other top state officials?

Civil servants are "servants" to the state. That sounds to me like "service" is given.

If top state officials are in it for the money, private industry is where the money is. If a candidate has a heart for service, money cannot be an issue.

C.H. Tsukayama


Long-term-care plan for Hawai'i won't work

Just say no to the long-term-care tax. It is a short-term fix that would end up no less of a charity failure as Social Security.

The young would pay out for something they would never benefit from in the end.

If the federal government could not successfully manage Social Security, then what hopes do we have for our incompetent state government to manage this charity give-away?

Just say no!

J.S. Kelley


Politicians are taking the fun out of our lives

Both Gov. Lingle and City Council Chairman Gary Okino take pride in cutting funding for leisure classes sponsored by the DOE. God forbid taxpayers have their money spent on fun activities they could enjoy, especially during these war-torn, stressful times.

But then again, this is Hawai'i and leisure is our business, so let's make sure residents toe the line leaving leisure activities to the tourists.

Milo D. Huempfner
'Aiea


Tax rate shifts are worrisome

The Honolulu Advertiser editorial of March 18 about the proposed city fee increases was informative and timely. There are, however, two other aspects of the proposed city budget that pose an even greater problem for the average homeowner and renter on O'ahu.

First is the proposal to have the same property tax rate for businesses and hotels. Government finance textbooks tell us that we should strive to levy taxes based on an equitable distribution of tax burden. One of the primary ways we have done this in Honolulu is to have the property tax rate be less for residential homes and apartments than it is for businesses, and also lower for businesses than for hotels.

The proposed new rates keep some of this basic principle, but make a major shift away from the equitable distribution that we have been using. The city administration is proposing to raise the rate for businesses and hotels to $10.63 per thousand. This is an increase of 14.9 percent for businesses but only 6.7 percent for hotels. This places a significantly higher tax burden on both small and large businesses than on hotels.

It is a major redistribution of the tax burden, and the shift is mainly from visitors to residents since businesses can pass the increase on to local consumers. The only justification that has been given is that it will be convenient to use a single rate for these uses. That is a far cry from determining an equitable distribution of taxes, and, in effect, a hidden increase on residential and apartment uses.

The second problem is worse. The city proposes to transfer $48 million from the sewer fund to the general fund. Besides being similar to the state wanting to transfer funds from the Hurricane Relief Fund to the state general fund, the problem is that sewer fees have the same rate for all uses. Homeowners, renters, businesses and hotels all pay the same rate.

Therefore, if these funds are transferred to the general fund, $48 million of our general fund revenues will not be based on the variable tax rate system that we have always followed. Homeowners and renters (through rent increases) will be paying the same rate as businesses and hotels for money going into the general fund. No discount for homeowners, renters and businesses; and no exemptions for senior citizens.

This is a major departure from previous taxation, and raises issues of equitable distribution.

Consider also that the sewer fund does not have anywhere near the amount of money in it that we need to fix our deteriorating sewers. The city has estimated that sewer improvements in Kailua alone will cost $390 million. That means taxes or fees will also have to be raised to get the funds needed for the sewers. The $48 million is not surplus money.

Charles A. Prentiss
Kailua