Letters to the Editor

Brawl reflects on team

Being born and raised in Hawai'i but moving to Los Angeles 20 years ago, I have continued to follow the University of Hawai'i football team by watching their games on TV in Los Angeles. It was very disturbing to see the melee that broke out after the Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl.

I remember watching a similar melee last year when Hawai'i played Cincinnati. I hope this will not be a continuing trend. I have attended many USC-UCLA football games in my 20 years in L.A., and not once was there an on-field incident like that.

It just shows the difference between top-flight programs such as USC and UCLA and that of the University of Hawai'i. If the team wants to be recognized nationally as a top program, the players must start acting like top-flight players.

Two incidents in two years are an embarrassment and might indicate a serious problem within the program. I hope the coaches and administration will take definitive steps to prevent this from happening again. UH has an up-and-coming program, and it would be a shame to tarnish it with further incidents like that.

From good to bad

I was stunned, in disbelief and confused at the University of Hawai'i football game on Christmas Day.

Stunned at how great a football game it was. This was a nail-biting experience, especially in the fourth quarter and overtime with both teams fighting to the end. Sheer determination displayed by both teams.

Disbelief the game had to go through three overtimes before determining a winner. The crowd cheering in triumph at every yard gained and painfully ahhhed at every down.

Confusion as to why such a great game ended so badly. Why did coaches allow such bad behavior on both teams? What message are we sending to our children? Is it OK to attack someone with brutal force when we don't like what they say about us? Does it justify an assault on another human being? So if someone calls me a name, makes fun of me, calls me out, it's OK if I knock them out, right? Is that what good sportsmanship is all about?

Higher standards needed

The Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl was one of the most exciting football games this season but the fighting between the two teams tarnished what should have been a great game. When is Coach June Jones going to take some responsibility for the actions of his players?

In his news conference following the game, he blamed the referees for allowing the trash talking and taunting to continue. Shouldn't it be his responsibility to set high standards for his players?

It's hard to cheer for a team that taunts and fights with the opposing team ... even after they've won. It's a terrible way to end a season.

Mascot shamed Hawai'i

Vili Fehoko should be banned from being the Warriors' mascot. His conduct Christmas Day on national television was disgraceful. For him to say on national TV "Houston is not welcome here" is appalling.

Sticking vehicle owners with the bill isn't fair

As a registered owner of two vehicles in the county of Honolulu, I take offense to the increase in vehicle weight tax to cover the raises for the State of Hawai'i Organization of Police Officers.

Are registered vehicle owners the only ones who use police services? Once again, those who play by the rules get the shaft by our "fair" and "wise" leaders. Maybe, people will stop playing the game and drive unregistered vehicles about more so than they do now. What will the legislators tax then?

Yes, the police deserve more money, but not at the expense of vehicle owners alone.

Special-ed teachers do an excellent job

Horrified, I read Concetta DiLeo's Dec. 21 commentary "Hawai'i's public schools failing special education students." I can't imagine what school she visited. I have been teaching special education for a number of years, first at Kaimuki High School and now at Kalihi Elementary School. I can tell you that I've never seen a situation like the one she mentioned.

When we lead an Individualized Education Plan meeting for any of our children, the child has been tested within the few weeks before the meeting using a test that fits the child and is specified by the Department of Education. Also, I often use other tests to check specific areas in math, reading and information subjects so that I can show the committee the child's strengths and weaknesses.

I have sat in on other children's IEP meetings and found other teachers do this often. When we write goals and objectives for our students, we use the tests and recent classroom experiences to define what the child needs next.

We teach using our children's strengths and leading them into areas where they need extra help. We know methods for teaching that rely on sight word skills and develop phonic skills in children.

The school district has given me opportunities to learn different disciplinary techniques and useful academic methods to keep up with research. I have found that once a teacher gets past the barriers of children who have failed and show the child how much he or she already knows, the student is anxious to achieve, more so than many children in the regular classroom.

I know there are more teachers who put their hearts and minds into helping our children achieve than those in DiLeo's article. It hurts to read her article and let the people of Hawai'i think that it represents the norm. I don't believe it does.

Whale death tragedy may have been avoided

Sadly, the great adventure of being in the middle of an endangered humpback whale pod turned quickly to tragedy, all while trying to give whale watchers the thrill that they paid for.

With all the required and sophisticated laser finding equipment aboard the American Dream, it is difficult to imagine that the crew did not know the endangered humpbacks were everywhere. Obviously, the imposition of the vessel into the area of the pod stressed a 40-ton humpback whale enough to react with devastating consequences of death, damage and despair.

As my heart goes out to the family who lost their son while whale watching on the American Dream, I can't help but think that this situation could have been avoided if strict practice of the Pacific Whale Foundation Whale Watching Policy were being adhered to.

Clearly, an incident like this is the result of ignored guidelines and policies in pursuing monetary gain at any price. At loss is a family that has had its prized possession taken from them, an endangered species of whale that may have been injured within its own sanctuary, a damaged vessel and an industry that may need closer scrutiny.

Perhaps, it is time for the Honolulu City Council to revisit this issue and for new legislation to enforce compliance of the laws governing the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the Endangered Species Act and the National Marine Sanctuaries Act within the boundaries of the Hawaiian Island Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary.

These whales swim thousand of miles to get here from Alaska to feed and breed within the sanctuary of Hawaiian waters.

Yes, sanctuary: a place of shelter and protection from danger, distress and from the insatiable capitalist appetite.