Letters to the Editor

Change bar's name to the UH Rainbows

What a great gesture it is for Don Murphy to allow the highest bidder to change the name of his bar for a day — all for the benefit of the UH football team.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if diehard Rainbow fans could combine their funds, turn back the clock if just for a day and successfully bid to change the name of Murphy's to the "UH Rainbows"? The name pulls at Islander heartstrings, a name so potent and powerful that it scared coaches of a football team to change its name from "Rainbows" to "Warriors." Go 'Bows!

Safety check stations don't inspect mufflers

Regarding Treena Shapiro's July 10 Bureaucracy Buster column: I had to smile — no, I really laughed — at Capt. Gaytan's comments on the muffler requirements on motor vehicles and their enforcement. He said there are many loud and illegal mufflers on the street and "We do like to enforce (the law), but there are too many of them." He also said the safety check stations are supposed to inspect them.

Come on, Captain, too many of them? Give me a break.

I did ask a safety check station worker if he checked for illegal or tailpipe amplifiers on mufflers. He said he believed that he was required to only make sure the vehicle had an operational muffler. Noise levels or tailpipe amplifiers were not part of his safety inspection requirement.

Another point: While I was walking up Nu'uanu Avenue, a policeman in a small SUV with a blue light attached to his roof was driving mauka on Nu'uanu with an amplifier or tailpipe extension on his SUV. He was accelerating and shifting the vehicle to make it rap as loud as he could. Do the police know of the Revised Honolulu Ordinances 15-19.28? Doesn't sound like it to me.

The Honda Motor Co. and other companies have spent millions of dollars on developing a manifold, muffler and tailpipe system to be efficient and quiet. It doesn't take much to defeat its objective.

The street where I live climbs up an incline. Drivers of these vehicles with their amplifiers see how much noise they can make accelerating up the hill and down-shifting when going down the hill. But I guess, per Capt. Gaytan, there are just too many of them for the police to do anything about them.

White House cared more for oil wells

The Bush White House now is trying to deflect the blame for the "big lie." Well, how do they explain the reasons for the quick controls of the oil wells and the total lack of control, concern and interest for the nuclear waste site? Why did the White House announce that any Iraqi who looted or damaged an oil well would be treated as a war criminal, and not the looters of the nuclear waste site?

The Iraqi people were free to loot and damage the nuclear waste site, the banks, museums and other government and private properties, but they couldn't harm the oil wells. The U.S. Army watched as this looting occurred, and it protected only the oil wells. Well, if the nuclear program were so important, and they believed that we should go to war because of that, why didn't they protect the nuclear sites as well?

President Bush and the war planners knew there were no nuclear weapon project or WMDs in Iraq. Now we are in Iraq because of what Saddam did to President Bush's daddy.

Michelle Wie should wear Hawai'i golf cap

The incident involving Michelle Wie and Danielle Ammaccapane and their fathers is one in which it is hoped all parties have learned valuable lessons.

However, there is a concern of mine that is far more serious than those incidents: Why does Michelle Wie wear a prominent Titleist golf cap when she plays? Is there any agreement between Titleist and her parents? Has Titleist contributed, either directly or indirectly, to any payment for the teaching or playing expenses of Michelle Wie? Would not the wearing of this cap jeopardize future endorsement negotiations with other golf apparel companies?

Why not just wear a Hawai'i golf cap?

Thieves who marred homecoming targeted

Welcome home, Marine! Such a pity — after surviving six months overseas in the war zone, your return to your country was tarnished by your life-saving venture ending in the theft of your and your girlfriend's personal effects. Sadly, this is the aloha spirit given to many of our visitors by some of our local citizens.

I salute you for your dedicated service to our country, part of which is the state of Hawai'i. Rest assured the thieves who marred the happiness of your return to the United States will continue their actions and at one point in time be caught and arrested, and they will spend many long years in prison as punishment for their unacceptable behavior. There's always a few who ruin the true aloha spirit this wonderful state offers heroes like you.

I have faith in Hawai'i's law enforcement personnel and the justice system — it may take a while, but in the long run, they will receive their just dues.