Letters to the Editor

Kamehameha admission invalid; dismiss the case

That case presently in court about the non-Hawaiian Kamehameha Schools student should not be in court. His mother filled out his application with false information. In essence, there is no valid application for him to attend school. There is really no case to discuss. This young man should be dismissed without prejudice for this simple reason. We don't need to go back to square one.

Hawaiians continue on despite all the setbacks

Our Hawaiian kingdom was unconstitutionally overthrown, yet we remain unique people, strong, wiser, good-spirited and generous.

We embrace the importance of education and the prosperous benefits of hard work, as did our ancestors.

We are compelled to live by American laws and influences, yet maintain the genuine aloha for people.

Our ancestral lands were stolen and misappropriated; we buy back and bargain for these lands.

Our Hawaiian culture was forbidden. Our lifestyles, language, hula, almost all essential for our being — we restore these inherited treasures.

Our assets and ethnicity are under constant attack, yet we remain 'ohana and perpetuate these ancestral rights.

We are often attacked with untruths and misconceptions, oppressed and pitted against each other, yet we remain 'ohana with pride and goodness of heart.

With the somewhat similar challenges of the American Indians, African Americans and other minorities, we overcome these relentless and opposing challenges.

It is no wonder that many ethnic groups realize their desire to leave or choose not to return to their ancestral homelands, but are enchantingly attracted to Hawai'i and the kanaka maoli. We continue to live the essence of the Hawaiian spirit as our ancestors have for thousands of years.

Thanksgiving meal is centered on cruelty

Thanksgiving has evolved into one of our country's most meaningful national holidays. But there is a problem with the way we observe it: At the heart of this celebration of thanks and appreciation is a meal centered on cruelty, violence and killing.

The vast majority of turkeys raised for meat today endure inhumane factory farm conditions. They suffer from genetic manipulation, severe overcrowding, cruel transportation and inhumane slaughter. In fact, turkeys, as are chickens, are specifically excluded from anti-cruelty laws and the federal "Humane Slaughter" law.

Every Thanksgiving, more and more people are starting a new Thanksgiving tradition by opting to feed turkeys rather than eating them.

For people wishing to save a turkey this year, there is a national Adopt-A-Turkey program, and more information is available at 1-888-SPONSOR.

For those looking for alternatives to the traditional Thanksgiving meal, there are a wide variety of plant-based Thanksgiving entrees now available, such as "Tofurky." Vegetarian Thanksgiving resources and recipes are also available at www.AdoptATurkey.org.

Spending cap measures should be supported

Councilman Charles Djou, thank you for putting Honolulu's financial health on the table for us residents to see. We, the public, have found a friend on the council who has taken steps toward keeping spending within our financial means.

I urge others to write to the mayor and the council and ask for support of these two bills. We don't need increases in taxes, just common-sense decisions. Put shoes on the kids or buy a new party dress?

Legitimizing same-sex marriage harms society

The claim that same-gender marriage legitimacy poses no problems for traditional marriage and society is incorrect. Present societal troubles would increase substantially. Space permits noting only two reasons why here:

• The demand for same-gender marriage is based on equal rights and protection arguments. Those wanting to practice polygamy, incestuous marriage, pedophile marriage, etc., think equal rights are for them as well. There may be few requests at first, but wait until later. Those who claim that this won't happen don't, or refuse to, acknowledge or understand legal dynamics.

• Persuading people to undertake a critically important job that two-parent heterosexual families do best — namely, the raising of children (which, by the way, lasts a lifetime) — will be undermined if alternative conjugal and sexual arrangements are legalized. Sacrifice, devotion and hard work go into building a successful traditional family. Most individuals generally choose to do what is easiest, so why opt for traditional marriage if less-demanding options provide all the same benefits?

Without enough people choosing traditional marriage, the next generation will receive inadequate preparation for life. Thus, traditional marriage exclusivity is essential for the good health and welfare of society.