Letters to the Editor

UH should cash in on 'Retro-Bows Night'

I know June Jones and his players prefer the jagged "H" logo and the manlier Warriors nickname, but many longtime fans felt alienated when the Rainbows name and symbol were dropped from UH football.

The UH sports marketing department might win back some fans by using the annual homecoming game as a good excuse to break out the old 'Bows uniforms and nickname once a year. Call it "Retro-Bows Night." Sell T-shirts and merchandise with the old logo on it. The NFL has cashed in on the retro thing, so why can't UH?

It would also be nice to hear fans chanting "Let's go, 'Bows!" and doing that "Rain ... bows" call-and-response cheer again, even if it's just for one game. "Let's go, Warriors" just doesn't work and will never catch on.

So let June and his players have their "H" and call themselves Warriors if it makes them feel tougher. But why not give the fans what they want, at least for one game each season?

Police Commission member is caring, fair

I have been a Honolulu Advertiser subscriber for over 40 years, and this is the first letter I have written to the editor. I have been so moved by the story of Honolulu Police Commission member Leonard Leong that I must let the public know that he is a truly caring, kind and wonderful gentleman, a devoted husband and father.

Also, I do understand that we have laws governing political contributions, but let's be fair, too, and agree that many people make in-kind donations to their favorite candidates without a word of "breaking the law" that far exceed the legal parameters of political donations. We all know the present laws lack clarity and fairness.

Mr. Leong has been one of the best Police Commission members Honolulu has had in many years. He is fair, just and loyal, a highly respected person who does a marvelous job. He would be the first to recuse himself from any situation involving complaints against police officers if he felt the slightest bit of unfairness toward that officer.

A double standard in Michelle Wie quest

It should be considered a good thing that our own Michelle Wie, like her sister trendsetter Suzy Whaley before her, has the freedom and privilege to move back and forth between the men's and women's golf tournaments. It marks yet another positive step in the advancement of women's equality and acceptance in male-dominated fields.

But let's face reality — Wie's "gain" is just another blatant example of reverse sexism. While everyone is cheering Wie's courage and determination to break through another sexually restrictive barrier, what man would be similarly applauded for daring to venture into what has been designated women's territory? Would Tiger Woods be paraded about as a hero of sexual equality if he were to decide that he wanted to tour with the LPGA as a contestant?

And so we have another double-standard: It is "empowering" for a woman to gain access to an old-boys' club, but it's "trespassing" and "invading" when men demand equal treatment and opportunity? How very curious.

I'm all in favor of women's equality across the board, and always have been. But equality is as equality does.

Hemmings is correct in gas cap criticism

Sen. Fred Hemmings is correct. The gas cap law is so poorly drafted that most of the time it will not work since the cap is higher than current local prices.

The Stillwater report commissioned by the Democrats supports Hemmings' statements when he voted against the gas cap legislation in April 2002.

Sen. Ron Menor ignores the real problem. The law is flawed and should be repealed.

Warriors should have cheerleaders on road

I attended the recent UH football games at Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Many Hawai'i fans attended both games, and to our dismay, we had no cheerleaders to help us acknowledge our team.

Recently, coach June Jones said that we made more money playing USC than going to any bowl game. Why didn't we spend some of that money to support our players and fans with cheerleaders? With more organized cheers, fewer fights might have occurred in Las Vegas.

At both games, student sections were quite visible for the home teams. We need a student section at Aloha Stadium to help the UH band yell and have fun for our Warriors. Forego the premium seating charge and make the tickets as cheap as possible for the students. This is how we develop future season-ticket holders with pride and dedication to the University of Hawai'i.