Letters to the Editor

Stolen wallet contained cash for baby supplies

On Thursday, Oct. 2, I was shopping at the Waikele Kmart. Someone stole my wallet while I was there. It was very upsetting because I just had a baby five weeks prior and also found out that my position at the school I worked at was cut. I had my last $200 for the month in my wallet for baby supplies (i.e., formula, diapers). I filed a police report, and they are investigating.

Today I received my wallet in the mail. Everything was there except, of course, the money, which was the only thing I cared about. Everything else had been replaced, but you cannot replace cash. It's nice to know you have such aloha. Think about whom you hurt to gain.

Complaining Hawaiian has wrong perspective

In response to letter writer Kealiimahiai Burgess: I have been a resident of the Islands for 10 years now, and it never ceases to amaze me how some Hawaiians cannot deal with the fact that they are part of the United States.

Mr. Burgess, you say that Hawaiians did not participate in the Boston Tea Party, Revolutionary War or the Constitutional Convention. How lucky you are that you are part of a country for which you did not have to fight for the freedoms you now enjoy.

It is ironic that even though Hawaiians did not pass the Bill of Rights, you take advantage of the First Amendment by writing your letter to the editor of this newspaper.

You are correct in saying America came to Hawai'i, but so did the French, the English and the Spanish. In fact, the state flag you so proudly fly has British overtones.

You make the absurd statement that Hawaiians did not enslave Africans, yet Kamehameha enslaved or threw off a cliff anyone who opposed his ideas. Are these the deep roots you speak of?

You are Hawaiian, Mr. Burgess, but you are also an American. Does being "loyal to Hawai'i" mean that you support being admitted to the greatest country in the world, as the Hawaiian voters were in 1959?Ê

You get the best of both cultures being both an American and a Hawaiian, but you choose bitterness over appreciation and naivete over the reality of progress. This doesn't sound like the "aloha spirit" I know.

Oceans' resources must be protected

We at Oceana applaud your Oct. 7 editorial denouncing Republican Sen. Ted Stevens' inappropriate use of a government funding bill to grant a boon to his allies in Alaska's fishing industry. This rider does indeed "cut directly against the effort to create a long-lasting and sustainable fishing industry." We feel that some additional specifics are worth mentioning.

Language in this legislation directly undercuts its purported stewardship of ocean resources. The sneak provision seeks to prevent the National Marine Fisheries Service from spending any money to identify essential fish habitat and minimize current destructive fishing practices. Such practices are responsible for the annihilation of vital habitat, including centuries-old deep-sea corals and sponges.Ê

When sponge and coral gardens, nurseries to many ocean creatures, die, so does the ability of hundreds of other species to grow to maturity and reproduce. Their destruction seriously threatens the oceans' long-term sustainability and economic viability.

You are correct to urge in your pages the Senate's rejection of this dangerous and shortsighted rider. It is crucial that the public understand the full economic and ecological impact of how our lawmakers favor special interests. We must see to it that our fishing laws preserve precious and fragile ocean resources instead of accelerating their destruction.

Bus pass plan caused unnecessary discomfort

Shame on you! I direct this civil retort to the individuals responsible for coordinating the distribution of bus passes to our senior citizens and our disabled population.

The process, especially the first day, was just inhumane. With the selection of the Blaisdell Center, utilize the more comfortable seating for our elders. Consider appropriate accommodations for serving those with special needs.

Again, that old saying proves true: "Poor planning equals poor performance." At the least, your poor performance caused unnecessary discomfort and frustration to a large number of our most fragile citizens.

June Jones needs to lead with humility

It's interesting to hear coach June Jones call his Warrior football team arrogant. All they are doing is following his lead. I mean, $800,000 a year. To me, that is being overpaid.

Football is overrated. There is more to life than football. To be paid $800,000 a year plus bonuses for winning games and playing in a bowl game. Then to say "I deserve it" — that is arrogant.

If June Jones expects to have his team get back to reality, he needs to set the example and lead with humility.