Letters to the Editor

'Olelo hosting more on Gay-Straight Alliance

A big mahalo to Lee Cataluna for her June 4 column "Taking Pride in Gay Friends" and giving some much-deserved publicity to our schools' Gay-Straight Alliance.

Wendy Augustiro and her classmates have much to teach the rest of our 'ohana about fairness and equality and treating everyone as a person of worth and child of God.

For those readers interested in hearing more about the Gay-Straight Alliance and the recent national "Day of Silence," tune in to "Out in Paradise" every Sunday in June from 9 to 10 p.m. on 'Olelo's channel 54.

There is a way out of Mideast terror cycle

There seems to be an ongoing debate on the letters page as to whether Israel is a democracy or a terrorist theocracy. But these are only labels and as such are not as important as specifics about what is happening on the West Bank and in Gaza.

According to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, Israelis have, since Jan. 1, killed 368 Palestinians and wounded (live ammunition, rubber bullets, tear gas) an additional 1,913. They continue to destroy Palestinian homes, businesses and crops. Palestinians are not allowed to leave their village or city without permission, no matter what the emergency (a need to get to a hospital). There are some 757 checkpoints on the West Bank and in Gaza to effect this imprisonment of a whole population.

Is Ariel Sharon a sociopath or a "man of peace"? Again, labels are counterproductive. Sharon has stated on more than one occasion that it is his intention to have so many facts on the ground on the West Bank that any Palestinian state would be impossible. He makes life so unbearable for the Palestinians that many who have the means move away.

At the same time, he seems to be actively recruiting suicide bombers. Who can forget the pictures of the horrors we saw when a woman blew herself up in Haifa? And it's no excuse to say that she had seen her brother and her fiance killed by Israeli soldiers.

Can we stop suicide bombers? Well, the very first of these horrors happened a few weeks after Baruch Goldstein walked into a mosque and murdered at least 30 Palestinians. If the Israelis could be seen in the world (especially the Arab world) as treating the Palestinians fairly, perhaps even offering reparations for the death and destruction they have caused, support for Hamas and al-Qaida could be reduced to the few hardcore believers and they could be contained. Israelis would be safer and we in the United States would be safer because it would reduce the white-hot anger felt in the Arab world toward the financer and facilitator of the Israeli democracy/terrorist theocracy.

Reagan should be remembered correctly

While a nation mourns a man many consider a great president, I urge everyone to remember him correctly. He left office with a 57 percent approval rating but now, after death, has an approval rating of over 70 percent. "He was a likable man," said John Kerry, but this, if anything, is all we should regard him as.

Remember that, like both Bushes, he reigned over record unemployment, wide deficits, poverty and race baiting.

William Rivers Pitt of the New York Times wrote: "Because Ronald Reagan could not be bothered to fund research into 'gay cancer,' the AIDS virus was allowed to carve out a comfortable home in America. The aftershocks from this callous disregard for people whose homosexuality was deemed evil by religious conservatives cannot be overstated. Beyond the graves of those who died from a disease which was allowed to burn unchecked, there are generations of Americans today living with the subconscious idea that sex equals death."

May a great man rest in peace. However, respectfully, may we not regard him as our greatest president.

Cowboy's compassion, smile will be missed

I was saddened to hear of "Cowboy" Rosa's passing.

Nearly 10 years ago, while in Vegas, my wife and I were stuck with no hotel room. My brother-in-law, who was with us, saw Mr. Rosa checking in. Mr. Rosa had an alternate hotel room he gladly let us use. My wife and I were so grateful for that kind act.

On occasion, I would see Cowboy down in Waikiki. We would exchange waves and sometimes handshakes.

I will surely miss that big smile of his, his generosity and sincere compassion. God bless you, Cowboy!

Graduation should be at each student's rate

The Department of Education should institute the "pau hana system" that is so effectively used in some areas of business and government.

The DOE standards basically outline the skills and areas of knowledge that students are "supposed" to master before graduation. As soon as a student demonstrates proficiency in the specified areas, he or she should be graduated, whether it takes three years, four years or longer.

This places emphasis on mastery rather than seat time. It also makes the student accountable for his or her own achievement.

We don't need a lot more money for schools. We just need to teach responsibility and accountability to young people. The "pau hana system" would encourage able students to work more efficiently in order to graduate sooner. It would also lessen embarrassment for those who need longer to accomplish the task since emphasis would be on proficiency rather than a certain specified period of time to complete the task.

Graduation ceremonies should be held at least twice a year, one after each semester, to accommodate those who finish work in mid-year.