Who was that masked man who pulled Harris' chain?

LT. WATADA

SOLDIERS DON'T DECIDE WHAT OUR POLICY IS

In life we have many choices: to do or not to do, and what we are and who we are. 1st Lt. Ehren K. Watada's actions are not honorable.

He entered into a contract with the Army to be a soldier. This contract does not say one can choose where our country can send us to be a soldier. It is a simple contract that says I am a soldier and I will go where my country deems I am needed to defend the principles upon which our country was established.

I can understand if he now says he is a conscientious objector and has had a change of heart in his beliefs, that killing another person is morally wrong. But this is not the case.

Soldiers do not decide what our country's policy is. They do what is ordered.

Watada should receive the full consequences of his actions. He has a right to object to the action of our country, but he has an obligation to do his duties as a soldier in the Army of our country.

Lt. Watada is not a hero or a martyr. He is a man who failed to live up to his word. I am not saying he is a coward, but the fear of death does affect all of us, and how we deal with it determines how we live the rest of our lives. It is not the soldier's choice to decide where he goes or does not go.

The Japanese have a history of being warriors, from the old country, the Second World War, Korea and Vietnam; as a nationality, we served with honor. The men of Hawai'i have honored this, this value of honor and duty. Somewhere this young man lost that commitment to his forefathers, his word and to his country.

CONSCIENCE

LT. WATADA'S CRITICS SHOULD ENLIST INSTEAD

1st Lt. Ehren Watada is a fine young man of conscience who has refused to follow blindly. I congratulate him for having a well-developed sense of morality.

I suggest that those who choose to condemn him enlist themselves or their children in the armed forces immediately.

POLITICAL HAY

WATADA MUST HAVE KNOWN OF DEPLOYMENT

I was puzzled when I read about 1st Lt. Ehren Watada's stand about refusing to deploy to Iraq. I see where he joined the U.S. Army in 2003. Obviously, the lieutenant knew that we were either going to shortly be in Iraq or we were already there, and if he joined, he could probably assume he would be sent there at some point in his career.

His father says he has "courage." I don't know if he does or not since this war was on the front burner when he joined, but nonetheless I don't want him over there serving alongside my husband. The men and women who are serving honorably don't need those who wish to make political statements about their sudden epiphany that this war is illegal when they get their deployment orders.

So let him stay home, make political hay of the situation and get his kudos for his "courage." There are plenty of people in the sandbox who serve honorably that "courage" like his isn't needed.

DISGRACE

'COURAGE' DOESN'T APPLY TO LT. WATADA

1st Lt. Ehren Watada's father says his son shows "a great deal of courage" for choosing not to carry out his orders and proceed with his unit to Iraq. I can think of one word to describe Lt. Watada perfectly, and courageous is not even close.

Few are eager to go in harm's way, and fewer want to die. But those who choose the profession of arms (emphasis on choose since all members of the military are volunteers) do so with the understanding that they may face perilous situations not of their own choosing. They are deserving of our respect and gratitude.

Military officers assume an even greater responsibility. They are expected to set the example, lead by example and maintain a high standard of personal and professional conduct for all to follow.

By every standard by which military officers are judged, if Lt. Watada does not proceed with his unit to Iraq, he has cheapened the oath he took and disgraced the uniform he wears. He should be dealt with in strict accordance with the provisions of the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

While I find Lt. Watada's conduct reprehensible, I am relieved that his unit can depart for Iraq rid of a person in their midst who is not worthy of the noble title "U.S. Army officer."

KAPOLEI

BUILD THE ROADS BEFORE BUILDING NEW PROJECTS

When I looked at the map of the proposed Kapolei Mall, I noticed that access to the site is indicated by Kapolei Parkway, which is not open, and the North-South Road, which hasn't been built. Other access is Geiger Road, a single-lane nightmare, and Fort Barrett Road, another single-lane road.

We also have the announcements of 10,000 to 15,000 additional houses to be built, UH's West O'ahu campus and DHHL's largest residential project of 403 homes in East Kapolei to deal with.

The growth in Kapolei and the 'Ewa communities may support the addition of a major new shopping center in our community, but the existing roads do not serve the existing residents.

How about we get the roads built and opened first before any of these projects are built? I can wait for this mall to open as I already drive by eight shopping centers to get from 'Ewa Beach to Kapolei using Geiger Road. My nine-mile drive to the office in Campbell Industrial Park averages 45 minutes; I used to do the trip in 15 minutes.

Give us a break and give us our roads.

ACCESS

MOST FAVOR KEEPING HA'IKU STAIRS OPEN

Did you take the trouble to talk to a cross-section of residents or look at the Ha'iku Stairs' access?

As a resident of the area, I find most people are in favor of Ha'iku Stairs being opened.

Anyone who has taken the time to walk the access way to Ha'iku Stairs would know that due to a fence constructed along the walkway, there is no possibility of trespassing on residential property.

There will always be complainers, but let's not close access to the beauty of the 'aina.

HELP THE POOR

HAVE-NOTS SUFFERING WHILE POLITICOS FIDDLE

I think the governor and our state Legislature should be ashamed of themselves when it comes to helping the poor in our society.

With rents going up, gas prices through the roof and the cost of living not going to wait until 2007, the have-nots are taking it again. The governor and Legislature can make expensive improvements for the tourists while the disadvantaged who live here are being denied the help they need.

Who will get hurt with this delay? The young children in poor households will suffer the most. Think about it.

EDUCATION

DEFENSE OF NO CHILD LAW CONTRADICTED BY THE FACTS

Eric Earling of the U.S. Department of Education proclaims No Child Left Behind is a reawakening for public schools (Letters, May 29). However, many in the field of education consider it a nightmare.

He states that "there are few things more frustrating than being told by a university or an employer that you just don't have the skills they're looking for."

Well, one frustrating example is failing a young student who has worked up to his capacity, made a supreme effort and is rewarded with a failure because the standard is above his ability level. This is devastating, especially when he has made gains in achievement.

Another frustrating example is testing an English as a Second Language student at two grade levels above his reading level. In education, you accept the student wherever they are at and make gains from that point.

Earling takes exception to the excellent Island Voices column of May 17 by Lee Takagi. In her commentary, she described real school life. Students who are near proficiency are encouraged to drop electives and focus on additional English and math. The focus is on monthly testing, and now advisory becomes test preparation periods. This is one way schools are managing to eke out the yearly gains that can help them from being labeled non-performing and sanctioned.

He concludes that No Child "is something to be celebrated, not condemned." Well, the facts seem to contradict his beliefs. States across the country are trying to get exceptions to the law, including Hawai'i, which is applying for a Growth Model. The bell-shaped curve has shown there will always be low/average/high-ability students.

According to No Child, all students in the country are expected to be reading at grade level by 2014. This unrealistic goal includes special-education and immigrant students and slow learners. The No Child law should be condemned.

FAIRNESS, JUSTICE

AJAS SUPPORT THE AKAKA BILL

We want our Native Hawaiian friends and neighbors to know that their struggle for self-determination has the strong support of the Japanese-American community.

Through our experience of the wartime mass internment of our families and our decades-long struggle to win redress for this injustice, we have faced the same attacks by those who ignore historical facts.

In 1993, Congress apologized to Native Hawaiians for the illegal overthrow of the kingdom of Hawai'i and admitted taking 1.8 million acres of ceded land without the "consent of or compensation to the Native Hawaiian people or their sovereign government." The same act, Public Law 103-150, calls for a process of reconciliation, and the first step is federal recognition for Native Hawaiians.

This is how a democratic nation corrects mistakes against its own citizens. Japanese-Americans have witnessed this process. We were the target of a racial campaign of fear in the early days of World War II. Over 110,000 Japanese immigrants and Japanese-Americans were taken from our homes and imprisoned for the duration of the war. Our families lost their homes and businesses.

Forty years later, Congress apologized and offered reparations to the victims of the mass internment.

Native Hawaiians have been waiting for over 100 years. Why must they wait longer? Other indigenous peoples — the American Indians and Alaskan Natives — have already received federal recognition. Federal recognition will allow Native Hawaiians to form a governing entity that can then negotiate with the federal and state governments on the specifics of self-governance. The Akaka bill begins this process. This is about fairness and justice, and this is why we support the Native Hawaiian cause.

The ties between our two communities are deep and long. Japanese-Americans remember what it was like when our grandparents were immigrants to the kingdom of Hawai'i. They were treated with aloha by Native Hawaiians. Under the Hawai'i Constitution of 1852, they were allowed to become subjects of the kingdom with suffrage rights. After the overthrow in 1893 and annexation in 1898, the U.S. government denied the privilege of becoming citizens to persons of Japanese ancestry. We did not regain that right until 1953.

We are eternally grateful to the Native Hawaiians who welcomed our grandparents to their homeland and treated them with respect and fairness. The Japanese-Americans owe a debt of gratitude to Native Hawaiians. It is our privilege to stand by the Native Hawaiian people and support their right to self-determination.