Kamehameha students are
being burned by spotlight

How sad that internal management problems have been brought to the attention not only of Kamehameha Schools students, but to the rest of Hawaii as well. Our "shining star" of education has now chosen to air its problems externally to anyone who will lend an ear.

Without full knowledge of the situation, I can only comment on what has been reported. I find it offensive that the staff, teachers and alumni have chosen to take this major step and to involve outside sources.

Our children are being made to choose between two totally different factions that work for the same end result, their education. Why have the students been involved in teacher morale problems? Teachers are adults and should be able to solve their own problems without hiding behind the innocence and vulnerability of youth. This is what I find shameful.

Remember the Hawaiian way to make things right is called "hooponopono," and involves those who have the "problem," not the general public.

Robert Reed
(Via the Internet)

Noisy H-3 race protesters
got too much attention

I feel so very fortunate to have had the opportunity to participate in the H-3 Trans Koolau race, a truly well-organized event. Many thanks to all of the staff members and volunteers for a wonderful event!

From my point of view in the last starting group, the media reported an incredibly small number of participants. I would wager heavily that we had more people in the final group of starters than the total number reported by the media.

As for the handful of hecklers, why did the media give them so much coverage when so many people, more representative of Hawaii nei, participated in this great activity?

Gil Riviere
Waialua

Fun run was typical of way
Hawaiians get no respect

The recently completed Trans Koolau H-3 fun run was a prime example of the overall insensitivity of non-Hawaiians and the apathy of so-called Hawaiians who chose to desecrate our ancestors by running on the highway.

When local cemeteries were sadly desecrated, all of Hawaii got up in arms. Enormous efforts and money were spent to find and prosecute the perpetrators. Yet, when similar atrocities occurred to native Hawaiians with the destruction of religious heiaus and sacred burial ritual sites, native Hawaiians were told, "What's done is done and we must go on."

How sad that many people have been successfully programmed to believe that Hawaiians must sacrifice cultural practices and beliefs for the sake of "progress." My question is, "Who else is sacrificing?"

When was the last time you heard of the remains of American citizens being removed from local cemeteries to promote "progress" or to build a golf course? When was the last time a Christian church, Jewish synagogue, Mormon temple or Buddhist temple was destroyed to build a road or a parking lot?

Maybe there is a lack of aloha in Hawaii because it is buried under H-3.

Manu Josiah
Makakilo
(Via the Internet)

Girls benefit greatly
from Lei Ilima program

The Star-Bulletin's April 28 article about our Lei Ilima program upset us. The headline, "I used to do bad stuff and make trouble," took one girl's words and made us look like we are all troublemakers.

We respect you for printing a clarification, but it may not have been enough for the public to notice. We'd like a chance to set the story straight.

Lei Ilima is a drug-prevention class. When we say "drug-prevention" we mean that it makes girls strong so they don't even start taking drugs and getting into trouble.

We all come from different homes. Our families are doing their best in raising us and they are really proud that we are doing well.

We deserve to be heard. People think we are just kids and don't care about anything, but we have plans. We are looking toward the future and working on goals. We are being made to be stronger and wiser.

We invite you to come down to our school and interview the whole class to see what Lei Ilima is really about.

The Lei Ilima Class
Ilima Intermediate School

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