Baptist boycott portends
interesting possibilities

The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) is asking its members to "refrain from patronizing the Disney Co. and any of its related entities" because Disney supports sexual freedom and portrays reality in its entertainment.

I wonder just how far the SBC is prepared to go in its mission to save America from truth and reason.

Will it ask members to give up all IBM and Apple computers? Will it close all of the Baptist churches in San Francisco and Honolulu? These and thousands of other businesses and municipalities have begun to treat homosexuals as equal citizens.

The U.S. government is also beginning to show some signs of enlightenment. Will the SBC refuse its privileged tax exemptions? Not a chance!

It is disturbing to witness such ignorance, bigotry and hypocrisy. But then, these are the most common behavioral characteristics of the religious right.

Perhaps enlightened Americans should boycott the Baptist church. Oops! They already are.

Mitchell Kahle
Kaneohe
(Via the Internet)

Threat by church group
shows skewed priorities

Thank you for your common sense and compassionate June 19 editorial, "Boycott of Disney." It's ironic that an organization claiming to be based on the Bible forgets that one of the most world-changing messages of that book is "Love one another."

It's love and compassion that will change the world, not intolerance.

It would make more sense to boycott domestic violence than to boycott a minority, our gay community.

Carolyn Martinez Golojuch
President Parents, Families, Friends
of Lesbians & Gays
(Via the Internet)

Serving only two months
would trivialize offense

John Shinkawa, youth corrections facility manager, was right in denying Gabriel Kealoha an early release. To release him just so that he could attend college after only serving two months of a ten-month term for killing a man seems ridiculous. It would only trivialize the death of Artie Miller.

What's the rush? Kealoha has the rest of his life to go to college. Artie was a good man, who probably like most of us had his own dreams and goals that now never will be fulfilled.

Kealoha will still have the great majority of his life to fulfill his dreams after he serves his very short prison term. Ten months is easy -- 10 months is a short walk in the park.

But maybe it's long enough for Kealoha to realize that the unnecessary and deliberate taking of another man's life, in simple terms, is absolutely wrong.

David Easterly
Mililani
(Via the Internet)

Supreme Court should not
overturn Kealoha decision

Hats off to the decision-makers who refused to grant early release to Gabriel Kealoha.

I realize that he may be an outstanding student with unlimited potential as a contributing member of society. However, let's get back to basics. The two words that come to mind are crime and punishment.

All I hear is how unfair Kealoha is being treated. Well, how about the victim? Not a lot has been said about Officer Miller and his dedication as a law-enforcement officer.

That being said, Kealoha should be counting his blessings that the bleeding-heart judge didn't grant jurisdiction in adult court. If that would have happened, he most likely would be sitting in the state penitentiary for 10-20 years, which I personally believe should have happened.

It's time Kealoha be a man and accept the punishment he has received. As I understand Kealoha's attorney will be appealing the decision, I urge the Supreme Court to stand fast and uphold the defendant's punishment.

Edward J. Tenhulzen
Pearl Harbor
(Via the Internet)

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Same-sex archive

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