Respect is in short supply
in discussion of Con Con

Like Ed Michelman, I also favor a constitutional convention. But his Aug. 13 letter, which exemplifies the latent hostility that certain proponents feel toward citizens who don't agree, can only further alienate the opposition.

Before we rashly accuse others of deliberate misinformation, or the state Supreme Court of premeditated legal ignorance, let's remember a basic tenet in American jurisprudence: Statutory law must comply with our Constitution, not vice versa.

Even federal Judge David Ezra tacitly acknowledged that the Hawaii high court correctly interpreted the law. HRS 11-151 is not relevant, nor does it attempt to be.

Let's show more respect for those who disagree with us over this controversy. Often our inflammatory rhetoric reveals in us a callous disdain of not only the facts, but of other people's rights and opinions as well.

Only by engaging them in reasonable and thoughtful discussion can we hope to make a case.

Donald R. Koelper

American history shows
Filipino vets shortchanged

The Philippines fought and won its independence from over 300 years of Spanish rule through a revolution that produced heroes, pride and freedom. The Philippine revolutionary government turned to the U.S. government as an ally in its quest to start a new independent and democratic nation.

The United States had other ideas, and claimed the Philippines as its own. The Filipino revolutionaries fought against 30,000 American soldiers for three years. The Filipino-American war ended in 1901, after hundreds of Filipinos had died. The Philippines became part of the empire of the U.S., which included Hawaii, Guam, Puerto Rico and Cuba.

Four months before the attack on Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt ordered Filipino soldiers to serve under the U.S. armed forces. These Filipino soldiers fought and died alongside American soldiers. In 1946, the Philippines gained its independence.

Filipino veterans who fought -- and the survivors of the soldiers who died in the Philippines during World War II -- are entitled to all the benefits that American soldiers received. Letter writers who suggest that the Filipino veterans instead "owe" the United States are insulting and show a lack of knowledge.

Ronald N. Federizo
(Via the Internet)

If smokers knew more
they would sue, too

As a person who is addicted to cigarettes, I must say the state of Hawaii should push hard in that lawsuit against the tobacco industry. I am 31 years old and have been smoking since I was 12. I stole money from my mother just to buy the damn things.

At 31, with no money to my name or food in my house, I'd rather have a cigarette. That scares me.

Even with doctor's orders, I can't stop! And let me tell you, if I knew more, somebody would pay for this addiction.

Ray Richards
Kahuku
(Via the Internet)

Concert engineering led to
a night of pure discord

Saturday evening, Aug. 23. It was a perfect evening under the stars. On stage was the Honolulu Symphony, with some of the best entertainers Hawaii has to offer, and, at the sound board, a "saboteur."

What could have been the most perfect of evenings was clouded by some of the most flawed sound engineering, destroying what we came to hear. This was especially embarrassing as the Natalie Cole concert had almost perfect sound.

Please give us a chance to rehear this performance. Your supporters deserve better.

Bob Zimmer

Makiki
(Via the Internet)

More 'debate' on merits of
2.0 GPA rule in schools

I was outraged at the cheap shot your newspaper took at the 2.0 rule, especially concerning the extracurricular activity of debate, with your front-page cartoon and editorial in your Aug. 23 issue.

Debate is a serious sport that requires great amounts of time and effort on the part of its members, hundreds of hours of research and writing, as well as competition against the private schools over the course of an entire year.

The public schools won the state title for the first time in five years and will go on to the national championships in Minnesota. If only the newspaper would cover these events rather than just sports. The Hawaii Speech League deserves great credit for the work it does with students throughout the islands.

Your editorial mistake -- saying that students need a "B" average to take part in activities versus the correct "C" -- will now cost every teacher in the public school system more time and effort to explain to parents and students that it is NOT true.

Bill Taylor
Debate Coach
Aiea High School
(Via the Internet)

Carpenters are suffering
yet still want to strike

Hawaii's economy is the worst in the nation. Our unemployment rate is far above the national average. The president of the Carpenters Union, Walter Kupau, states that 52 percent of carpenters are unemployed. The rest of the construction industry is no better off. And yet the Carpenters Union is threatening to strike.

This would bring whatever construction projects we do have going on in Hawaii to a sudden stop. Instead of 52 percent of carpenters being unemployed, 100 percent would then be out of work. This would snowball to other sectors of the construction industry. This kind of mentality could only exist in Hawaii.

Donald Allen
(Via the Internet)

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