Editorials
Tuesday, December 23, 1997JOHN Young, Hawaii's foremost contributor to the world of art, is dead at 88. Young's achievements in abstract painting and adaptations of traditional Chinese painting -- stylized horses became his trademark -- are familiar to all of Hawaii's art lovers and thousands elsewhere. He was also a collector of Asian art and sculpture. He contributed hundreds of pieces to the Honolulu Academy of Arts, which named a gallery in his honor, and other museums. John Young gave much
to the art worldYoung was born in Chinatown and was largely self-taught. Shortly after graduating from McKinley High School he opened a shop where he sold art supplies, framed pictures and decorated furniture. His first show was held at the Academy of Arts in 1935.
He traveled the world for years, painting and collecting antiques. He was certainly one of Hawaii's most cosmopolitan residents, and one of the most sociable. George Ellis, director of the academy, said he was an artist of "enormous talent and an enormous zest for life who lived every moment to its fullest and enriched the lives of everyone he came into contact with."
A retrospective exhibition last year at the academy covered the artist's work over 60 years in Hawaii. As it turned out, it gave the community a chance to say farewell.
PRESIDENT Clinton's brief visit to Bosnia helps to remind the world that peace can be celebrated this Christmas in a land that was torn by violence just two years ago. But the world community can't assume that it is no longer needed there. The visit follows the White House's announcement that the mid-1998 deadline for withdrawing U.S. peacekeeping troops from Bosnia has been canceled. Clinton in Bosnia
The president's visit was intended to cheer the 8,500 American soldiers in Bosnia but he also prodded the leaders of the three feuding factions -- Croats, Muslims and Serbs -- to strive for unity. There is certainly much to do in that respect. Although the fighting has stopped and normalcy has returned to Sarajevo, little progress has been made in forming the new nation created out of the former Yugoslavia.
That lack of progress is the reason for extending the stay of the peacekeepers. Their withdrawal could be the signal for the resumption of fighting. As Clinton noted, it is up to the Bosnian leaders to make the political decisions required for unity.
Clinton should have stuck to the withdrawal deadline for the American soldiers and pressed the NATO allies to assume full responsibility for peacekeeping. This is a European problem and well within the means of the Western European nations to handle. Having failed to do that, it was important that he make a personal appearance as an expression of the United States' resolve to see real peace in Bosnia.
ROGER Ariola of Kauai gave the ultimate present -- the gift of life -- to a man he had never met until last week. The Garden Island resident was flown in and officially "thanked" at an emotional luncheon hosted by the Hawaii Bone Marrow Donor Registry at the Ala Moana Hotel. Lifesaving marrow
Ariola, 51, received a hug and heartfelt mahalo from Oahu resident Chris Pablo who, a year ago, was suffering from leukemia. The hospital executive, husband and father of two desperately needed a bone marrow transplant and was running out of time.
Fortunately, Ariola had called the bone marrow registry back in May 1996 and had signed up as a potential donor. Late last year, he got the call. There was a match! His marrow was needed!
Although Ariola wasn't told the name of the recipient, he suspected from news reports that it was the 47-year-old executive. Pablo is particularly grateful that Ariola, a fellow Filipino, so willingly came forward -- since there are few of their ethnic group among the 53,000 potential donors on Hawaii's registry.
Also honored at the luncheon, with the first Annual Alana Dung Memorial Award, was Data House. The Honolulu company logged thousands of potential donor forms into the national donor program on behalf of Alana Dung, the courageous 3-year-old who died Oct. 14 after her own bone marrow transplant.
Dr. Young K. Paik, director of the bone marrow registry at St. Francis Medical Center, said 57 people in Hawaii have been donors for recipients within and outside the state. Like Ariola, these residents are undoubtedly on Santa's "nice" list this year -- for their selfless act and priceless gift.
TERRANCE Tom is a state legislator and a lawyer. One of his legal clients is the Bishop Estate. Tom also plays the piano at bars on the side. In the House of Representatives, his main job is chairman of the Judiciary Committee, one of the real hot seats in the Legislature. He does all this although he is blind -- surely a testament to the abilities of the handicapped. Tom's application
Tom has applied for a District Court judgeship. Nothing wrong with that. But as Judiciary chairman, he has to review the state court system's budget, as submitted by the chief justice. The same chief justice selects district judges from a list made up by the Judicial Selection Commission.
There is a potential conflict of interest here. Tom is in a position to exert pressure on the chief justice to select him for a judgeship. He insists there is no problem, but to avoid the appearance of impropriety he should relinquish handling of the judiciary budget to the committee's vice chairman.
Similarly, Tom should refrain from voting on matters affecting the Bishop Estate.
Rupert E. Phillips, CEO
John M. Flanagan, Editor & Publisher
David Shapiro, Managing Editor
Diane Yukihiro Chang, Senior Editor & Editorial Page Editor
Frank Bridgewater & Michael Rovner, Assistant Managing Editors
A.A. Smyser, Contributing Editor
