Women athletes won't forget bad treatment

I read with much amusement, Keith Amemiya's Viewpoint (Insight, Oct. 9). What I find most funny is that the very things his so-called "vocal minority" had to fight for against him and the Hawaii High School Athletic Association have now become their bragging rights.

They didn't want to hold a girls' state wrestling tournament. The executive board headed by Amemiya voted not to allow the girls to wrestle at all let alone have their own state tournament. The girls' state basketball tournament was only just allowed last season to play at "the best indoor facility in the state."

Does he really think that the public is buying this? Does he expect the girls' high school athletic community and their supporters to forget so quickly?

Diane Wong

Hans L'Orange brings back pleasant memories

I read with interest your article on Hans L'Orange park celebrating 75 years. Although I didn't grow up in Waipahu I was fortunate to have played many games at Hans L'Orange.

Playing in the Junior and Senior AJA leagues brought back fond memories of players like Greg Oniate, Les Kakazu, Steve Hirano, Curt Watanabe, Wade Mauricio, Robin Kimura, Guy Oshiro, etc.

Although I may be considered "the enemy," having played college ball at Brigham Young University instead of the University of Hawaii and playing against many of the players I played with at Hans L'Orange, I still feel connected to those players I played with on so many great teams.

I am glad that many more games will be played at Hans L'Orange for youngsters trying to hone their baseball skills. Hans L'Orange field is rich in tradition and I am glad I was a part of it.

Peter Kendrick
Tacoma, Wash.
Via the Internet

Quotables "All I can say is I'm sorry. I hope these people do make an effort to catch the real person." Frank Pauline Jr. CONVICTED OF THE 1991 MURDER OF DANA IRELAND Before being sentenced to three life prison terms "For this injunction to be granted, it may show a new interest in trying to protect the whole integrity of the Newspaper Preservation Act." Richard McCord AUTHOR OF "THE CHAIN GANG: ONE NEWSPAPER VERSUS THE GANNETT EMPIRE" On a federal judge's enjoining Gannett Co. and the Star-Bulletin's owner, Liberty Newspapers, Ltd., from closing the newspaper on Oct. 30

Labor hero is wrong about capitalism

I have for many years been an admirer of Lech Walesa (Star-Bulletin, Oct. 2). He bravely fought the Russian Communists who had invaded his country. He helped to bring democratic rule back to Poland and much of Europe.

However, he is really ambivalent about capitalism. First he said that capitalism is the most efficient economic system in the world. Then he warns that there will be a bloody revolution if labor does not replace capitalism.

Capitalism provides the jobs and has been the main reason, along with democracy, that the United States provides the best incomes for its workers.

In 1953, Art Hansen started his company in Hawaii with just two employees, of which I was one. He insisted on treating workers properly, and the company grew to more than 100 employees and $50 million-plus in sales when it was sold in 1993.

All employees had the choice of three medical plans. Many, including truck drivers, retired with hundreds of thousands of dollars in their profit-sharing plans. We gave scholarships to every child of our workers who attended college. We helped workers who had problems with alcohol or drugs and met with each group of workers regularly.

I call it "benevolent capitalism" and it works. It is a sharing with workers by owners and managers who know how to run a company. And if you don't have managers who know their jobs, there wouldn't be jobs for the workers.

If we concentrate on education and instill values and determination in our kids, they can rise in the scale, too. That is what we should concentrate on, especially in Hawaii. Then these kids could grow up to be benevolent capitalists themselves.

Joseph M. Dacey

Suggestive commercials are disgusting

When the V-chip came out on the market to protect the youth of our nation from inappropriate television shows, I did not think that I needed it.

However, after watching the Viagra advertisement on TV week in and week out and on almost every channel, I find myself muting the sound or surfing for a channel that does not have people with that "come hither look" or climbing over each other.

I would like to see a V (for Viagra) chip for the more mature folks.

Thomas Herman
Aiea
Via the Internet

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