Brainstorm! Challenge

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Remember sacrifices of Battle of the Bulge

"Lest We Forget" -- 59th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge, Dec. 16, 1944 -- Jan. 25, 1945

In the record cold European winter, with 4 to 8 feet of snow drifts, 600,000 GIs (three full U.S. armies and six corps), 55,000 British troops and Belgians, French and Canadians took the full brunt of three specially selected, battle-seasoned German divisions attempting to capture the Port of Antwerp, Belgium.

In 40 days, at a cost of 81,000 American casualties (including 19,000 killed), the German attack failed to reach its objective to isolate the 9th U.S. Army and British forces from the U.S. 1st, 3rd and 7th Armies at a cost of 100,000 casualties, 800 tanks and 1,000 aircraft.

In the words of Prime Minister Winston Churchill to the British House of Commons, "This is undoubtably the greatest American battle of the war and will, I believe, be regarded as an ever famous American victory."

John K. Kingsley
Platoon leader, Co. A, 774th Tank Battalion
Ardennes 1944-'45

Large majority still opposes gay unions

Michael Golojuch Jr. tries to convince us in his Dec. 20 letter that traditional marriage is under siege. It's true that divorce and domestic abuse rates are high and also a fact that shows like, "The Bachelor" are crass and cheapen the institution of marriage.

But even with all these problems, traditional marriage will always be the foundation of our society. We can never get away from the fact that a married man and woman are best suited to create a harmonious and loving relationship for each other and their children.

Golojuch should quit pointing his finger at brave community leaders like Mike Gabbard and instead take a look in the mirror. According to the latest numbers from the Department of Health, 82 percent of the AIDS cases in Hawaii in 2002 were caused by men having sex with men.

Isn't it about time that the homosexual community face up to the fact that its lifestyle is leading them down a path of death and destruction?

Kathy Martin
Honolulu

Prior sex offenders should be monitored

Sex offenders most definitely should be required to register with the sex offenders registry and any neighborhood where they might be relocated should be warned about them as well (Star-Bulletin editorial, Dec. 22).

Regardless of their having served their sentences, their victims and their families, friends and loved ones serve a lifetime sentence with no chance of "rehabilitation." Why should these predators receive such a benefit?

Furthermore, the sex offender already has attacked a person, will very likely attack again and should in any case be closely monitored. It's just too much responsibility with far too devastating consequences to not be diligent and realistic about such crimes. We cannot afford to try to exercise some idealistic principle of democracy at the expense of yet more innocent lives. In Norway recently, a 17-year-old girl was killed by a sex offender who'd served his sentence and was released. Even one such occurrence is too many.

Neighborhoods should be warned about any sex offenders who might be relocating into their areas. Furthermore, S.O.s should be made to register with watch programs and sex offender registries. After all their victims are scarred for life, why should the perpetrator get off with both more opportunity and less punishment than their victims?

Would anyone want to risk such a person living near their children, maybe even next door? Simply put: Is the safety of one's children or spouse something which should be gambled?

Renn Shannon-Akana
Haugesund, Norway
Former Hawaii resident

Manipulating truth is rife with danger

How can a columnist build a commentary entirely around a quote from an article you haven't read? Ask Jeff Jacoby, who, in a recent column, used a Jan. 26, 1946, Saturday Evening Post article by Demaree Bess, "How We Botched the Occupation in Germany," to belittle current concerns about Iraq.

The title and two-paragraph excerpt are to be found sprinkled around the Internet, to the delight of war supporters titillated by the effortless jump to conclusions that can be made. The article cannot be read without realizing it is integral to a companion piece titled "How Long Will We Stay in Germany?" Our current commitment of 70,000 troops, 96 military installations and 58 years entrenched in that conquered country do not engender confidence in our Iraqi involvement.

You don't have to lie to deceive people. The editorial board at Jacoby's Boston Globe have allowed him to dance around the truth unchallenged. Readers have come to accept that if it appears in print, it has met some standard of truthfulness. We forget that manipulating the truth is how we got into Iraq in the first place.

Larry R. Jones
Honolulu

Saddam could seek damages against Bush

I am surprised that Saddam Hussein, the U.S.-deposed president of Iraq, has not initiated a lawsuit against President Bush for invading his country without cause, and seeking damages (both in property and humans) of $200 billion.

E. Alvey Wright
Kaneohe

Late chief of BOH made a big impact

When an individual has been gone from Hawaii for more than 40 years, it is understandable that little was said in his Dec. 11 obituary about the many contributions that he made to this community during a short span of five years.

"Rudy" Peterson actually was one of the giants not only as a leading banker but as an innovator in business circles here from 1956 to 1961. He was brought to Hawaii by Walter Dillingham and J. Walter Cameron, among others, to bring Bank of Hawaii into mainstream banking practices, and that he did. He instigated bankers going out into the community and not just sitting at their desks waiting for business to come in. He was a national leader in credit card development, consumer lending and particularly mortgage lending as we know it today. Under his leadership, Bank of Hawaii became the largest bank in the state. He went on to become the CEO of Bank of America.

Rudy was one of the great leaders of our community and deserves to be recognized as such. He lived to be just short of 99 years of age. Few these days recall his efforts but those who do will always remember him for his many accomplishments.

H. Howard Stephenson
Retired chairman and CEO
Bank of Hawaii

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[ BRAINSTORM! ] What should the city do with the elegant old sewage pump station? It's empty and fading, and now it's taking a beating from all the construction going on around it. The O.G. Traphagen-designed sewage pump station on Ala Moana Boulevard, more than a century old, is a monument to the glory days of municipal architecture, when city fathers took such pride in their community that even a humble sewage station became a landmark structure. Millions of tourists drive by it every year, and it's an embarrassing reminder of how poorly Honolulu treats its historic landmarks. Over the years, dozens of uses and excuses and blue-sky speculations have been suggested for the striking structure. Now we're asking you, Mr. and Mrs. Kimo Q. Publique, what should the city do with the elegant old pump building? Send your ideas and solutions by Jan. 15 to: brainstorm@starbulletin.com Or mail them to: Brainstorm! c/o Nancy Christenson Star-Bulletin 500 Ala Moana 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210 Honolulu, Hawaii 96813 Fax: Brainstorm! c/o Nancy Christenson 529-4750