Good men should heed the call to war
Gen. Douglas MacArthur declared "old soldiers never die, they just fade away." Why? Because each generation is forgetful of the past, seeing war as the cause of old men who cry together at funerals and on national holidays like Memorial Day.
Certainly war is something terrible to be avoided. But unfortunately, the more good men avoid war the more chaos besets this world. Until we seek God's glorious qualities in the face of evil and step up, push science, labor and the pursuit of money aside, evil will continue to triumph.
On 9/11, our country was attacked. Why? One reason is that today the world's pursuit of money, the desire to preserve wealth is increasingly challenged. So until we change a national monetary policy that intentionally tries to erase our national debt by inflating the money supply, chaos will reign.
Fighting for freedom and sacrificing for the humanity of man is glorious. Terrorists are evil men bent on the destruction of America for both its good and bad qualities.
Richard "Noah" Hough
Manoa
Remember those who made ultimate sacrifice
Memorial Day is set aside to commemorate those who died in the defense of our precious freedoms and national ideals. The Hawaii Society of the Sons of the American Revolution joins Americans at home and aboard by pausing and remembering those who have sacrificed to keep the beacon of Liberty and Freedom illuminated forever.
Wandering among the graves of our fallen humbly reminds all of us of the valiant sacrifices given by those who walk among us no more. Each grave represents a story, a testament, a covenant with the great ideals established by our Founders. To fight for freedom and be willing to perish for it requires a belief in something profound. Each grave is a reminder of such self-evident truths.
We consecrate ourselves to dignified remembrance of those who rest forever in calm repose under the benevolent shade of freedom's banner. We exhort our fellow Hawaii citizens to resolve to stand firm against those who would devastate the freedoms and liberties Americans cherish by remembering those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
Jeffrey Bingham Mead
Director of communications, chaplain
The Hawaii Society of the Sons of the American Revolution
Governor gives false assurance on secession
Governor Lingle's
May 15 letter to Republican U.S. senators claims that passage of the Akaka Bill will "not lead to secession" from the U.S. by a newly-formed sovereign Hawaiian government. She says "the very idea is nonsense."
Perhaps the governor is not aware of the following:
» Until recently, the OHA Web site stated on its Hawaiian governance page: "What form of government will be established? The ultimate form of government -- be it total independence, nation-within-a-nation or free association -- must be decided upon and ratified by the Hawaiian people.
"What's the difference between independence, nation-within-a-nation, and free association? Independence: This model would mean complete legal and territorial separation from the United States and the re-establishment of the Hawaiian nation state."
» On July 8, 2005, OHA Trustee Rowena Akana stated on National Public Radio that "if the majority of Hawaiian people want secession, then that's the way we'll go."
» Also in July 2005, Senator Akaka responded evasively on NPR to a question about the possibility of secession, saying "that is something I leave for my grandchildren to decide."
Supporters of the Akaka Bill appear to have realized that the idea of secession was a public relations disaster, so they have been keeping the issue flying under the radar. But it is clear that an attempt at secession by any new Hawaiian nation is a distinct possibility, regardless of Lingle's assurances to the contrary.
Tom Macdonald
Kaneohe
Doc's first wife helped create success
Last Sunday's write-up of J.W.A "Doc" Buyers' passing failed to mention his former wife, Elsie P. Buyers, who, along with their three daughters, have cared for him since last November in Pennsylvania ("C. Brewer chief saw beyond sugar,"
Star-Bulletin, May 21).
Elsie was a major factor in Doc's success. She and Doc arrived in Honolulu in 1975 and quickly immersed themselves in the life of this community, giving generously of their time, talents and financial support to everyone in whose cause they believed.
They were square shooters all the way.
Doc's brilliant smile and vibrant personality came naturally from his Christian heritage and love of his family, of whom he was inordinately proud.
They were role models and shining lights to us all, and I, for one, am most grateful that they came our way.
Ruth M. Isaak
Honolulu
Hawaii's gas prices are close to mainland
Gas pricing and whether a gas cap is needed continue to be debated. I stumbled onto
gasprices.com and on the morning of May 24, the lowest gas prices in Los Angeles were $3.19 to 3.25; in Gulf Coast $2.76 to $3.09; in New York City, $3.09 to 3.29 and in Hawaii, $3.09-3.30. Checking the highest pricing finds lots of areas with more expensive gas than Hawaii.
Checking Costco's gas prices finds Hawaii's Costco the least expensive compared to Costco stations in many metropolitan areas of California.
Confused? Me too. I was convinced Hawaii had the highest gas prices, but now, based on this data, it seems the free market pricing for gas remains the best way to go -- unless you want the cheapest gas of all; then move to a mainland desert community.
John Twelker
Waianae
Whose problem is overdevelopment?
Another 10,000 to 15,000 new homes in Kapolei is just what we need on Oahu. Let's not worry about the sewers being overloaded and breaking, more traffic and the schools overcrowded. Let's not worry that we have a water shortage.
Developers don't feel responsible for these matters, so whose problems are they?
Maybe our city officials will start making it their problem, or maybe those who sell them the land will. Or maybe we should all start making it our problem.
The problems that arise with the plan to build more hotels on North Shore, the obscene construction in Hawaii Kai and the overbuilding in Ewa belong to all of us. Maybe all of the citizens' groups from the different areas would have more power if they worked together for one cause.
Keep our islands beautiful.
Pearl Daniels
Hawaii Kai
'None of the above' merits Senate vote
I do not look forward to my choices in the Democratic senatorial primary this September. If the contest were a boxing match, the ring announcer's introductions might go something like this:
"In the blue corner we have the lightweight champion of the U.S. Senate, the Senate leader in floor naps and a sponsor of innumerable nonbinding resolutions and one bill that has yet to pass, Senator Johnny One-Note Akaka. His opponent, in the red corner, is the only registered Mugwump in the U.S. House of Representatives, a registered Democrat who votes Republican on every issue that counts, Rep. Wolf-in-Sheep's-Clothing Case."
What a choice. One candidate is a virtual cipher whose sole bragging point is his sponsorship of a bill to grant special status and entitlements to citizens of an ethnic group of which he just happens to be a member and whose actions otherwise mimic precisely those of our senior senator.
The other claims to be a Democrat, but he votes consistently with the Republican majority, even on bills that cater to Republican special interests, like the recently passed extension of tax cuts for the super-rich. If the election commission put the option "none of the above" on the ballot, I would vote for that.
Thomas G. Gans
Honolulu
Are Lay and Bush birds of a feather?
Like President Bush, Enron's Ken Lay thinks he's not guilty of any crime. Is it because birds of a feather flock together? During the 2000 presidential campaign George W. Bush flew to numerous cities across the country on Ken Lay's personal Enron jet as the pair appeared to be joined at the hip.
When Enron was tangled in the fraud investigations, Bush stopped using the Enron jet, but his administration hired many Enron executives. Did they bring the skills used to swindle Enron stockholders with them?
That might explain how more than 9 billion of your tax dollars sent to Iraq vanished, while the majority Republican Congress refused to investigate this Bush fraud. This does not take into account the combination corporate welfare Katrina debacle and other misappropriations.
It's time to hold Bush and his administration accountable without paying attention to Bush supporters who claim that any investigation is being instigated by America-haters. The fact is that those who love America want the country free of the culture of corruption that has festered and spread during the Bush years. Any politician caught with his or her hand in the taxpayer's cookie jar should share a cell with Ken Lay.
Ron Rhetrik
Mililani
'Clean team' keeps Chinatown in shape
Congratulations to the Honolulu's Chinatown for being noted by the White House Advisory Council on Historic Preservation as a historic preservation area. While leaders and community board members worked diligently to make Chinatown what it is today, many Hawaii residents don't know is that in order to maintain and keep Chinatown clean for many to enjoy, the City and County of Honolulu's "clean team," often seen wearing white jumpsuits, works 24 hours a day, seven days a week to maintain the sidewalks, parks and streets. Day in and day out, this team not only picks up rubbish from others, but also works closely with the police department and neighborhood boards to ensure that Chinatown is safe enough for everyone to enjoy.
Even though the "clean team"did have a small part of getting Chinatown to what it is today, they have a bigger job to maintain the neighborhood. So while leaders enjoy this preservation recognition for Chinatown, if you see a person in a white jumpsuit cleaning the sidewalk, stop and say "thank you," because this team deserves it.
Phyllicia Tachibana
Honolulu
Admission of conflict doesn't grant absolution
House Speaker Calvin Say's defense of Rep. Jerry Chang's involvement in the raceway land-swap deal as a "potential conflict of interest" is hollow indeed.
Chang went to great lengths to gain legislative support for the deal, from which he would personally profit, by securing legislative colleagues' signatures for the measure.
Only when his financial involvement was revealed did Chang announce he would not vote on the matter.
How does not voting mitigate his actual conflict of interest in using his elected position to advance this deal and line his own pockets?
Perhaps Speaker Say could use a little ethics training himself so he might recognize dirty dealing when he sees it.
Michael G. Palcic
Honolulu