RYAN OZAWA / COURTESY Crystal Kawai, right, manager of the Varsity Twin Cinema, is comforted by one of many longtime patrons of the University Avenue moviehouse on its last night of operation, Sunday, June 17, 2007. |
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Theater's closing recalls nation's loss
It was Friday, Nov. 22, 1963. I had just left Gavin Daws' History 151 class in Spalding Hall at the University Hawaii and headed down to the
Varsity Theater for the Science 121 lecture, when over the car radio I heard the announcement, "President Kennedy has been shot in Dallas."
I parked and filed into the old Varsity; the auditorium was abuzz over the news. The professor strode across the stage to the podium and the room went silent. Into the microphone he spoke the words I will never forget: "The president of the United States, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, is dead; class is dismissed."
Terry F. Koenig
Novato, Calif.
Maui woman chose to wed illegal immigrant
My heart bleeds for the wife of illegal immigrant Jose Antonio Martinez-Tinoco ("Wife of illegal alien bashes federal sweep,"
Star-Bulletin, June 14).
If she married him knowing his illegal status, she is just getting what she deserves. Too many people are crying, "Poor me, why are they doing this to me?" instead of taking responsibility for their actions. Nobody forced her to marry him.
As far as blaming the Immigration and Naturalization Service for separating this family from their father, nothing is stopping her from moving to Mexico with her children. Then they could live there together happily ever after.
Yes, the majority of illegal immigrants are hard-working people. I am the product of legal immigrants into this country. They, too, were hard-working people. The difference is that they came here legally. In this great country there is such a thing called "rule of law." That means we have laws that govern the lives of all people here.
Martinez-Tinoco broke the law -- not just once, mind you, but three times. Three strikes and you're out. And that's the ball game!
Michael G. Lindo
Vacaville, Calif.
Waianae High School, 1968
Adjacent photos reveal life's highs and lows
On the
front page of Friday's Star-Bulletin were two photos. The one on the left showed a man's hand holding the tiniest songbird ever reared by hand, the 'akepa. It weighed 0.94 gram, as heavy as a paper clip, and was being fed crickets, mealworm guts, bee larvae and pieces of hardboiled egg at the San Diego Zoo.
On the right was a smaller photo of a 14-year-old boy, who was stabbed in the neck, allegedly by his father, severing his jugular vein. The boy reportedly had been restraining his father from attacking his mother, who was stabbed multiple times in the abdomen, killing her unborn child. The boy made a call to 911 and begged for assistance. Then, he collapsed and died. His father was arrested and charged with murder and attempted murder. He had previously served a year in Iraq with the Hawaii Army National Guard.
I was deeply moved by these two pictures and accompanying stories. One revealed hope and life, the other death and tragedy. I rejoice for the bird, but I weep for the son and mother. There is nothing more to say.
Glenda Chung Hinchey
Honolulu
One starts crowing, then another, then ...
I live in a part of Kailua that doesn't normally have roosters. Well, a few years ago it started with one and I think there are around five roosters now in the same area. And yes, this does not include the chickens. I wake up 12 a.m., 2 a.m. any old time the roosters feel like crowing. Once one starts, they all start up. I have to close my windows because it is so loud and I don't have air conditioning, so I do mind closing my windows.
Kim Kido (Letters, June 12) should be happy she doesn't have to deal with that every single day and have to wake up at 4 a.m. to get ready for work.
Beverly Perreira
Kailua
Inouye ignores plight of German internees
Regarding "Bill focuses on Japanese Latin American detainees" (
Star-Bulletin, June 17):
What Sen. Dan Inouye did not tell your readers: Almost three times as many Latin Americans of German heritage were forcibly brought to the United States where they were interned, some in the same camps as Japanese Latin Americans and Japanese Americans. At least 1,000 of the German Latin Americans were deported to a Germany under siege ... including citizens of the Latin American countries from which they were kidnapped. Some were rounded up in the middle of the night, taken from their homes, placed in a local jail, then transported to the United States aboard American ships -- all with the blessing of both the Department of Justice and the State Department.
Why do you suppose Inouye and his cosponsors did not include Latin Americans of German heritage in his bill? They are dying off just like those of Japanese ancestry. Soon none will be alive.
Inouye also did not tell your readers that thousands of German Americans were locked up in internment camps. They have received nothing ... not even as much as a study of the events.
Arthur D. Jacobs
Retired major, U.S. Air Force
U.S.-born internee at age 12
Tempe, Ariz.