Eisenhower's actions led to Bay of Pigs

Kohala Middle School teacher Thomas Stuart wrote that President John F. Kennedy showed cowardice in the failed Bay of Pigs invasion in Cuba in 1961 (Letters, July 12). Stuart left out the part about Kennedy being recently been sworn in as president and that this military action was initiated by Republican President Eisenhower a year before. Eisenhower alienated the Cuban leadership by reneging on deals to buy Cuban sugar and snubbed their leaders, thus forcing the Cubans to sell sugar to the Soviets. That eventually lead to the Soviets placing missiles in Cuba.

Kennedy took prompt, decisive action to get the Cubans to remove any missiles they had and set a blockade to inspect Soviet vessels headed to Cuba to ensure they carried no other offensive weapons. This doesn't sound like actions of a timid pretty boy, coward or a punk kid, as Stuart put it.

Imagine having Stuart spreading this misinformation to Hawaii's children. In this past I haven't supported random drug testing of public school teachers, but in Stuart's case he should be a candidate for daily testing.

Slain U.S. president was no 'punk kid'

My heart goes out to the students who have to sit in class with Thomas Stuart as their teacher (Letters, July 12). To call John F. Kennedy, who was decorated for bravery while serving as a PT boat commander in World War II and then assassinated while serving his country as the president of the United States, "a punk kid in way over his head" and a "timid pretty boy" signals a lack of historical knowledge and a complete lack of respect for those who have served their country honorably.

Perhaps the next time Stuart laments the poor state of public education in Hawaii, he should take a look in the mirror and aim some his much practiced name-calling at himself.

Regatta scores help paddlers push harder

I am a paddler of Manu O Ke Kai canoe club located in Haleiwa. I would like to compliment you for an awesome job of giving Hawaii the news about the regatta sponsored by Alapa Hoe canoe club (Star-Bulletin, June 23).

I have been convinced to pay more attention to the Star-Bulletin. The Star-Bulletin has a write-up of all the paddling regattas that many paddlers participate in, and gives the official results of the regattas in the newspaper and online. Being able to see the official results is great info for the paddling crews because they can refer to the "Score Board" section to see how much work needs to be done to succeed and win.

As a paddler of the 16-year-old boys crew and 18-year-old boys crew, this section of the official results gives us a push to do better in the next races. Knowing our times of our previous races helps us to train harder, to succeed and to get a win in.

With a mahalo nui loa, I thank you for a job well done.

West Oahu needs rail transit desperately

Hawaii could have had the rail system running many years ago. The cost back then was almost half of what it costs today. People who don't live in Leeward or Central Oahu don't realize the consumption of time and the cost of fuel just to get into Honolulu and then to get back home.

Honolulu was where everything was built many years ago: medical facilities, doctors' offices, schools, shopping, businesses (government and private), Waikiki-- and jobs. At the time when these were being built, the government wasn't considering the eventual great expansion of the central and Leeward side of Oahu. Also, the cost of the H-3 was more than $1 billion when it was being built. Compare the population of the Windward side, which already had four different outlets to other parts of Oahu, to Leeward and Central Oahu. Desperate times need desperate changes! Don't stop rail!

Chelation therapy useful against autism

The writers of the July 9 Associated Press article referring to the unproven results of chelation and its use as quack medicine for autism just need to meet my son. He would not be where he is today without chelation therapy and gluten-free, casein-free diet prescribed by our DAN (Defeat Autism Now) doctor -- from a moderate to severe case of autism to recovery within two years of diagnosis. If I didn't see it with my own eyes, I would not have believed it myself. For all the quacks who don't know jack about the delicate immune system small children have and keep injecting all the 36 vaccines (some still with mercury) into children, the autism ratio will stay the same for years to come.

Let's thank the Centers for Disease Control and Gov. Linda Lingle for the veto of the bill banning mercury in all vaccines given in Hawaii. Better to look out for the vaccine-makers' profits than the general well-being of our children. A better vaccine schedule for the little ones needs to be updated to get rid of the multiple-dose vaccine MMR and many other vaccines known to have a larger incidence of adverse reaction than reported by the CDC.