Talking turkey about
the real Orson Swindle

I thought I could overlook Benjamin Toyama's excessive praise of Rep. Neil Abercrombie and slanderous comments about Orson Swindle (Letters, Nov. 27) by chewing on Thanksgiving Day turkey the following day. You know, keeping good thoughts alive instead of rapping out a letter rejecting Toyama's venomous viewpoints.

I remember thinking it was seemingly impossible anyone could characterize Swindle as a mirror image of what is precisely Abercrombie himself! Fantastic, I thought. What a bold individual! Not too aware or observant, but surely bold.

Recent letters have showed Toyama's letter actually existed. It was not a dream. Other letter writers made some excellent points - observations I regret were not made by the majority of voters in a district that would be far better served by Swindle.

In the era of 1966-72, Orson lounged in a cell as a prisoner of war while Abercrombie joined with Bill Clinton - not just avoiding military service but deriding its very presence.

Ray Thiele
Kailua

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You may not like Swindle,
but please don’t trash him

I'm sure that I have written as many words against Orson Swindle as almost anybody in Hawaii. But I am sincerely disappointed to see some of my fellow liberals attacking Swindle's character. That's simply unfair.

Swindle and I will never see eye-to-eye on most issues, and I consider him absolutely the wrong person to represent Hawaii in Congress. But that does not mean I don't respect him, admire his tenacity or hold in very deep regard the service he has rendered to our country.

To borrow from a line Bob Dole, used frequently during his presidential campaign, the fact that Orson Swindle is our opponent does not make him our enemy. I would never vote for him, but he's welcome at my dinner table anytime.

If liberals can't be tolerant of diverse points of view, who can?

Ken Armstrong
Kailua

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SAME-SEX MARRIAGE:

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People should be proud
of their enlightenment

To the people of Hawaii: It seems that you have grappled with a very important issue (same-sex marriage), and had the will and compassion to make a decision that others would not make.

Thank you for taking our country a step closer to allowing human rights to prevail in a time where such rights are trounced upon so easily.

Your compassion of the human spirit is far more appreciated than you will ever know, but history will tell. Not only will our country benefit from this decision, so will our planet.

Thank you for shining the light.

Dean Smith
San Diego, Calif.

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Few choice words describe
impressions of verdict

Regarding same-sex marriage, I have only three words to describe it: Sick and wrong!

Loren Ayresman
Spokane, Wash.

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Who is really in charge
of this state, everybody?

We live in a state rated near the bottom in education and business climate in America. Our cost of living is among the highest in the nation, and our economic base remains perilously tied to one thing - tourism.

We have legislators who openly refuse to represent the voice of the people, and the really sad part is that, by and large, the people have let them get away with it.

Could it be that most of us are too busy just trying to keep our heads above water in this almost impossible economic situation?

But, hey, look on the bright side. At least we'll be the first state in the union to legalize same-sex marriage!

And with the Star-Bulletin omnipotently declaring same sex-marriage legalization is right, it almost makes me want to shout, "This ain't over!"

Come on, people, let's show the elite - including this newspaper - who really is in charge.

Kealii Watson