Favored candidates get better coverage

Once again, on Oct. 11, the Star-Bulletin allocated biased front-page coverage to a political favorite by prominently touting U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka's decision to seek election to a fifth congressional term.

How is it that -- in every Hawaii election, both for state and federal office -- a chosen few receive extensive media coverage while other viable contenders receive little, if any?

It is crucial that we have fair, equitable coverage of ALL candidates to make the right decisions in the voting booth.

What makes Akaka's decision to run for re-election front-page news when another candidate's decision may be relegated to the obituary page?

Whitney T. Anderson
Senate Minority Leader
Hawaii State Legislature

Rice should stop suing over Hawaiian issues

What is it about private trust funds that Harold "Freddy" Rice can't seem to swallow?

In 1997, Rice sued Kamehameha Schools/Bishop Estate, alleging that the admission policy of the schools was discriminatory. But Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop's estate was not left to him. It does not affect him in any way whatsoever. It was her money and it's her right to leave it to Hawaii's children. End of story.

In 1999, Rice is suing the state because he feels that OHA voting requirements are discriminatory. Yet the public land trust was not left to him either. He has absolutely no right to that money or the decisions on how it is managed.

If Rice truly considers himself to be a "Hawaiian," then he should act like one. There are far more respectable ways to get his name in the papers. If he really wants to be a hero, I challenge him to drop his lawsuit and accept the fact that he is not, nor will he ever be, a beneficiary of these two trusts.

By the way, my grandmother did not leave her estate to him either. She "discriminated" and said that only I can have her money. Is Rice going to sue me next?

Kristin Paulo
Via the Internet

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OHA Ceded Lands Ruling

Rice vs. Cayetano

Quotables "To catch an ulua, you gotta give out a lot. Some guys fish all their lives and never catch a big one. It comes to those who deserve it." Layne Luna Keeau Middle School teacher and Big Island artist Who has folded his skills as a fisherman, painter and sculptor into an art form "I don't think they'll get much sympathy. It's not like the stevedores of old, when everything was back-breaking. Everything's containerized (now)." Keith Robello Pearl City resident On whether the public is supportive of ILWU dockworkers, voting on whether to strike in their battle for a new pact

Staffers have nurtured journalists of tomorrow

I am a two-year staff member of Farrington High School's student newspaper, "The Governor." I'd like to thank the Star-Bulletin staffers who have supported it and many other island high school newspapers.

We've had Star-Bulletin speakers come to our newswriting class -- most recently, Diane Chang, the editorial page editor. She spoke to us about editorial writing and what it's like to work on a newspaper. This kind of advice is so valuable to us "blooming journalists."

John Flanagan, the paper's editor and publisher, has come over himself to present awards and scholarships to recipients at our school.

The newspaper has also participated wholeheartedly in Journalism Day at the University of Hawaii. Star-Bulletin staffers teach Hawaii's high school journalists about layout, photography, cartooning (courtesy of Corky Trinidad), news and feature writing.

They taught us almost everything about producing a newspaper. They even told us to give them a call anytime we need help with our writing or whatever. Now that is something!

Amor Del Rosario
Via the Internet

Show support by buying newspaper

What has the Star-Bulletin done for "We, The People"? It has shown the issues of Hawaii. Who will light the way if our Star dies out?

Go out and show your support. Buy a Star-Bulletin. Prove that you understand its efforts on our behalf. Let's keep the truth alive.

Beatrix Shishido
Mililani
Via the Internet

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Shutdown announcement
Text of injunction halting shutdown
Text of refusal to lift injunction

Safety is paramount for domestic-abuse victims

I would like to clarify the emphasis of my discussion with your reporter for your Oct. 15 story headlined, "Returning guns to accused officers criticized." The focus was on guns and the safety of domestic violence victims -- not on police officers.

Since the safety of a victim is paramount, the important question is whether victims of abusers serving in our police department should have the same protections and avenues for protection that other victims have.

The discussion about firearms has taken place at all levels of government across the country. Congress felt it important enough to pass federal legislation prohibiting abusers from having access to firearms.

In this community, after a particularly tragic murder of a woman whose estranged husband had a temporary restraining order and a gun, we considered solutions for prevention of similar incidents.

The conclusion was that firearms in the hands of abusers who have demonstrated risk, in the way of previous violence, and who had been found by the court to be enough of a risk to have a restraining order granted against them, should NOT have a gun.

HPD representatives have worked right alongside our organization to make changes in the way they work, while stepping up their efforts to hold perpetrators of domestic violence accountable. We are thankful to them for their various strategies to bring peace to our island families.

Nanci Kreidman
Executive Director
Domestic Violence Clearinghouse

Molokai Hoe coverage made a splash

Thanks for REALLY covering the Molokai Hoe (Star-Bulletin, Oct. 11)! The difference between the Star-Bulletin and every other news media in Honolulu can be found in the depth of your coverage, and reporting the kind of detail that interests local readers.

Your selection of photos was superior even to the tape used by the TV media, most of whom apparently felt a day-old loss by the UH football team was a more important story.

The new millennium and future generations will miss your brand of coverage of this important event. We suffer from too much superficial McNews in Hawaii.

Rick Gaffney
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
Via the Internet

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Hawaii Revised Statutes
Ka Leo O Hawaii - UH student news

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