Trask's remarks about Inouye were shameful

Shame on Mililani Trask for the statement she made about the Honorable Daniel Inouye. She lowered herself to name-calling and degrading the senator about his physical handicap. How dare she! She ought to be ashamed, and not just for being politically incorrect about the handicap or for mentioning his Japanese ancestry. Has she forgotten how Inouye lost his arm?

Because yesterday was Veterans Day I thought I would point out to Trask and anyone else who has forgotten how important Dan Inouye really is. He is most important not for his service in Washington, D.C., but for the service he gave our great country in World War II. In that war, against the land of his ancestry, he fought for the country he called home, the United States of America.

He and thousands of others fought for the freedoms we enjoy today. That is what Veterans Day is all about. It reminds us of the great sacrifices others made so that we could be free. Isn't it ironic that those sacrifices were made so that people such as Trask would be able to speak so freely?

Teri J. Botelho
Lihue, Kauai
Via the Internet

Trustee's passion can overwhelm her

Mililani Trask is two people. Certainly, her recent remarks about Sen. Daniel Inouye and other comments in the past reflect deep racial resentment.

To meet Trask, however, is to meet a woman of deep compassion as well as passionate commitment to her cause.

Office of Hawaiian Affairs Chairwoman Rowena Akana --herself often controversial -- was right when she spoke of the need to make friends rather than enemies in the cause of the Hawaiian people. Particularly sad is the very personal attack on Senator Inouye, who has been a great friend of indigenous people throughout the United States.

Though I grew up as a white man, each year I become more personally affected by my Native American roots, and more sensitive to the terrible injustices done to "my" people. I am grateful for people of any color who share that sensitivity.

No open-minded person can blame Trask for her feelings of anger. The greater issue, however, is the need to build bridges between people. As Trask knows, it's not just good politics, it's the Hawaiian way.

Ken Armstrong

Same-sex marriage is far from a dead issue

Janice Pechauer was certainly correct about one thing in her Nov. 4 letter: Hawaii voters resoundingly spoke against same-gender marriage by a 2-1 ratio after a highly successful, well-financed campaign based primarily on hate and fear.

Pechauer is mistaken, however, to assume that this is a "dead issue." Sometime, someplace, the constitutional promise of equal protection under the law will apply to everyone, even those who are unpopular.

Furthermore, the campaign of 1998 will be remembered for what it was -- the oppression of homosexuals.

We shall overcome.

Don Duane K. Harryman Jr.
Via the Internet

City lawmaker isn't obeying the law

According to various media reports, Honolulu City Council member Andy Mirikitani appears to be slow in paying important personal bills, such as his car insurance.

I am concerned that essential Council decisions are in the hands of a person who cannot even recognize the importance of obeying laws.

W.W. Robinson
Via the Internet

Don't give up on School of Public Health

The battle to save the University of Hawaii School of Public Health has been lost. And, within a few months, the Board of Regents will officially approve the recommendation to close the school and "transform" it into a program of the UH School of Medicine.

The final blow will be dealt when the School of Public Health loses its accreditation on June 5, 2000, as a result of years of neglect and lack of support from the UH administration.

While the door to the school will be closed, windows of other opportunities remain open. We must ensure that, even as a program, quality education in areas of specialization, such as health education, environmental health, and maternal and child health, be retained.

It is not sufficient to have a public health program limited to biostatistics and epidemiology, as some have indicated. The commitment must be made to a much more comprehensive and quality program that will continue to meet the public health needs of citizens in Hawaii and throughout the Pacific region.

Milly Tanabe
Via the Internet

UH must improve undergrad experience

Kudos to University of Hawaii Board of Regents chairman Donald Kim for his $1 million donation to the university (Star-Bulletin, Oct. 3). I hope others follow his lead.

With respect to the "second-class mentality" Kim refers to, as a UH graduate, I can only share my observations.

While at UH, some of my classes and professors were "world-class," while others lacked any class. In addition, getting into a class (i.e. dealing with the UH bureaucracy) often left me feeling "classless."

Before the regents expect alumni to come forward with donations, they should try to make the UH undergraduate experience one that can be looked back on with fond memories, not one filled with bad feelings.

I'm preparing for graduate studies at the University of Florida and, although the spring semester does not get under way until January, I've been bombarded with letters, phone calls and support from the UF faculty and alumni.

UF grads are proud to support their school and, in many respects, it's due to their experiences as undergrads. UH could learn from that.

Jane Inouye
Jacksonville, Fla.
Via the Internet

Quotables

"I make no apologies for
being a proud Hawaiian."

Mililani Trask
OFFICE OF HAWAIIAN AFFAIRS TRUSTEE

Saying that, while she never intended to offend anyone
with a disability or people of Japanese ancestry when she
referred to U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye as "a one-armed
bandit" during an OHA meeting, she is frustrated
with the way he is interfering
with Hawaiian issues.

"I come before you with a
project that creates 2,600 jobs
and you're not interested?
This is sheer nonsense."

D.G. "Andy" Anderson
HAWAII DEVELOPER

After members of the Hawaii Community Development
Authority reacted negatively to his proposed
$138-million "Kewalo Pointe" plan

Media, police treated two cases differently

Your staff covered the five-hour police negotiations with Byran Uyesugi, but neglected to compare the situation with the Laulusa case in Palolo Valley Homes, in which police released 20 bullets at Rodney Laulusa.

Police did not clear the area of children and adults, who were only 5-10 feet away from Laulusa. Laulusa was not carrying a gun, had not killed anyone and was not threatening anyone.

Uyesugi was given five hours of negotiating time; Laulusa was not even given 5 minutes of negotiating time.

Can anyone explain why police actions are different when it comes to low-income people, and Samoans and Hawaiians in particular? Again, Uyesugi had just killed seven individuals, while Laulusa had not killed anyone and was not even threatening anyone.

Uyesugi and his family were covered by the media as human beings. The same cannot be said of Rodney Laulusa and his family.

Dahlia Asuega
President
Palolo Tenants' Association

Economy has its success stories, too

While the Oahu Economic Development Board and others are hard at work helping to attract new businesses, and the quality jobs that come with them, we sometimes forget to celebrate the successes along the way.

The news that Palama Meat Co. (Star-Bulletin, Nov. 9) has selected Oahu as the site of its new $8-million food-processing plant on 4.2 acres in Kapolei is good news for our island and the entire state.

The company plans to create 200 jobs on Oahu over the next five years. More good news: The project is the 13th new project under construction or completed in Kapolei this year.

While more work remains to be done toward establishing a strong and vibrant economy, we are well on our way.

Robert F. Mougeot
Chairman,
Oahu Economic Development Board

Newspaper exposed those who needed exposing

The announcement of the potential closure of the Star-Bulletin was a shock to me, and should be a concern to all residents. I switched my subscription from the Advertiser to the Star-Bulletin about five years ago due to the urging of others active in community affairs.

The community must have two voices. Otherwise, we will become even greater victims of the local system of power.

The Star-Bulletin had the guts to expose many of the powerful -- to name just a couple, the Bishop Estate trustees and labor leader Gary Rodrigues. It has provided good political candidate exposure that almost put Linda Lingle in the governor's seat.

The trustees are finally getting what they deserve, but Rodrigues hasn't learned from the trustees' lesson. I can't help but wonder if the powerful who have been exposed by the Star-Bulletin had something to do with Liberty's and Gannett's decision to close it down.

Helen Carroll

Loss of paper will make for chilly winters

I've read you since hanabata days. Both the kids delivered the Star-Bulletin in high school. And for the past three years you've been my home page -- literally and figuratively. Many times, I would e-mail my friends at home to discuss the latest news in Hawaii, only to find out they hadn't even heard it yet!

Washington, D.C., will be a chillier place this winter with no Hawaii hotline to warm me up.

Mark A. LaBarre
Rockville, Md.
Via the Internet

Newspaper, radio opened eyes to the world

I've read the Honolulu Star-Bulletin for a long time, but the last six years have been a newspaper reader's heaven! I've utilized almost every part of the paper. It kept me informed on important issues, and taught me the who dat, what dat, where dat, why dat and how dat.

Your writers were the best and so humorous. Your graphics department and headline writers are outstanding. The paper is a role model in graphics design. Everything was wonderful and I took it for granted that it would never end.

I depend mainly on two media, the Honolulu Star-Bulletin and National Public Radio. These two have opened my eyes to new worlds and insights, and I can only be thankful for the wonderful six years of sunshine spent with you.

Like Star-Bulletin publisher John Flanagan's wife said, "People read the Advertiser because they have to. They read the Star-Bulletin because they want to." I'm one of those.

Deborah Yamaguchi
Mililani
Via the Internet

Bulletin closing archive

Legislature Directory
Hawaii Revised Statutes

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