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Mililani and Haunani don't have support

The people of Hawaii have spoken. They will not accept the barbaric antics and racist nature of the Trask sisters. The Office of Hawaiian Affairs has been given a golden opportunity to pursue its goals without being shackled by those who only want to further their own interests.

Donald Allen

Many contributed to admirable campaign

My deep appreciation goes to my supporters in the recent Board of Education election. They took the responsibility to study my qualifications; their phone calls allowed me to speak to them about my commitment to education; and their endorsements and the faith they showed in voting for me speaks loudly of their commitment to children in the public school system.

To my committee and volunteer workers, we can be proud that we ran a clean, honest and exciting campaign. We did well considering our low budget and minimal staff.

To the newly elected BOE members, I add my congratulations and hope that they will be able to put aside their personal, self-serving agendas and cooperate to serve the schools and our children. I hope they will help our teachers and administrators with a support system that allows them to improve the schools and bring about good teaching and learning in the classroom.

Jacqueline Whitford Heupel
Kaneohe

Quotables "We've got too many people in this caucus holding onto the past. They've got their heels in the ground and, at some point, you cannot pull them along anymore." Ed Case HOUSE MAJORITY LEADER IN LAST YEAR'S LEGISLATURE Predicting little advancement next session because too many Democrats in key positions want to maintain the status quo "Hawaii ranked at the very bottom for women voter participation." Leslie Wilkins CHAIRWOMAN OF THE HAWAII STATE COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN On a new report detailing the achievements and shortfalls of isle women

Defeated incumbent is a sore loser

Keith Kamisugi's Nov. 10 letter expresses disdain for Hawaii's people for electing Carol Gabbard instead of his choice for the Board of Education, Garrett Toguchi. Kamisugi then invites readers to go to Toguchi's Web site to learn more about the man.

I don't need to know any more about Toguchi other than the fact that he's a sore loser and has little respect or aloha for voters.

Allison Hoen
Kailua

Gabbard's plank was attractive to voters

Garrett Toguchi, Carol Gabbard's opponent for the school board race, told the people of Hawaii that they shouldn't vote for Carol Gabbard because she's a "one-issue" candidate. Unfortunately for Toguchi, 100,000 voters concluded that Gabbard is, indeed, a one-issue candidate. That issue is the education and welfare of our children and families.

Nancy Estrada

Victor's rationalization rings hollow

I am unimpressed with Carol Gabbard's contention that because nearly 100,000 people in Hawaii voted her onto the Board of Education, it proves her frightening form of intolerance is somehow justified and not nearly as horrifying as the more humane citizens of our islands claim.

That's like saying because millions of Germans supported Hitler, so the killing of Jews, gays, gypsies and the rest was OK. Intolerance, bigotry, hatred and bias are NEVER acceptable, regardless of how many people applaud.

Andrew Thomas

Republicans look ridiculous in brouhaha

It's eerie to see public figures from another era reappear like vampires at dusk. James Baker has proven again why he couldn't be elected dogcatcher when he called not only for federal intervention in a legally sanctioned manual recount of ballots in Florida, but called the process worthy of a "banana republic."

Baker claimed such a recount would be less reliable than a machine count, but didn't seem to know that the governor he's defending signed into law in his own state a provision for hand recounts because they were believed to be more reliable. Shakespeare or Mel Brooks couldn't have written it better.

Don Brown

Gore doesn't really care about democracy

Any intelligent person knows that allowing three counties to have their votes counted by hand -- different from the rest of the state and the rest of the nation --does not result in a legitimate election. All ballots should be treated equally -- all should be counted by hand or machine.

Al Gore has stated that it is the will of the people that is important, not that he be elected to the presidency. He added that he is willing to wait no matter how long it takes. But his legal team adds that, should he lose the hand recount combined with the absentee ballots, further litigation will likely be pursued.

Is he still talking about the will of the people? He can't have it both ways. As one of those who cares about our democracy, I'm voicing my opposition to this clearly undemocratic process.

RaeAnn Magyar

Non-veterans made sacrifices, too

I'd like to reply to Larry Bartley's Nov. 10 letter lamenting why non-veterans get to have a holiday on Veterans Day. It's because non-veterans worked hard and sacrificed to keep our homefront strong during the war.

When World World II started, several young Americans of Japanese ancestry like me wanted to volunteer for the military to show loyalty to the United States. However, due to various reasons, many of us were rejected.

I was turned away because I was classified 3-A, rejected because of family status. I was the only son in my family, with one older sister and six younger ones. My father suffered a stroke and my mother had breast cancer.

There was a shortage of manpower in those dark days so I worked from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. because we were under martial-law curfew. On Sundays we volunteered with the Army to cut kiawe trees in the Ewa area. We also went to Red Hill to dig tunnels, probably for an ammunition dump.

That is why, on Veterans Day, non-veterans should be recognized, too. They deserve a holiday just like those who went to war.

Noboru Oda

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