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Hurricane premiums don't belong to state

In his State of the State address on Monday, Governor Cayetano proposed that the unused premiums from the Hurricane Relief Fund be used for scholarships. He compared the fund with Georgia's lottery.

Although it was a laudable idea, the excess premiums belong to the contributing policyholders. It is not a lottery.

After reinsurance, underwriting and other adminstrative costs, the approximately $175 million of unused insurance premiums must be returned to the policyholders. Otherwise, it can be construed as a discriminatory tax, and open the door to a class action suit against the state.

Tom Shimabuku
Kailua

PGA Tour pros are gentlemen, indeed

I just want to add a postscript to the Jan 22 column by Dave Reardon, "There's more to the Tour than Tiger."

Yes, the pros in the PGA Tour command my respect and admiration, especially when they hit a bad shot in the rough and return the yellow flag to the ball spotter with a "thank you." To the man, all of the pros acted graciously.

But the amateurs must be in their own world. Reminds me of the new Army slogan, "The Army of One" -- a whole other story.

Seichi Nagai
Pearl City

Quotables "Taking up competitive running made a huge difference. I wasn't one of the fastest girls, and even competing with the slower girls was hard, but it taught me a lot about wanting to win. This year, I'm more confident being a goalie." Noe Kamelamela SENIOR GOALKEEPER FOR THE KAMEHAMEHA SCHOOL FOR GIRLS SOCCER TEAM On how training during the Christmas break in Honolulu, instead of returning home to Hilo, has strengthened her mentally and physically "It's a creative idea whose time has come." Bob Hogue REPUBLICAN STATE SENATOR FROM KANEOHE On the topic of school vouchers

Military needs to train in Makua Valley

This letter is in support of live ammunition training at Makua. To recognize the need for such training, look at the Army's investigative report on the deaths of Korean civilians at No Gun Ri in July 1950.

There were difficulties stemming from the orders and interpretation of the orders in the heat of battle.

A seven-page Statement of Mutual Understanding between the U.S. and South Korea described the American soldiers as being "undertrained, under-equipped and new to combat," and their leaders as untested in battle.

The decisions that soldiers make in combat are no more important than the decisions civilians make in providing the training area for those soldiers. Let's remember this when we decide the fate of live ammunition training at Makua.

Training in combat conditions is a necessity. We should be proud to have soldiers in our communities.

Daniel M. Finley
Volcano, hawaii

Most Hawaiians have 'tainted' blood in veins

The local press is certainly giving sovereignty activist Vicky Holt Takamine a lot of coverage lately. For example, a Jan. 17 Star-Bulletin article covered her latest demonstration at the Capitol, where she lamented the number of other races who have come to Hawaii, drowning out Hawaiian voices and causing Hawaiians to be on the verge of extinction.

Takamine's troubling statements reminded me of a quotation from the old comic strip "Pogo:" "We have met the enemy, and he is us."

I would remind the lamenting Takamine that about 97 percent of those who call themselves Hawaiian, as she does, are of mixed race. More than 70 percent are mostly of European and Asian stock.

Apparently she and her like-thinking associates are embarrassed by and would deny the existence of this "tainted" blood flowing through their own veins.

The next time she complains about "outsiders" driving Hawaiians to extinction, I suggest she take a look in the mirror to see who the real enemy is.

Art Todd
Kaneohe

State leaders haven't lived up to promises

Here we go again. Do politicians think we can't remember? Check out Governor Waihee's inaugural speech a few years ago, when he said, "We'll have an educational system that is second to none."

He was almost right. Our public school system ended up second from the bottom.

Chester W. Chaffee
Pearl City

Covering up sculpture sends wrong message

Why is our school's sculpture of a Hawaiian woman meeting with such opposition (Star-Bulletin, Jan. 13)?

Yes, the figure is topless, but wasn't that the style of dress for Hawaiians of earlier days? Why are breasts offensive in the first place?

Our feeder elementary school has several murals depicting Hawaiian women with exposed breasts, and that doesn't seem to cause problems for these younger children.

If we force the artist to cover up the sculpture's breasts, aren't we saying that 1) censorship is OK, 2) breasts are bad and 3) the morals of today should be imposed upon Hawaiians of the past, just as the missionaries imposed their form of dress upon the Hawaiian women of the 1700s?

I would hope our high schoolers can be taught to appreciate and respect the human form in art and other aspects of life. If not, what are we teaching them?

Rod Martin
Teacher, Communications Arts
Campbell High School Ewa Beach

Don't use Dr. King to defend homosexuality

Once again, radical gay activists are attempting to push their agenda on society by labeling homophobic anyone who dares disagree with their lifestyle or behavior. Now they are attacking the men and women of faith on Oahu (Eduardo Hernandez letter, Jan. 22).

The gay agenda was promoted on a day when Martin Luther King Jr. was being honored. He was a man of nonviolence and tolerance and was above name-calling. He was also a man of God, one who followed the word of God, which says homosexuality is immoral and wrong.

The Christian right is not wrong, and hate is not a family value, but then again neither is homosexuality.

As always, we pray for you.

James Roller

Lies are being told about the Bible

In your Jan. 16 article, "Oahu march will champion tolerance," the Rev. Steven Kindle stated, "The Bible affirmed slavery and it's wrong. The Bible condoned segregation and it's wrong. The Bible condemns homosexuals and it's wrong."

I would like the Rev. Mr. Kindle to show me exactly where in the Bible it affirms slavery and condones segregation.

His statements are absurd. The Bible's teachings are against immorality and preach a message of redemption for people everywhere.

He should listen to the real meaning of the Bible and stop making up lies about it.

Shannon Schmiedeke
Keaau, Hawaii

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