U.S. government did play role in overthrow

When he makes the claim that "the belief that the U.S. government instigated the overthrow is without merit," Frank Scott (Letters, Jan. 14) apparently hasn't done the most basic research on the subject.

Let's be clear that diplomatic agents of a country those "officers clothed with its authority and wearing its uniform," as President Cleveland said, are representatives of their government, and that government is responsible for their actions regardless of whether their acts are done with proper authority.

On Dec. 18, 1893, in an address to Congress, Cleveland stated that, "The lawful government of Hawaii was overthrown ... by a process every step of which ... is directly traceable to and dependent for its success upon the agency of the United States acting through its diplomatic and naval representatives."

A century later, Congress passed Public Law 103-150, "to offer an apology ... for the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii."

The finding of fact and law contained within this resolution include the following: "Without the active support and intervention by the United States diplomatic and military representatives, the insurrection against the government of Queen Liliuokalani would have failed for lack of popular support and insufficient arms."

Scott Crawford
Hana, Maui

Hawaii drivers have much more aloha

I agree with Otto Cleveland (Letters, Star-Bulletin, Jan. 15) about mainland drivers' frustration with Hawaii drivers being "too polite." In the islands, "polite" is called "respect for others," a tenet of aloha. It was one of the first things I noticed 20 years ago when I moved here.

Kamaaina drivers let you in ahead of them from a freeway onramp when traffic is slow. They stop in a line of cars at a red light so you can enter the line from a driveway. They wait while you pull out of a mall parking stall, even though they don't want your space. In return, I nod or give them a "thank you" wave. That's also an exchange of aloha.

Those of us who opted for military, government or business duty in Europe were instructed in how to behave on the road and in person in countries whose behavior codes differed from the contiguous United States. Perhaps a more explicit and stringent introduction to how to behave in the islands needs to be instituted.

Marjorie J. Scott
Kailua

President's delusions could hurt U.S. youth

I remember being a teenager and flying interisland. I was convinced that if the engines failed I could pull the emergency exit hatch, climb out on the wing and jump free just as the jet was to hit the water. From there, it was a simple swim back to shore and safety. This delusion of invincibility is a large part of the reason the draft age starts at 18.

If George Bush is re-elected, he will need to replace the spent reservists and National Guard, since they will no longer trust him not to meddle with the terms of their contracts. He will need more human resources to fuel his world view; he will call for the draft.

I have a 13-year-old son. I will vote in the coming election to ensure that he can test his invincibility in subtle ways, not at Bush' whim. They should learn a lesson my wife and I are trying to teach my son: Use your words, not your fists.

Tom Cook
Honolulu

Is Hawaiian's trustee worth his high salary?

As an employee of Hawaiian Airlines since 1978, I have seen this company on the brink of shutting down several times even though the employees gave huge concessions to keep it afloat. Finally John Adams and his investment group came along. Once again we made concessions but we were fortunate to have Paul Casey join the management team. He quickly gained the employees' respect while instituting changes that turned this airline into one of the best in the industry.

But now this success could be destroyed. Although Adams did much to make Hawaiian what it is today, there was a misjudgment in his dealings with Boeing, which, by many accounts, plunged this airline into bankruptcy. Boeing sought a bankruptcy trustee and we got Joshua Gotbaum, who has no airline management experience. He is spending massive amounts of money for consultants to reinvent the airline. He also is responsible for horrendous bankruptcy expenses. At this rate the cure will be worse than the disease.

If Hawaiian is in such bad financial shape, how could Gotbaum, with his lack of experience, justify requesting annual pay that would have been second highest only to Continental's CEO? Because of a public outcry, Gotbaum has reduced his annual pay request but demands a success fee that could be in the millions. If Gotbaum wins a success fee, I suggest that it be held in escrow for several years so his success can accurately be determined.

Terry Nelson
Waipahu

Don't blame mascot for your jealousy

Oh come on, the vilification of University of Hawaii mascot Vili looks like nothing more than a thinly disguised attack on Coach June Jones and his successes by a bunch of jealous malcontents. To attack a mascot to get at the coach sure seems disingenuous at best.

What would these people want for a mascot? A banana slug, an anteater or a politically correct, utterly ridiculous fir tree dancing around, as some schools have done? I would venture a guess that few of these complainers have been to any UH men's volleyball games and watched Vili interact with the crowd. If they had, they would see that he acts as a better cheerleader and gets the crowd more involved than anyone since Alan Hackbarth and his dancing. The opposing teams and fans interact with him in a positive way and fun is had by all.

A lot of people are either unhappy about or jealous of Jones' salary and, in a perfect world, no coach should get paid that highly; but neither should movie stars, professional athletes and entertainers. Unfortunately, in our society we place a higher monetary value on entertainment than almost any other field. This isn't Jones' fault, it's ours. To take it out on Vili is unconscionable.

Michael Cutler
Kaneohe