How sad to see end of pineapple patch

No, no, no! "Pineapple Triangle" can't be gone!

Like the pineapple that soared above the Iwilei area, the Pineapple Triangle near Wahiawa (The Del Monte Variety Garden) was a historic site that should not have been destroyed ("Del Monte bulldozes pineapple memories," Star-Bulletin, May 2).

If I'm not just being a sentimental old fool, let's start a fund, buy the Pineapple Triangle from the George Galbraith Trust, replant the garden and maintain it as a treasure of Hawaii.

Sanford Okita
Pearl City

Many Tillmans making similar sacrifices

Pat Tillman's death certainly was a sad and tragic loss. His story is one that captures the heart -- the refreshing devotion to duty; the glamorous, lucrative career in professional football left behind to serve the country; the young family now without a father.

I just hope that the publicity surrounding this young man's death doesn't obscure the fact that we are blessed with a lot of Pat Tillmans. Our armed forces are filled with people who have the same strong character and personal qualities as he did. They, too, have left behind promising and lucrative possibilities in the private sector. They, too, have chosen duty over comfort and safety. And they, too, often leave behind young families.

I think we owe the same debt of gratitude to all of our courageous young men and women in uniform. Pat Tillman was special, but so are they all. Tillman's death just put a face on it.

Robert R. Kessler

Commander, U.S. Navy (retired)
Waikiki

War turns soldiers into monsters

News about mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners was disturbing enough, but worse was seeing some of the photos of gleeful soldiers displaying "thumbs up." I immediately got that same gut-sick feeling I got when I first heard about My Lai. We have not come very far since Vietnam.

We have turned perfectly normal young soldiers, beautiful children, into monsters. We have tossed yet another generation into depravity and inhumanity in the name of patriotism. We have consigned them to nightmares that will haunt them for the rest of their lives. We are creating yet another generation of crippled, twisted souls.

These people do not represent all American troops; they do not represent all Americans. Still, we have to take responsibility. Hate begets hate.

What are we doing to "support our troops"? I am calling for them to come home now.

Süs Shawhan
Waimanalo

Bush attack machine seems in full swing

The vicious Bush campaign again has its knives and lies out, as in 2000. Ultra-conservative columnist Cal Thomas (Star-Bulletin, April 28) opines about "Kerry's Catholic Problem." Why don't we hear about Bush's "born-again problem," of his alleged deep religious faith which controls his actions regarding women's rights?

And Bernardo Benigno (Letters, April 28) recites the Bush line that "he is trying to protect America." How? By starting a war against a nation that did not attack us? By increasing terrorism against us? By turning most of the nations against us through his outrageous behavior militarily, diplomatically and environmentally?

With his questionable legitimacy and no mandate whatsoever, Bush has made a shambles of our nation's reputation and future security.

Nancy Bey Little
Makiki

Clarke a great defender of democracy

Now that the 9/11 commission's public hearings are just about over, I believe Richard Clarke by far displayed the greatest courage of his convictions. Alone and under oath, in an atmosphere of intense public scrutiny on national television, he conducted himself in keeping with his testimony.

One can say Condoleezza Rice provided testimony under similar circumstances; however, she had the entire White House staff at her disposal.

Clarke should go down in history as one of the great defenders of our democracy. His call for an open government and public accountability for our government decision-makers should become a classic lesson for our school children.

Larry T. Hayashida
Wahiawa

Cut DOE bureaucrats to pay teachers more

As Rep. Chris Halford points out (Letters, April 29), Democrats in the state Legislature could have done much more for teachers than just hold press conferences and wave signs for them.

Democrats say we should "send a strong message that teachers are important and that we are willing to pay them appropriately," then they send an incomplete, politically motivated budget bill to the governor that does not address how government worker union raises will be paid for.

If the Legislature really wanted to do something for teachers this session, it could have approved Governor Lingle's plan to break up the education bureaucracy and move more resources to the school level. The top-heavy Department of Education central office is staffed with too many well-paid administrators who siphon money away from supplies, textbooks and teacher salaries.

At the direction of union leadership, Democrats have acted to the detriment of teachers by preserving high central office salaries. If teachers can manage to persuade their myopic union leadership to break up the wasteful education bureaucracy, we can free more money to pay our deserving front-line teachers a better wage.

John F. Henry
Wailuku