Former candidates: Collect your signs!
To all of the politicians who lost in the primary election, it is time to remove ALL of your signs and banners from public view. There were so many signs and banners put up this election year that it became a blight on the landscape.It has been more than two weeks since the primary election, and many of the signs are still up with "mahalos" attached. Please show some class and remove them so the signage pollution will be partly alleviated.
To the politicians who are running in the general election: Please remove your signs within a week after the election so our island beauty can be seen without your smiling faces getting in the way.
Punaluu
Race-baiting pols should be swept up, too
Mayoral candidate Mufi Hannemann said his opponent, Duke Bainum, "insisted he wants to sweep up City Hall. He's not just talking about Jeremy Harris, he's talking about all the hard-working Filipino employees whether you are an appointee of the Harris administration, whether you are civil service. ..." (Star-Bulletin, Oct. 4).Actually, what I hope to see Bainum do once he is elected mayor is sweep race-baiting, scare-tactic-using politicians like Hannemann off the island.
Waipahu
Lower volume on ads made game enjoyable
Mahalo to the University of Hawaii for "lowering the volume" and frequency of their commercials last evening. Out of respect and in thanks for that response, I made sure I viewed every "commercial" on the big screen throughout the game. That was truly a win-win situation for all. I do hope this continues. I truly enjoyed the game.
Kailua
Muslim woman points way to tolerance
Bravo and a Mahalo nui loa! to Mona Darwich-Gatto for her column, "It's Time for Muslims to admit problem" in the Sept. 18 "Keeping Faith" section of the Honolulu Star-Bulletin.How sad that this wonderful piece of journalism was left to an Islamic layman to write. How sad that it wasn't written by a Muslim imam or an Islamic ayatollah. But instead, it was written by one of the lowest of the lowly in Islam, an insightful Muslim woman!
Approximately 1,300 years after the presence of Jesus Christ on this earth, fundamentalist Christian leaders felt compelled to wage crusades and wars against "non-believers" and anyone else who did not conform, in belief or practice, to the infallible teachings of the Christian leaders. While I do not necessarily agree with him, it finally took one of their own, a lowly Augustinian monk, Martin Luther, to wake up the established church, helping to bring back love and compassion to most branches of Christianity -- as Jesus Christ had originally taught.
It has now been approximately 1,300 years since the presence of Muhammad on this earth; and now fundamentalist Islamic leaders feel compelled to terrorize and wage wars against non-believers and those of us they consider to be "infidels."
I pray for a Martin Luther to rise up within the worldwide Islamic community, once again bringing back love and compassion to all branches of Islam, just as Muhammad had originally taught! Is this asking for the impossible?
Can the three major Abrahamic faiths ever be brought together in fellowship, toleration and understanding? Yes, it will take a miracle, but Mona Darwich-Gatto has pointed the way!
Honolulu
Bush, Sharon follow parallel courses
It is increasingly hard not to draw a parallel between America's misguided President Bush and Israel's misguided Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. Both are involved in colonial misadventure in the Middle East. Both have vowed that they will bring peace with security to their nations by waging war. Neither boast has been successful; no one feels safer and no one is safer. To have peace one must be peaceful! First rule of the universe.Palestinian fighters resenting Israel's brutal occupation recently "broke through" the Gaza Wall by firing homemade rockets with tragic consequences. The Palestinians have paid dearly: dozens have died; dozens have been maimed; dozens of homes demolished; farms and orchards bulldozed; schools, commerce, health care impossible. Yet, the voices of opposition to occupation are not heard through the media, but they are there.
Meanwhile, Bush's occupation of Iraq is an unmitigated disaster just as Sharon's has been of Palestine. Both occupations should end now.
Kailua
Civil war may solve exit strategy for us
President Bush says he is a unifier and brings people together. Sen. John Kerry disagrees and says Bush creates divisions among the people. But consider Iraq.Osama Bin Laden wants theocracies in Middle East countries; Saddam Hussein wanted to perpetuate his secular government. They are natural political enemies because of these widely divergent goals. But now their forces have been unified in fighting and killing Americans to drive us out of Iraq. We have to give credit to the unifier, President Bush, who brought those enemies together.
Of course, as soon as we leave Iraq, those two groups will begin killing each other to determine who will rule Iraq in the future. This sounds like an exit strategy that might appeal to a lot of Americans.
Honolulu
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