Defeat of Akaka Bill best for isle residents

Finally! I am so relieved to hear that the U.S. Senate failed to garner sufficient votes to bring the Akaka Bill up for a full Senate vote, effectively killing it for the year. This race-based entitlement bill is opposed by the majority of Hawaii's residents and should be voted on by the populace of our state, where it would be defeated once and for all.

Watada's 15 minutes full of irony

How ironic that my husband should have his Army retirement ceremony on the same day that the future Private Watada celebrated his 15 minutes of fame ("Watada could face prison and discharge for defiance," Star-Bulletin, June 8).

Thousands of soldiers serve honorably for decades without any news coverage under commanders in chief they respect as well as under those they do not. My husband was fortunate to have served under three such honorable presidents, as well as one less respectable. Deciding which orders to follow is not the job of a soldier.

I also find it ironic that the future Private Watada's news was knocked out of the headlines quickly by the killing of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. Karma?

Watada put feelings ahead of his oath

Ehren Watada should bow his head in shame and prepare himself for some long years of hard labor at Leavenworth. He says he is an officer of honor. His actions say the opposite.

He epitomizes the "mommy's special little soldier" attitude, as if his personal feelings somehow should supersede the oath he took to take orders and serve this country.

Oh, and another thing: Real men don't quit.

Enjoy rich culture of vibrant Chinatown

As someone who has been heavily involved with the Chinese community and Chinatown for many years, I am excited to learn of Honolulu's Chinatown being placed on a list of historical areas that should be preserved.

The Preserve America Community Neighborhood designation makes Chinatown eligible for federal historical preservation funds and is very timely, with Mayor Hannemann poised to open his Chinatown Summit in June.

Chinatown has a unique character and while the dynamic of the area has changed a bit, many of the old traditions and lifestyles remain. With the city's effort to "clean up" the area, Chinatown is transforming into a vibrant setting where visitors and local people alike can come and truly experience a wealth of culture and a piece of its storied past.

I believe that Chinatown can become a vital cultural and economic center for the city of Honolulu, and I applaud Mayor Hannemann for making the revitalization of Chinatown one of the priorities of his administration.

I encourage others to join in the effort to preserve and enrich an area that serves as a reflection of Hawaii's history.

Why close freeway on graduation weekend?

Just who decided to close the freeway last weekend when it was the biggest graduation weekend of the year? I'd like to thank that person for extending my evening by two hours.

After looking forward to my son's high school graduation for four years, our family had a super evening at the ceremonies and a restaurant celebration -- only to experience a two-hour ride home to Pearl City! The joyful experience quickly became very unpleasant as thousands of motorists (like me) crept along Kamehameha Highway.

Was any forethought given to the number of cars traveling on this busy weekend? Were the stats for graduation nights of any year considered as to the "load" on these days?

Department of Transportation officials are quick to remind us of the number of cars that travel this highway every day -- they surely must know the numbers from past years. I suggest they do their homework.

Mainland has more to offer than potatoes

A "Student Union" column by Angelie Angeles (Star-Bulletin, June 8), in which she anticipates working as a page for Rep. Neil Abercrombie this summer, sounds naive about the mainland. My family lived in the Washington, D.C., area for 15 years. The only places where there are more Filipinos in the United States are New York and Los Angeles (Hawaii is lower on the list). There is plenty of rice at restaurants, grocery stores and elsewhere.

In fact, metropolitan Washington, D.C., (including the suburbs in Maryland and Virginia) has the highest ratio of professionals of Filipino origin to any other ethnicity such as doctors, dentists, nurses, lawyers, professors, computer programmers and mortgage brokers than anywhere in America!

This will be an excellent opportunity for Angelie to meet these Filipino professionals by just opening the phone book and calling the many Filipino organizations in the area and attending their many functions. There are also plenty of Filipino restaurants and specialty stores.

I sure hope she has an enjoyable internship and enjoys the opportunity there.