If only Wie could sink a few more putts ...

Being a transplanted "local" (born and raised in Waipahu), it gives me great pleasure to follow the locals in their quest for national, if not worldwide, recognition in any sport -- individual or team. Case in point was the Ewa Beach team winning the Little League World Series ... quite a feat and made us Hawaiians proud.

We have watched Michelle Wie whenever she's on TV and if not for her lack of skills in putting, she most assuredly could have won several tournaments. Her bane is always on the putting green. If she could only overcome that handicap, she would be a great golfer. But we will continue to root for her and wish her well.

Akaka Bill did not honor multiethnicity

The newly crowned Miss Hawaii, Pilialoha Gaison, described her ethnic heritage as "Hawaiian-Tahitian-Spanish-German-Italian-Filipino-Portuguese -- or mixed plate" (Star-Bulletin, June 11). This is a perfect example as to why the Akaka Bill was and is such a bad idea. Miss Gaison's Tahitian, Spanish, German, Filipino and Portuguese ancestors would have not been given the special status that the Akaka Bill would have given her Hawaiian ancestors. Her family would have been divided against itself just as the bill would have divided Hawaii.

[ QUOTABLE ] "We have to educate them about disease and disease prevention and give them tools so they are able to not share." Ken Akinaka Executive director of the Hepatitis Prevention, Education, Treatment and Support Network of Hawaii, on his group's attempt to raise money to buy "safety kids" for homeless people. The kits will include razors, toothbrushes and other personal supplies.

Officer should have done another task

With so many jobs to do in the military that do not require killing other people, I would think that a win-win solution would be possible.

Let those who believe in, and might even enjoy killing do that part of the job, and those opposed to it tend to all of the other needed stuff.

In reading the letters it seems as though the opinions are widely mixed; leading me to believe there are enough people willing to do it all without any being forced to play a role that violates their basic beliefs of right and wrong. It's easy!

Watada a good man who must be punished

I don't know Lt. Watada. He looks like an attractive, educated and fine young man. I have no reason to doubt that his actions are sincerely motivated by his conscience.

Regrettably, however, this otherwise good man should and must be severely punished. Personal conscience, no matter how sincerely felt, cannot be allowed to excuse criminal conduct. Many terrorists would claim that their personal beliefs motivated them to commit atrocities. History is replete with instances of crimes committed in the name of personal conscience and beliefs.

The country that Watada was born in, lived in and was nurtured in, the country whose Constitution and laws he swore to defend, cannot long exist if millions of its citizens can, based solely on their individual consciences, choose what laws and oaths to obey or disobey. As an American and a military officer, his act of personal conscience affects more than himself. He will have abandoned his unit and his troops and he will have endangered his country by his act of defiance.

Please, Lt. Watada, as an American who believes that you have great potential to contribute much to this country, I ask you, do not follow through with this defiance. If you must, then any good that may come from it can only shine if you gracefully accept and suffer your punishment.

I am concerned for you, but mostly, I fear for our country.

Hawaii's antipode just keeps getting better

The Star-Bulletin's Bud Smyser sent me to Botswana (then Bechuanaland), Hawaii's antipode, in the summer of 1966 to check it out (Hawaii's antipode, Letters, Star-Bulletin, May 30). My wife, Betty, and I spent a week there. We were told there were only 23 university graduates in the whole country, and only one was a woman.

We brought home two Botswana students. The University of Hawaii gave us two four-year scholarships, the Smysers and the McElraths housed the pair and the kids at Farrington High School annually contributed a portion of their carnival profits to keep the lads in jeans and spending money.

A few years ago, Betty and I were invited to a celebration of Botswana Independence Day (Sept. 30), and we learned that at that time there were no fewer than 38 Botswana students at various Hawaii universities -- and 25 of them were girls!

You can find the whole story in my new book, "Saints, Sinners and Shortstops."