Letters To The Editor
October 04, 2006 - MidWeek
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Del.icio.usSupporting Dog
On behalf of all fans of Dog and Beth Chapman and their team of crime-fighters, you’re welcome for the support you’ve been shown. We appreciate your taking the time to write that thank-you letter in MidWeek (which we love too!).
Susan Lee
Honolulu
Mexico owes Dog
I may not be a fan of Duane “Dog” Chapman, but let’s put this into very basic terms:
Hey, Mexico, last time I read, haboring a fugitive from justice is illegal. Maybe Dog did do the USA a favor by bringing back a rapist for his due punishment. Maybe two wrongs do make a right.
Sherry Aussrpung
Kapolei
Corrupt Mexico
Let’s get this straight: Mexico urges millions of its citizens to enter the United States illegally, some people say with the intent of one day controlling the southwestern U.S.
Yet when an American citizen - Dog Chapman and his partners - takes a convicted rapist and fugitive out of Mexico, Dog becomes a “criminal” and our government happily works with the anti-American Mexicans to bring him back to Mexico.
This is really twisted.
Tom Hodges
Honolulu
Dog is a hero
Duane Dog Chapman reminds me of a movie I saw in the early 1980s. In it the main character resorts to vigilante action after the bad guys kill his wife and child, and the cops can do nothing. The one scene that stands out is when the hero confronts the punk nemesis atop a multi-story platform. “It does-n’t matter if you kill me, it won’t make any difference,” retorts the punk after a long struggle.
This of course is where our hero is supposed to thoughtfully reconsider his actions and reevaluate his desire for justice in lieu of modern sensibilities. Surprisingly he pushes the punk over the edge and watches him fall to his death.
More surprisingly to me, in the theater this scene invoked robust cheering from the audience.
There is an innate sense of justice average people long to see take place. When someone like Andrew Luster can hide behind extradition treaties and international boundaries, most people shake their head in disgust at how the corrupt can game the system.
When someone like Dog Chapman and his cohorts use the Alexander approach to the Gordian knot and merely go in and snatch guys like Andrew Luster, average people feel that justice has been done and have no problem with it.
Paul Mossman
Kailua
U.S. vs. Dog
As corrupt as the Mexican government is, something tells me they’re looking for a bribe.
In assisting Mexico, our own government is complicit in this scam.
Richard Miyuke
Honolulu
Keep it neutral
I agree with MidWeek‘s policy expressed in editor Don Chapman’s column “Why We Don’t Endorse Candidates.” Newspapers should report the facts and information about candidates, but not be supportive of any one candidate. Newspapers should remain neutral. I believe many people do not have time to research the candidates background and rely on what is said in the newspaper. If the paper is for a candidate then that candidate must be OK. Wrong!
Mahalo for keeping MidWeek neutral.
John P. Gallagher
Ewa Beach
Power of movies
No, contrary to what Bob Jones says, it is not alarming to see high-level Democrats pressuring ABC on the 9/11 mini-series. In fact it should have been expected. The argument is that it is just a movie, just a work of fiction. The same can be said about a Beautiful Mind, Gladiator and other movies that are based on a true story or have some inkling of being true. These are just movies, why should people care? Look at the Turkish film Valley of the Wolves: Iraq. It is just a movie, a work of fiction that depicts anti-American feelings and fictional killings by Americans. Why should we care?
The fact is that movies are more than just entertainment. They communicate the ideologies, beliefs and values, in our society. In the movies that are based on reality or a true story the movie can have further implications. Audiences become engrossed into movies, even believing the movie is reality. In this case, the ABC movie implied that 9/11 was Bill Clinton’s fault because he had a chance to stop Osama bin Laden. Although this never happened, it was shown in the movie as depicted as truth, the movies’ reality. This is communicating the belief that 9/11 could have been prevented by Bill Clinton. The problem here is that this event did not occur. The Democrats did not have a chance to stop Osama bin Ladin. But then it is just a movie, the audience will not believe the event as fact.
A Beautiful Mind is just a movie that is based on the life of John Nash. It won numerous awards including an Oscar for best picture. But people believe that the movie is accurate portrayal of the life of John Nash. They believe that John Nash had one wife and was able to overcome his schizophrenia by love and sheer will power. This is enforcing the dominant ideological belief that love can conquer all and that trying hard enough will bring success. However, the truth of the story of John Nash is quite different - a second family, Alicia’s divorce and remarriage after he won the Nobel Prize, or his adventures in Rand. Audiences believe the movie’s reality; they do not research what actually happened. Thus it is creating a lie that people believe to be truth.
Is that what they are trying to do with Bill Clinton?
The fact is, movies are more than just entertainment and works of fiction. They draw audiences into believing the movie’s reality. Movies based on true stories have audiences believing that what occurred in the movie actually happened rather than find out what really happened. Movies can have audiences believing a lie rather in the truth by having audiences draw engaged in the movie’s reality. In doing so, they communicate ideologies, beliefs and values to the audience. Therefore it is important to care about movies, and the media in general.
Justin Tom
Honolulu
Send your letters to MidWeek Letters, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 500, Honolulu, HI. 96813; by fax to 585-6324, or by email to dchapman@midweek.com. Please include your name, address and daytime and evening phone numbers. We print only the letters that include this information, but only your name and area of residence will appear in print. Letters may be edited for clarity and space.
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