Letters To The Editor
June 10, 2009 - MidWeek
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Del.icio.usKeep religion out
None of the anti-equal rights, pro-discrimination people, such as Michael Teruya in his May 20 letter, can offer any logical, rational reasoning, based on facts and reality, how gay unions will negatively impact other individuals or society as a whole. They can’t. They have no case and no credibility.
Both federal and state constitutions mandate equal rights for all, period. The word “except” is not in there. “Political, cultural, biological or traditional precedence” are not considerations in the constitutions and have nothing to do with the real issue.
Equal rights is not a privilege that is “deserved” for some but not for others. Homosexuals do not want to claim marriage, just the same rights that are guaranteed. People who oppose equal rights try to hide behind the “marriage” word as a way to cover up their ignorance, intolerance, bigotry, prejudice and mean-spirited attitudes.
Bringing the word “morality” into the debate is bringing religion into it. Religions brainwash people into thinking that homosexuality is a sinful choice. Religious beliefs have no part of civil laws that affect all people of all, or no, faiths.
Fred Metcalf
Honolulu
Great, wondrous?
Letter-writer Karyn Abe is right that we all view America in different ways. But “great and wondrous” countries do not illegally invade other countries as we did in Iraq, based on lies and for the purpose of changing their government. “Great and wondrous” countries do not illegally imprison innocent people in their own countries, abuse, torture and murder them and hold them for years without evidence or trials. “Great and wondrous” countries do not support the terrorism of an illegally occupying race against the legal, rightful occupants (Israelis vs. Palestinians). “Great and wondrous” countries do not disrespect, ridicule and insult other religions and cultures, meddle in others’ affairs, attempt to dictate to them, threaten them and tell them that they cannot do the same things that we do. These are the things that cause others to hate and distrust us.
Criticism is not hate, but love and a desire to correct our bad behavior and image, just as we don’t hate our children when we criticize their bad behavior.
Bert West
Honolulu
No church taxes
To those who think that taxing churches is a good idea, think again. Once taxes are imposed on churches, the whole doctrine of separation of church and state will have to be demolished. And what does that mean? It means that churches will have full, unrestricted access to any government-funded programs. Take schools, for example. Prayer will no longer be banned from public schools. Teachers will no longer be banned from talking about God and morals. Evolution, which was never a science to begin with, will no longer be the moral absolute. Instead, God and creationism can be taught as alternative views. Christmas season can be celebrated for what it is and not some vague “Happy Holiday” season. Christmas carols and the manger scene will no longer have to be excluded from school plays. Prayer can again be used to kick off graduation ceremonies and football games. Speeches will no longer have to be censored to cater to the atheistic definition of political correctness.
Over the years, the ACLU and other liberal groups have worked hard, using the idea of separation of church and state as their platform, to silence Christians and their expression of faith and to strip Christians of any rights in affecting public policies. Once you begin to tax churches and remove that line of separation between church and state, the ACLU along with other liberal groups will no longer have any legitimate premise in objecting to churches and their influences. Hey, maybe taxing churches is not such a bad idea after all.
Kun-Chwen Oh
Mililani
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