Letters To The Editor

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July 08, 2009 - MidWeek

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Vote on Akaka

Bob Jones’ column ” Time To Kill The Akaka Bill” makes a lot of sense. I have been in Hawaii since 1964, and while it is possible that there is popular support for Hawaiian race-based sovereignty, as OHA claims, I know few people who, in private, feel this way. Since there has been no vote taken, and polls on sensitive issues such as this are often skewed to the politically correct position, as they apparently were before the earlier vote on gay marriage, I think there should be a process for every Hawaii resident to have a say before this act that will affect us all is passed into law.

After all, the Kingdom of Hawaii was not a race-based society. Why then should sovereignty resulting from the overthrow of the kingdom be granted solely on Hawaiian racial ancestry?

Bruce Miller
Kahalu`u

Poor comparison

Marla Watanabe’s recent letter comparing the African-American civil rights struggle of the 1960s with homosexual activists’ crusade to reinvent the institution of marriage to their liking falls flat because it’s based on a incorrect premise.

This is the same tired old argument that homosexuals have been using for years, and it has been soundly rejected as proven in last year’s election, when 70 percent of African Americans voted in favor of Proposition 8 in California. This courageous vote effectively ended gay marriage in that state.

Watanabe’s comments are an insult to me and millions of other African Americans who didn’t choose to be black. In case she didn’t know, the American Psychological Association, which for many years championed gay causes, has now admitted that there is no “gay gene.” So much for scientific evidence that homosexuals are born that way!

Randy Jenkins
Aiea

Not like Jesus

I was shocked to see that MidWeek‘s editors gave Jerry Coffee another chance to denigrate Muslims and their religion.

The terms he objects to being called - biased, racist, intolerant, bigot - are indeed powerful words, especially when they are true, as they obviously are. Which is shocking to me because I’ve always admired Mr. Coffee’s service and sacrifice to our country. But he is way out of line in going to such lengths to be critical of another person’s religion. Certainly, I cannot envision Jesus Christ writing such offensive words.

Theresa Anderson
Honolulu

Double standard

OK, I get it now. According to Jerry Coffee, it’s just fine for Jews and Christians to call Biblical passages that sanction slavery and the stoning women the “infallible word of God,” but similar passages in the Islamic Koran are demonic. What a double standard! If he wants to clean up a religion, he should start with his own Christian house.

Obviously, Mr. Coffee just doesn’t get it.

James Wong
Honolulu

Good news, cause

Kudos to MidWeek for offering charitable organizations a chance to tell their stories in the new Proof Positive feature. I’m sure many nonprofits will leap at the chance to take advantage of this unprecedented opportunity.

Reading editor Don Chapman’s column about it, which also mentioned MidWeek‘s remarkable increase in reader-ship over the past year, I could-n’t help thinking, who says good news doesn’t sell papers?

Keep up the good work!

Pat Moreno
Kapolei

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