Letters To The Editor

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October 07, 2009 - MidWeek

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No indoctrination

I was a colleague of Dan Boylan for more than 25 years at the University of Hawaii-West Oahu, and I am confident that he knows and teaches his subject, American history, in all its facets, with great love, insight and knowledge. He knows his stuff. In no way has he ever “indoctrinated” his students as Paul Miller charges in a letter.

I was always struck by Dan’s basic fairness and moderation.

In fact, when politics gets hot, he is in constant demand on TV and on every island in the state as a moderator for panel discussions of local politics. He can ask the probing questions in a fair and humorous manner that keeps the participants from getting uptight.

Dan Boylan’s roles as a professor and a moderator must be sharply distinguished from his role as a commentator for MidWeek, which has a format designed on purpose to provide a spectrum of opinion from right to left. He is supposed to be opinionated in his column. As a columnist, Boylan’s job is to express his opinions in a provocative, original and engaging manner. Let me assure Mr. Miller that Dan does absolutely nothing by rote. His philosophy, stated to me on many occasions, is to avoid “lockstep thinking” at all costs. For that matter, Dan is not even as far to the left as Michelle Malkin, another MidWeek columnist, is to the right.

Mr. Miller’s notion of blatantly flouting free speech and banning Dan Boylan from writing for MidWeek and from his position with the UH-WO as a popular and talented professor is a ridiculous and base canard.

Hank Chapin
Manoa

More racism

I firmly agree with Steven Gomes’ letter (GOP and race). Since Barack Obama has become president, we now have more racism in our country. Some examples: Not knowing the details, the president sides with a black professor friend of his over a white police officer, saying “they (police) acted stupidly.” President Jimmy Carter says if we do not support the president it is because we are racists, not because we do not agree with his policy. President Obama says he will sign the Akaka Bill that will divide up Hawaii into two races, native Hawaiians and non-Hawaiians.

I don’t like the way President Obama is trying to change America, and I don’t like Oprah Winfrey. I do like Bill Cosby and Will Smith, so in the mind of Mr. Gomes, does that make me a racist?

Garry P. Smith
Ewa Beach

Faith vs. science

Bob Jones has it wrong. It is not his job to prove or disprove intelligent design. It is up to the proponents of intelligent design to provide that proof.

Scientists do not debate creationists because it is pointless. Creationists believe what they want to believe, even if it is refuted by scientific evidence. All they offer is religious dogma and their belief in that dogma. Faith and belief are not science.

Evolution is based on rigorous scientific observation, discovery, testing and measuring. Science can prove or disprove something, and so far Darwin has been proven right.

Creationism and intelligent design have no place in a science class. It could be included in a class on world religions and their origins and beliefs, but then you would have to include other religions beside Christianity.

Questions for creationists: Why did an omnipotent God take six days and not six seconds to create the world? And why did he have to rest? Does an omnipotent God get tired?

Peter Chisteckoff
Mililani

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