Print
E-mail
Comment
Rate
Letters for Saturday, May 2, 2009
•Pay it forward
•Give peace a chance
•Don’t encourage illegal cockfighting
Pay it forward
On Monday, April 27, I was having some problems with my debit card. My number was changed without my knowing it. After I went to the bank and withdrew some money to send to my granddaughter, I went to start to shop.
I got to the cash register, did not have enough money, and was totally embarrassed. I was looking in my bags to see what I could put back — I was $19.96 over.
This lovely woman behind me in line gave her credit card to the cashier and said she would pay for the difference. I asked her for her address, but of course she wouldn’t give it to me. She said if you see this happening, I hope you will do the same. It brought to mind the movie “Pay It Forward.”
Thank you for showing me what aloha is. Only on Kaua‘i, this is da place.
James Mullen, Kekaha
Give peace a chance
The Garden Island missed some great opportunities to present a balanced view when it published two in-depth front-page installments of a series on the military recruitment of our youth as a solution to the downturn in the job market. (“Some locals look to military for a steady job,” “Residents join Army to broaden their horizons,” The Garden Island, April 19, 20)
On the previous Saturday, TGI published a front page story promoting PMRF’s latest plans for a permanent presence and pre-emptive launching site on Kaua‘i. (“PMRF breaks ground on ‘eternal memorial,’” The Garden Island, April 11)
It seems to me that TGI is doing the exclusive bidding of the all-powerful military, instead of being a watchdog of our obscenely bloated bureaucracy and empire-building military schemes.
Objectively reporting both sides of the issue would have required featuring at least one front-page story about the appearances of the distinguished Col. (ret.) Ann Wright on Kaua‘i on April 17.
Col. Wright is retired because she is one of only a few government employees who refused to partake in Bush and Cheney’s pre-emptive invasion and occupation of Iraq. She is a 29-year veteran of the U.S. Army, and spent 16 years as a diplomat in Afghanistan and other hotspots.
Col. Wright spoke to three high school classes during the day. In the evening, she spoke to a packed house at the Lihu‘e Neighborhood Center. The events were sponsored by the Kaua‘i Alliance for Peace and Social Justice.
During her talks, Col. Wright painted an entirely different picture of today’s military life than that of the recruiters and the TV ads, one in which approximately 33 percent of women and 10 percent of men are sexually attacked by their fellow soldiers. One in which thousands of young people are forced to re-enlist, and many are returning home with permanent brain injuries or missing limbs.
The needless slaughter of over 1 million Iraqis and over 4,000 Americans continues, as do the Afghanistan and Pakistan atrocities. The colonel’s recent visits to Gaza gave us a picture of the same inhuman conditions, all funded by our tax dollars and the bodies of our family members.
To all the young people of Kaua‘i, please don’t accept that military service is a solution to any obstacles in your lives. You are the hope for the future. Without you, there would be no military madness, no eternal human misery.
Bless you if you feel the need to serve your country. Consider doing something positive for the human race, and gain some great benefits, as well. There are other options like the Peace Corps (www.peacecorps.gov) or AmeriCorps VISTA (www.americorps.gov).
In the epic words of Buffy Sainte-Marie, another great woman warrior (and resident of Kaua‘i):
And he’s fighting for democracy, And fighting for the reds, He says it’s for the peace of all, He’s the one who must decide, Who’s to live and who’s to die, And he never sees the writing on the walls, He’s the Universal Soldier and he really is to blame, His orders come from far away no more, They come from him and you and me, And Brothers can’t you see, This is not the way we put an end to war.
Fred Dente, Kapa‘a
Don’t encourage illegal cockfighting
I was shocked and disappointed by the Del’s Farm Supply ad for Hawaiian Gamecock Maintenance feed in Wednesday’s edition. It is inappropriate to support cockfighting by carrying this product as cockfighting is not only cruel and immoral but also illegal.
While I have been a customer of Del’s in the past, I won’t patronize them again until they stop carrying products that encourage illegal behavior.
Susan Wortman, Princeville
•Give peace a chance
•Don’t encourage illegal cockfighting
Pay it forward
On Monday, April 27, I was having some problems with my debit card. My number was changed without my knowing it. After I went to the bank and withdrew some money to send to my granddaughter, I went to start to shop.
I got to the cash register, did not have enough money, and was totally embarrassed. I was looking in my bags to see what I could put back — I was $19.96 over.
This lovely woman behind me in line gave her credit card to the cashier and said she would pay for the difference. I asked her for her address, but of course she wouldn’t give it to me. She said if you see this happening, I hope you will do the same. It brought to mind the movie “Pay It Forward.”
Thank you for showing me what aloha is. Only on Kaua‘i, this is da place.
James Mullen, Kekaha
Give peace a chance
The Garden Island missed some great opportunities to present a balanced view when it published two in-depth front-page installments of a series on the military recruitment of our youth as a solution to the downturn in the job market. (“Some locals look to military for a steady job,” “Residents join Army to broaden their horizons,” The Garden Island, April 19, 20)
On the previous Saturday, TGI published a front page story promoting PMRF’s latest plans for a permanent presence and pre-emptive launching site on Kaua‘i. (“PMRF breaks ground on ‘eternal memorial,’” The Garden Island, April 11)
It seems to me that TGI is doing the exclusive bidding of the all-powerful military, instead of being a watchdog of our obscenely bloated bureaucracy and empire-building military schemes.
Objectively reporting both sides of the issue would have required featuring at least one front-page story about the appearances of the distinguished Col. (ret.) Ann Wright on Kaua‘i on April 17.
Col. Wright is retired because she is one of only a few government employees who refused to partake in Bush and Cheney’s pre-emptive invasion and occupation of Iraq. She is a 29-year veteran of the U.S. Army, and spent 16 years as a diplomat in Afghanistan and other hotspots.
Col. Wright spoke to three high school classes during the day. In the evening, she spoke to a packed house at the Lihu‘e Neighborhood Center. The events were sponsored by the Kaua‘i Alliance for Peace and Social Justice.
During her talks, Col. Wright painted an entirely different picture of today’s military life than that of the recruiters and the TV ads, one in which approximately 33 percent of women and 10 percent of men are sexually attacked by their fellow soldiers. One in which thousands of young people are forced to re-enlist, and many are returning home with permanent brain injuries or missing limbs.
The needless slaughter of over 1 million Iraqis and over 4,000 Americans continues, as do the Afghanistan and Pakistan atrocities. The colonel’s recent visits to Gaza gave us a picture of the same inhuman conditions, all funded by our tax dollars and the bodies of our family members.
To all the young people of Kaua‘i, please don’t accept that military service is a solution to any obstacles in your lives. You are the hope for the future. Without you, there would be no military madness, no eternal human misery.
Bless you if you feel the need to serve your country. Consider doing something positive for the human race, and gain some great benefits, as well. There are other options like the Peace Corps (www.peacecorps.gov) or AmeriCorps VISTA (www.americorps.gov).
In the epic words of Buffy Sainte-Marie, another great woman warrior (and resident of Kaua‘i):
And he’s fighting for democracy, And fighting for the reds, He says it’s for the peace of all, He’s the one who must decide, Who’s to live and who’s to die, And he never sees the writing on the walls, He’s the Universal Soldier and he really is to blame, His orders come from far away no more, They come from him and you and me, And Brothers can’t you see, This is not the way we put an end to war.
Fred Dente, Kapa‘a
Don’t encourage illegal cockfighting
I was shocked and disappointed by the Del’s Farm Supply ad for Hawaiian Gamecock Maintenance feed in Wednesday’s edition. It is inappropriate to support cockfighting by carrying this product as cockfighting is not only cruel and immoral but also illegal.
While I have been a customer of Del’s in the past, I won’t patronize them again until they stop carrying products that encourage illegal behavior.
Susan Wortman, Princeville
 |
||
| Letters for Friday, May 1, 2009 |
Related headlines
- Letter for Wednesday, July 8, 2009
- Letters for Wednesday, November 26, 2008
- Switch off the lights for Earth Hour
Article Rating
Reader Comments
The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of kauaiworld.com.
kona wrote on May 2, 2009 9:24 AM:
" To Susan Wortman, I agree, but we should also include the medias that choose to advertise for them. "
interesting wrote on May 2, 2009 9:31 AM:
" ---- "empire-building military schemes"......come back to earth dude (also, should following your own advice at all seem correct, consider noting in your pentagon pitch that: a) modern battlefield medical triage allows for an especially high survival rate; b) the services integrated racially far sooner than almost all other large institutions; and/or, c) depending on the branch and a few other factors, the US military can and does often invest significant and valuable resources into these young recruits, the likes of which few groups are able to do....especially in a place like Hawaii, with what we have seen of the educational system and opportunities generally).
otherwise, a good example of how parroting just a few jaded jabs clouds a well intended message (which, to its credit, notes a handful of actionable and helpful specifics) "
otherwise, a good example of how parroting just a few jaded jabs clouds a well intended message (which, to its credit, notes a handful of actionable and helpful specifics) "
gilgamesh wrote on May 2, 2009 1:05 PM:
" I HAD TO PUT ON MY READING GLASSES TO "RE-READ" THIS IDIOTS LETTER AGAIN, "GIVE PEACE A CHANCE"...PLEASE, IF YOU READ THIS,,,"MOVE" TO ANOTHER COUNTRY....YOU AND ALL YOUR ILK ARE LOSERS, A DRAIN ON THE SOCIETY,,,OUR MILITARY IS THE ONLY THING KEEPING YOU SAFE YOU MORON,,,I KNOW, I KNOW,,TIS CHILDISH TO CALL NAMES..BUT FRED DENT,, YOU ARE A MORON,,GET A LIFE "
getalife wrote on May 2, 2009 6:30 PM:
" I served 6 years in our beautiful military and it was the best thing to ever happen to me.
I never saw or heard of ANYONE being sexually assaulted during those entire 6 years.
O.K. you hate America and you hate the military, I get it. "
I never saw or heard of ANYONE being sexually assaulted during those entire 6 years.
O.K. you hate America and you hate the military, I get it. "
JKDownDaMiddle wrote on May 3, 2009 12:28 PM:
" Mr Dente,
I must admit, you have me totally baffled.....I'm trying to figure out how an 'eternal memorial' at PMRF could in any way be considered a 'pre-emptive launching site'...and their presence IS permanent. At least as much so as your's and mine are anyway.
Eleven years(1982-1993) in the Army (enilsted and Officer grade!)and I NEVER saw OR heard of any sexual assualts-male or female. Race was NEVER an issue....that's all leftover 'NAM' (expletive)!
The Military IS a great chance for a young person to move on and move up in life. Let's start with a College education...learning a tech trade...how to deal with peers, subordinates, and superiors(very important these days as this seems to be left out of the 'Parental home training program'..). Learning the meaning of Respect- given and earned.(not some lolo's bumpersticker) How to process and accomplish a task.
I must ask, are you also one of Juan Wilson's 'wacko brigade' claiming that the super ferry was only a ploy of the Govt. to allow the Military an easy way to 'invade' Kauai...? Sure sounds like you're cut 'liberaly' from the same cloth.
If you really want to do something positive for our U.S.of A., move to Venezuela...PERMANENTLY! Senor Chavez needs you! Oh, and take 'Leftygolefiter' with you ...PLEASE! Mamby pamby paranoid unAmerican Chicken Little loving kooks! Without a military...we would not be able to rant and rave here in this forum...really!
And on top of all that, human nature is NOT peace loving....since Able 'n' Cain or if you prefer, since one Caveman knocked heads with another. Plant vs plant, animal vs animal, Clan vs clan, tribe vs tribe...that is our history. That is our nature! You guys always seem to forget that. Oh, but I do agree, 'peace' Is a wonderful sentiment .
Peace Brah! "
I must admit, you have me totally baffled.....I'm trying to figure out how an 'eternal memorial' at PMRF could in any way be considered a 'pre-emptive launching site'...and their presence IS permanent. At least as much so as your's and mine are anyway.
Eleven years(1982-1993) in the Army (enilsted and Officer grade!)and I NEVER saw OR heard of any sexual assualts-male or female. Race was NEVER an issue....that's all leftover 'NAM' (expletive)!
The Military IS a great chance for a young person to move on and move up in life. Let's start with a College education...learning a tech trade...how to deal with peers, subordinates, and superiors(very important these days as this seems to be left out of the 'Parental home training program'..). Learning the meaning of Respect- given and earned.(not some lolo's bumpersticker) How to process and accomplish a task.
I must ask, are you also one of Juan Wilson's 'wacko brigade' claiming that the super ferry was only a ploy of the Govt. to allow the Military an easy way to 'invade' Kauai...? Sure sounds like you're cut 'liberaly' from the same cloth.
If you really want to do something positive for our U.S.of A., move to Venezuela...PERMANENTLY! Senor Chavez needs you! Oh, and take 'Leftygolefiter' with you ...PLEASE! Mamby pamby paranoid unAmerican Chicken Little loving kooks! Without a military...we would not be able to rant and rave here in this forum...really!
And on top of all that, human nature is NOT peace loving....since Able 'n' Cain or if you prefer, since one Caveman knocked heads with another. Plant vs plant, animal vs animal, Clan vs clan, tribe vs tribe...that is our history. That is our nature! You guys always seem to forget that. Oh, but I do agree, 'peace' Is a wonderful sentiment .
Peace Brah! "
hulali wrote on May 6, 2009 12:49 PM:
" Gamecock is nothing more than a high grade chicken food. I feed it to my parrots, hens and exotic pet roosters. They are spoiled now and don't like scratch. Just because Dell carrys a food product that implies rooster fighting doesn't necessarily mean that everyone who buys it is engaged in illegal activity. Dell is a great company that provides farm supplies at a reasonable price. Your threat of a boycott is totally uncalled for. Do you check to make sure the cosmetics you buy are not tested on animals? Do you make sure the meat you get from the store is from humanely housed and slaughtered animals? Do you wear leather? If animals rights are SO important that you cannot even tolerate a product with a name that implies improper treatment of animals, then maybe you should re-evaluate your animal activist position, and take a stance on all animal mistreatment. "
You must register with a valid email to post comments. Only your Member ID will be posted with the comments.
Registered users sign in here: |
Become a Registered User |
RSS
leftygoleftier wrote on May 2, 2009 7:22 AM: