• Taste of Hawai‘i apologizes
• Don’t believe dictators
• Do a triple ‘R’ solution
• Fidel would approve
Taste of Hawai‘i apologizes
On behalf of the Rotary Club of Kapa‘a and in response to Patricia Huff’s June 11 letter entitled “Bad Taste,” I would like to apologize to Patricia and anyone else who arrived at “The Taste of Hawai‘i” later in the day to find that several of the food booths had run out of food.
I understand your disappointment. Believe me, we were just as disappointed as you were with this situation. The club’s attention has been focused on this problem and we have been discussing possible solutions.
The success of “The Taste of Hawai‘i” through these many years is based upon incredible community support for the event itself and for the many causes that benefit from the funds raised. We at the Rotary Club of Kapa‘a are ever thankful for this support and will continue our efforts to improve the event for all.
Paula O’Very-Saylor
Taste of Hawai‘i chair
Don’t believe dictators
I would like to respond to the letter by Vince Jones, “Why should we care about 2 journalists?” (Letters, June 14).
Wow! I don’t know where to begin.
First Mr. Jones states, “Two members of the press (Laura Ling and Euna Lee) illegally entered North Korea, were arrested, and have been sentenced to spend time in jail. Why should we care?”
Obviously Mr. Jones believes everything that Kim Jong-il of North Korea says, but then again, it seems obvious that Mr. Jones is in the habit of believing and even more importantly, following would be dictators.
Fascism can only survive and flourish when like-minded followers support evil men.
The two journalists were working on a story about North Korean women being trafficked into China along the North Korean border. Lisa Ling said they never intended to cross into North Korea and has apologized if they left China’s border unintentionally.
They were arrested on the border. Not in Pyongyang. The two women may be sent to a kyo-hwa-so reformatory that’s the equivalent of a felony penitentiary. Torture is permitted at these facilities, and the death rates from malnutrition and disease are staggering.
Does anyone else find it ironic that these two women were trying to help women who were being kidnapped, bought and sold, and were themselves kidnapped and are being used themselves by North Korea, who hopes to profit from kidnapping them?
So I am a little puzzled myself. Is Mr. Jones just another racist or just another right-wing extremist who wanted to come on out to Hawai‘i and spread hatred?
Twelve years of hard labor in a North Korean labor prison for trying to help women who are kidnapped and possibly sold as slaves. While this letter was written, how many women and girls has North Korea sold to China?
Mr. Jones asks, “What is wrong here?” The answer is that America seems to have too many people with no heart, no empathy and no brains. And these types of people do not care about anyone. Not you, and certainly not about anyone who does not resemble them.
Dennis Chaquette, Kapa‘a
Do a triple ‘R’ solution
John Hoff and Jose Bulatao advocate burning trash for electricity, but my guess is neither would want such a pollution factory near their own neighborhoods.
The problem with these trash incinerators is that no one builds them anymore because they are too expensive. Worse, they divert valuable resources that could be recycled and burn them up into global warming producing carbon dioxide and smelly pollution for the nearby neighborhood.
A full Reduce/Re-use/Recycle program is cheaper, cleaner and lighter on the planet.
Gordon LaBedz, Kekaha
Fidel would approve
I completely agree with Pete Antonson (“Leave us alone, annoying activists,” Letters, June 14).
These upstart council members, Bynum and Kawahara, should retire to the rear of the council chambers and be seen but not heard. These modern day nattering nabobs of negativism have the impudence to suggest that the council chair should actually place proposed agenda items on, guess what, the agenda!
And they want the clerk to post council minutes and other items on a Web site? Just imagine the possible consequences if the general public could actually read the council goings on at their home computers.
Bynum and Kawahara should not rock the boat by questioning our fine tradition of island politics. Isn’t the best form of government that which is led by a benevolent dictator? That’s the way they do it on other islands, like Cuba!
Robin Clark, Kalaheo
