Raybuck should resign immediately
In your story (“KPD chief faces discrimination charges,” printed March 10), Police Chief Raybuck’s racist disparagement of Japanese Americans is shocking, incredulous and disgusting, especially in a multicultural society like Kaua‘i. It is yet another example of the wave of Trump-inspired, anti-Asian rhetoric and assaults sweeping the country.
Japanese were among the first immigrants to settle on Kaua‘i. My great-grandparents arrived on the first boatload of Japanese contract workers in 1885 and worked on the Kilauea Sugar Plantation. My grandfather ran the Lihu‘e Sugar Plantation. My grandfather ran the Lihu‘e dispensary. My parents were teachers at Waimea High School. They didn’t labor to develop the island into a sensitive, caring and acceptable community only to have their physical appearance, speech and culture mocked and denigrated by a prominent public official. Chief Raybuck should resign.
Ken Kashiwahara, Millbrae, California
There may be more to Raybuck story
On a comment made by Kaona Kipuka on TGI’s article, “KPD Chief Raybuck faces discrimination charges” on March 12. I agree with you on your comment to the article up to the point you had to mention my name as a whiner. “It takes one to no one!”
On the article of Chief Raybuck, “we finally get a police chief that was needed here on Kaua‘i and he is/was set up to fail.” Face it, we as locals makes gestures and poke fun of everyone’s race and think nothing about it. He (Chief Raybuck) may have his reasons for not giving the officer a promotion. We may not know what it is.
The officer should just accept it and move on and work harder to convince the chief that he/she deserves the/a promotion.
Howard Tolbe, ‘Ele‘ele
‘Kalapaki Craters’ are no more
Wonder of wonder, miracle of miracles! The Kalapaki Craters are no more! What happened? Did the parking lot’s surface merely subside to the same level as the deepest pothole, or did the county/state/local guerrilla crater-correcting crews spring into action? Those responsible deserve many mahalo from all of us regular beach-users who no longer need to fear our vehicles or bodies will plunge into these seaside sinkholes.
Thanks, whoever you are.
Heuionalani Wyeth, Anahola
Mahalo for repair of parking lot
Kudos to Councilman Luke Evslin, Parks and county Roads division. The huge potholes in this parking lot are now filled.
Mahalos to all who had a part in this repair.
Michael Diamant, Koloa
This is surprising news some people want the chief of police to resign. I always thought it came with the territory. To be a police officer meant you take it like the best of them. Racial remarks and everything else. Even to the point of almost getting into a slug fest with each other. Only to come back to another day as if nothing has happened. And the day continues on. And this goes for everyone involved, not just the person but those around them who this affects also. If they feel he must resign, then this is serious enough for the public. Perhaps they can put aside their differences and work together. However irrelevant the topic was between them. We’re all adults. It is like the sports world, surfing, if you can cut the heat, you’re not a professional surfer and you don’t deserve the title. Surfing at Pipeline Masters. This is the only analogy I can muster up.
“Face it, we as locals makes [sic] gestures and poke fun of everyone’s race and think nothing about it.” — Howard Tolbe
Well, Howard, maybe it’s time you DID think about it. Seriously.
Fortunately Japanese Americans on Kauai have never treated anyone unfairly. LOL.
And maybe it’s time you moved back to the mainland, Steven McMacken, where everyone is a hypersensitive snowflake like you and Ken Kashiwahara, who I’m glad to see lives in the Bay Area where people can’t go a single minute without being offended by something. Raybuck’s comment pales in comparison to so many of the racial slurs hurled around ‘aloha land’. Some years ago the chinese chief was referred to as Hop Sing, as in the Bonanza cook, and no one got offended like this. Hmm, I wonder if this is because Raybuck is White? You think???
I get the feeling the “good ‘ol boy” network doesn’t like that Raybuck is trying to bring some accountability to KPD and they are trying to oust him. He is not afraid to stand up to the internal corruption and cultural nepotism that has hampered the dept for years. Let’s bring everything out in the open and have a fair and transparent investigation of not only Raybuck, but the entire dept.
On articles of Chief Raybuck should resign. I don’t read that there was any witness(es) So, the conclusion is , “it’s all just hearsay!”
So move on!
Howard, you need to read the entire story again, and try to comprehend some if it, your trying to use “hearsay” and you missed the part that it was recorded.
Not saying he wasn’t outta line, but how many times has TR been called a Fn Haole since he started his job ??? The cancel culture is so over played people gotta stop this BS “my feelings where hurt”. Especially someone like this commenter, you live in Millbrae California !!! what does a cop in Hawaii say have any affect on you ?? why don’t you grow a pair and stop being so soft! this is a hard world we live in DEAL WITH IT !!
What an ignorant response. Typical of a certain demographic that you referenced in your letter…
Have a fair and transparent investigation however to minimize racist behavior and tolerating it ultimately leads to acceptance of such behavior as normal. Poking fun at another race and saying it’s “no big deal” is exactly how racism works. If Raybuck didn’t do it, fine. Let him continue as chief. However if he did it, he cannot effectively be chief of any police department let alone an officer of the law serving people of all races and should be man enough to resign.
Ummmm.. Howard, I’m certain that if it was you in the place of the Japanese officer you wouldn’t be saying what you are. Maybe as a Filipino you’re not cut out doing what you do… just saying… THINK!
You speak only the truth here Ken, and I can feel what you say….
Don’t pay any attention to negative comments here. Because…
The kind that back the Leader/Chief are all haole, because it is one of their own with no respect for our multi culture, here in Hawaii on Kauai.
They voice, and vent here. It is the haole soap box. What it really is: Just all useless information to anyone local, from a couple of haoles that feel they are superior to locals. They should consider leaving Hawaii, if they are so unhappy here. We take our culture seriously, with respect for each others culture, and this is why it works.
Having lived this way, only made us , the local people stronger . History proves, and shows how the way these white men think …has not been a plus for these islands.
While the people of Hawaii, worked hard, respected each other, the handful of whites had only greedy eyes on our island, for its resourses, to benifit the pocket of one. (no hard work was involved)
Now becasue of this, they want us to forget our plantation days, and ways. They want us to get over it, they say it all the time. ” Get over it . Move on” . That we are whimps, or weak. They have no clue, and they should have kept their greedy eyes open. For they, are the ones that missed it. Really missed it. To focused were the eyes , and ways of the white man, and has only shown us that to lie, cheat and steal, and back one of their own, Right or Wrong. Is the white man. Supreme. ???? Is the way.
To the white man we are now saying “Wrong…It is not.” and..when you start to offend our culture and race, you are wrong. and…no one invited you here. You don’t have to stay.
Leave. Our roots are buried deep here. You get over it, white people, and be ashamed for what the white race has done here. Really just leave, instead of crying yourself, like babies how miserable you are, all the while insulting the local people . Now here, still try to insult. By backing up a wrong, because he is white.
You white man/woman do not even like the word haole spoken. You throw a fit over it. Why ? Guilty ! Guilty of what your history, and your kind, the white man have done here. You disike the word. The word you feel is offensive to you. It is a word.
You get over it, you already tried that, white man , with removing language/words, you did not like, because you don’t understand the words, and developed your sick guilty isssues from it.
You , yes you white man made it posssible, to beat my grandmother in the school system, for speaking words of her own language. She was only 7 years old. BUT YET ..You think mocking a culture is ok, but the word haole is not. It is ok to beat children, because they don’t speak your haole words. Well haole, the word haole, stays it is part of the Hawaiian language. You get over it. You can’t get over it, can you… and are still trying hard , by trying to bring that sick history of your past,.. back by insulting another race, and culture with gestures by this suppose to be leader…that is just sick….white thinking….You are NOT Supreme beings here, and no…we will not get over it….period…
Bachi on the way, hold on for when all the bodies are discovered. You will be surprised at what will come out, if everyone brings out what they encountered, or can relate to this issue, or have been in any situation, having to deal with the Chief regarding, anything that included any form , or interaction with the mighty Chief, via oral, written, or otherwise. Racial discrimination, will be at the top of most issues. Also anyone clapping and patting the back of the Chief, claiming Hero Community minded Chief::: It is almost a guarantee, it will be a haole.
I say this, only because I have a personal issue , with the certain parts of KPD, mainily the white part of this KPD.
Rest assured, however, I honestly feel the Police Commision will do the right thing.
Chief messed up, and in moving on, this Chief will do the same …move on. I don’t think he can gain any respect back, … He should publicly apologiize, to who he did this to , and after that, also to all the people, and cultures of Kauai. Then walk away, and leave, He has failed.
DITTO!!!!! ALOHA also means GOODBYE!!! #gobackmainland
Okay, so TR apologized. Just maybe we should give him the benefit of the doubt and just maybe he will listen to those of us that have made contact with him since he moved here to share with him that what he THINKS is conspiracy is actually Truth with high levels of integrity. Otherwise chief, “I told you so”, is what my mom would tell me, when i dismissed her and her, OR my dad’s USAF Intelligence Officers’ career status and on-hand documents bequeathed to me in 2011, from our Hickham AFB experiences in 1959!
OK…. now that the dust has settled down doesn’t mean the problem has disappeared!
We know facts about Chief Raybuck such as being a Army soldier previously stationed on Oahu before being a career police officer in Los Vegas and he publicly admitted that he was wrong to say the things he was reprimanded for by the police commissioner.
So let the man do the right thing and leave by example….
Hopefully the rest of the racist bigots of every color will do the same.
We know that Hawai’i is unlawfully occupied and run without following the rules of war and all those pretending they aren’t war criminals are given notice, one at a time.