• Lucky we live Hawai‘i Nei • Evolution versus creation • An act of terrorism • Consider your dues Lucky we live Hawai‘i Nei I am a proud Hawaiian, and lucky to work in our visitor industry and sharing our
• Lucky we live Hawai‘i Nei • Evolution versus creation • An act
of terrorism • Consider your dues
Lucky we live Hawai‘i Nei
I am a proud Hawaiian, and lucky to work in our visitor industry and sharing our Hawaiian culture, and all the unparalleled natural beauty of Hawai‘i Nei for visitors to see and experience.
Besides the financial benefits that our visitors afford everyone who lives in Hawai‘i, it is their genuine appreciation and respect for the Hawaiian culture, all the people they meet, and the natural beauty they see and experience that is most fulfilling and rewarding, and causes their unsolicited, honest, and envious comment, “You are so lucky that you live in Hawai‘i.”
It’s also obvious when talking with visitors that although they know that Hawai‘i is the 50th state, they clearly understand that She is not only geographically not connected to the North American continent, but Her natural beauty and genuine caring and respect of Her people are incomparable.
In the 58 years I have lived, I have met people, and thank the gods only a few, who are ideological bullies and who self-righteously say terribly offensive and stupid things like, “Hawai‘i would be a horrible place to live if the U.S.A. did not save our land,” “Japan would have overrun and enslaved Hawai‘i…if not for the U.S.A.,” and “Like it or not, you are an American citizen — show some respect, and be grateful for what you have!”
I am kanaka maoli first and foremost, I aloha and respect everyone, and I am not a racist; I just hate ignorant and stupid people.
Pepe Trask, Anahola
Evolution versus creation
Like Phil Higginbotham (“Blind faith,” Letters, Sept. 30), my head exploded when I read Mark Beeksma’s notes arguing against evolution (“Faith and science,” Letters, Sept. 26, and “Evolution and creation,” Letters, Oct. 2).
Mr. Beeksma’s understanding of evolution is wrong; over time, tiny changes do add up to large and complex results. There are hundreds of books that explain this. See Richard Dawkins’ “The Blind Watchmaker.”
Evolution is settled fact. But some people want to create the impression that there is debate. The whole structure of biology from phylum to species is based on the idea of evolution. A high-school biology student saying he is ‘keeping an open mind’ about evolution is like an algebra student saying he is keeping an open mind about polynomials. The teacher will roll her eyes and say that’s fine but you still have to pass the test.
Darwin kept his idea to himself for 20 years knowing it would upset people. When Alfred Russel Wallace came upon the same idea, Darwin rushed to publish. Since then, genes, DNA and many other scientific fields have supported and expanded Darwin’s idea.
When one takes the Bible literally, as Mr. Beeksma does and as scientists before Darwin did, it is hard to see the truth. Darwin’s genius was to see it in spite of a strong religious upbringing. Once he published, scientists like the eminent Thomas Huxley were saying, “It’s so obvious, I should have seen it before.”
Mr. Beeksma is entitled to his own opinion but not to his own facts. Darwin’s Theory of Evolution is as close to fact as one can get.
Bob Downs, Hanalei
An act of terrorism
Mr. Dittler’s letter ( “Hawai‘i part of America, for better or worse,” Sept. 25) assumes too much and while he is entitled to his opinion, unfortunately it contained no relevant facts.
Every civilized country if you go back far enough carries barbaric beginnings. The acts of Kamehameha occurred prior to the constitutional Hawaiian Monarchy.
Regardless of if a shot was fired or not, weapons used to intimidate or coerce is considered an act of terrorism. His remarks regarding an unlawful act committed 117 years ago saying that we should “forget it” assumes that anything stolen given enough time makes the thief a lawful owner.
Does everyone who have had something stolen from them by force agree with that? It wasn’t in 1950 but in 1959 that the vote for statehood was done. But to register, you had to be an American. Hawaiian Nationals had no vote.
As far as Social Security, Medicare and roads? Ever heard of this thing called taxes? Regardless of what country you come from, you pay into it, you better expect something back.
Mr. Dittler, my grandparents on my mother’s side can trace their roots back on Kaua‘i before European contact, while my grandparents on my father’s side both non-Americans come from the Visayan islands, but what does race have to do with allegiance and nationality? Nothing. Is Dittler American in origin?
The difference between you and I, Mr. Dittler, is the fact that people came from all over the world to become “Americans,” but for me, and all of my ancestors, we never went anywhere to become Americans. I do believe one thing, sir, respect is deserved and not granted, and I refuse to respect any thief who holds on to that which is not lawfully theirs.
Facts? See what your U.S. Congress has found as findings on facts and law through U.S. Public Law 103-150. You can find it at www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/24/038.html.
Dominic Acain, Kekaha
Consider your dues
Now that it has been shown that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is using money from foreign groups, including many businesses in Bahrain and other Arab countries, to finance certain election campaigns, will local businesses remain members of the Chamber?
Or do local businesses support exporting U.S. jobs? Do local businesses want cheap and inferior, and sometimes dangerous, goods imported?
I may find it difficult to patronize stores which belong to an organization that is more interested in cheap profit than in supporting the entire community.
Maybe the local Chamber will stop paying dues to the U.S. Chamber.
John Zwiebel, Kalaheo
