• Criminal bullies • Impressed with Hanalei Gourmet • Obama and Constantine • Thanks, Wilcox Hospital Criminal bullies My family experienced violence. After reading the letter from Julia Owens (“Angry and disgusted,” July 28) I wonder how many other families have been damaged as
• Criminal bullies • Impressed with Hanalei Gourmet • Obama and Constantine • Thanks, Wilcox Hospital
Criminal bullies
My family experienced violence. After reading the letter from Julia Owens (“Angry and disgusted,” July 28) I wonder how many other families have been damaged as ours have been.
My son-in-law, originally from New England, was in the U.S. Navy stationed on O‘ahu when he was brutally beaten. He spent many months in the hospital, is now deformed and suffers still.
As far as I know my family never hurt anyone, at least not intently. But, that doesn’t mean that others will not hurt us.
Yes, there are always two sides to a story and often attacks are in someway either provoked or justified in the attacker’s viewpoint. I have had good generous friends and at the same time have witnessed my daughter’s male friends being beaten by bullies.
Why do we accept this?
I do believe by allowing the bullies to get away with their violence it reinforces it and escalates the behavior. This behavior should be disciplined in the home but when it becomes criminal it should be dealt with as such.
It is criminal to inflict damage on someone and it is not justified just because someone doesn’t like someone or they think that they need to be taught a lesson. It is a crime.
I don’t accept it but I don’t do anything about it because justice is hard to come by, and like most people I am afraid to stand up to bullies. Isn’t that why we have laws to define crime and penalties to deter it?
Maurizia Zanin, Kalaheo
Impressed with Hanalei Gourmet
I am a complete and utter “newbie” to this island that I have loved forever and now call my home. I eat frequently at the Hanalei Gourmet not only because the food is amazing but, more so, it is the people that work there.
I’ve watched each and every one of them serving the visitors never without happiness and diligence. Recently and sadly, they lost a co-worker and friend.
The employees of The Hanalei Gourmet never broke rhythm and continued to serve with their same cadence, even though the loss loomed large.
I want them to know that I noticed this and to say that their composure in the midst of their loss was admirable. And that is why I love living here.
Pam Druary, Princeville
Editor’s Note: President Barack Obama has never been a Muslim. He was raised in a secular household and is a committed Christian.
Obama and Constantine
It is interesting to compare Barack Hussein Obama with Constantine (280-337 AD).
Both men grew up under a different religion and converted to Christianity as adults. After conversion, each of them used the support of millions of Christians for political advantage to become the most powerful man on earth.
The conflict of interest makes both conversions questionable. However, after they achieved power, their actions tell different stories. After becoming Emperor, Constantine made Christianity legal. Later, he worked to promote Christianity in various ways.
After using Christian votes to get elected, Obama is now more interested in promoting Islam, the religion of his youth. Obama has dropped all references to Islamic radicalism. He has imposed crippling rules of engagement in our fight against radical Muslims in Afghanistan. Obama instructed NASA that one of their three main goals should be making Islam look good. What does that have to do with space exploration?
From Alexander the Great until today, Afghanistan has never been tamed by invading armies, even without our current rules of engagement. Why would our left-wing, Islam-promoting president want to scale up an invasion of Afghanistan? Why would Obama send more and more young Americans in, with the limitation that when they are being shot at by these radical Muslims, they are often not allowed to shoot back?
I can only think of two possible reasons. One: he feels he has to take a different approach than Bush did (with his more limited engagement in Afghanistan), even though a big invasion makes no sense. Two: he wants the world to see that Muslims are able to defeat America in battle. This second choice seems to be the only logical explanation.
I would like to know if you have any other explanations or if you think we have any chance of victory in Afghanistan, with our crippling rules of engagement.
Mark Beeksma, Koloa
Thanks, Wilcox Hospital
I want to sincerely thank Dr. Downs, Dr. Elliot, Dr. Lee, all staff and nurses, lab, X-ray tech for the exceptional care I received during my visit in emergency room June 13.
I was so sick I had to go to the emergency room. Dr. Downs was the ER doctor that night. After all results of blood drawn he said I had a kidney infection and that I needed antibiotics.
After I got home I felt a little better and went to sleep. At 6 o’clock the nurse called and left a message asking how am I doing, so the next morning June 14 I called ER right away, Dr. Elliot told me to come to ER now if I can so I went, a male nurse already waiting for me, put me on the gurney, gave me warm blanket, then Dr. Elliot came in right away telling me that I had some kind of pneumonia that I needed stronger antibiotic, so I had to stay in ER for almost three hours to finish IV.
I was dehydrated and felt much better after. When changing shifts Dr. Elliot came to tell me that Dr. Lee is taking over. Even the male nurse came to say hope I will feel better and see me again. I said yes maybe at the sunshine market not in ER, and he laughed. Again, thank you.
Linda Torres Makiramdam, Lihu‘e
