Letters for Friday, December 7, 2007

• A professional franchise?

• China’s arrogance

• Good Americans

A professional franchise?

The University of Hawai‘i Warriors had a wonderful season and “mazol- tovs” (congratulations) go out to them.

The state of Hawai‘i does not have a professional football team, although we could support one. It would be too tiring for the visiting team in travel time and for Hawai‘i having to travel to the Mainland for every away game.

College and high school football are entertaining to watch if you are a parent, relative or friend of one of the players, or a state deprived of an NFL franchise.

Since I live in Hawai‘i and love the sport of football, I am drawn to watch the UH Warriors; however, if Hawai‘i had an NFL franchise with players who have reached the highest level, UH would be just another college team.

James “Kimo” Rosen

Kapa‘a

China’s arrogance

China’s recent arrogance and hostility to the United States must be responded to by our government. Refusing to allow the Kitty Hawk to dock in Hong Kong and also refusing safe harbor from a storm to two of our other ships is a planned hostile act.

Many countries around the world dislike us, even though we give foreign aid to most every country in the world. Regardless, if they like us or not, we must command their respect and if we do nothing in this case we will lose what little respect we have.

There is a Chinese military delegation scheduled to arrive in the U.S. soon. They should be allowed to land and then not allowed to deplane and sent back to China. We should also slap a 400 percent tax on all Chinese manufactured goods. I know we would pay more for a lot of goods but we should do it. If our government accepts the Chinese delegation and gives them the grand tour, President Bush gets my vote for the “world’s biggest wimp.”

Bob Yount

Kalaheo

Good Americans

What you support or deny always has a way of coming back to bite you.

OK, now The Garden Isle has printed four letters for the military presence here on Kaua‘i, and one letter that asks people to think.

Let’s just sum up the letters so far, shall we?

First letter says “Who would you rather attack, someone who can retaliate or someone who can’t?” And also our “strategically placed military” helps us.

And yet the country with the strongest military was attacked on 9/11, and we were attacked by a country where we have had a military base for over 50 years, two-thirds of whom were born in that country, including Osama Bin Ladin.

Second letter says if you do not fall in line, and repeat what you are told to believe, then you are a coward and not a patriot.

That sounds a lot like Hitler, Stalin and Mussolini.

Third letter says let’s base our entire beliefs on what we think today, and what we are told today by those in charge.

And yet now we learn from the NIE that Iran is not the threat to an immediate WWIII that we have been told to expect.

Fourth letter says that we will be attacked the minute we have no base. And we will then have to speak the language of whomever attacks us. As if there would be no response.

So, to sum up the letters printed so far about the military presence here in Hawai‘i, basically if you think for yourself, if you consider alternatives, then you are not what is currently considered a “good American.”

Wow.

We have come a long way in just a few short years.

There are 132 Islands, reefs and shoals in Hawai‘i.

Why put the target on your back, when you can hide the target?

That is not cowering, that is using the brain God gave you, and it does not make you anti-military.

It makes you an intelligent American.

In fact, it makes you a real patriot, not just someone who only speaks like one while putting their fellow Americans in harm’s way for their own personal agenda.

America has enemies far more dangerous then al Qaida. They wrap themselves in our flag, while damaging America from within, and they are bringing down America with their phony patriotism.

God help us.

Dennis Chaquette

Kapa‘a