CULTURAL CHANGE

HAWAI'I'S HEART, SOUL ARE NOW UNDER SIEGE

Les Inouye's plaintive letter on June 15 strongly resonates with me.

His polite narrative of being denied entry to the Manoa Cup at O'ahu Country Club because of his casual dress reflects the feelings of many of us "locals."

Unlike Les, however, I feel we have lost more than just a bit of charm. The heart and soul of Hawai'i are under siege.

The threat comes from Mainlanders imposing "codes" that we are expected to obey. Yet, this is our place.

We should be teaching them our way, not by code, but by simply living the way we live — which basically amounts to live and let live. After all, "When in Rome..."

Hawai'i may have been conquered politically over a century ago, but there's no reason we should surrender culturally.

Geev 'em, brah!

SOCIETY

EMPHASIZE VALUES AND RESPECT, NOT HATRED

It is getting tiresome to read Eric Po'ohina's diatribes of hatred for and blame of all non-Hawaiians for his problems.

He continues to call all whites "imperialists, colonizers, supremacists, capitalist exploiters," etc. and refuses to see history is full of movement and "colonizing" (the Hawaiians included).

His words fuel a younger generation who want to justify hatred because it is easier to remain a victim by blaming than to make a choice to improve one's life and society in a realistic and civilized way.

There is good and bad in every race and in every person, and the only way we can live in the world we have created today is with education, values, respect for self and others, and hard work.

We tend to romanticize history and make one race perfect, while all others are evil. This is dangerous and has no place in our tiny island state.

I was raised here and love the land as much as he does. I do not trash the land, I help others in need and I respect others who do the same.

Sure, we have many problems, but I see many Hawaiians who work really hard to teach the next generation pride, respect for people and the land, values, and working to improve their lives.

Others want to live in anger, blame, and have racist attitudes. That is such a dangerous and destructive choice and a real waste of passion and energy that could truly help those who don't want to stay "victims."

TRAVEL

AIR FARES WON'T BE LOW IF A LOCAL AIRLINE FOLDS

I have been reading a lot lately regarding the interisland airfare war.

I can't understand why people think that go! is the savior for interisland travel.

The company has brought a temporary price war. But what do you think will happen when either Hawaiian or Aloha goes out of business?

Do you think you'll ever see a $1, $9, or even $39 fare? You won't see anything even close.

KEOLA LANE

POLICE OFFICER THANKED FOR AIDING ELDERLY MAN

Mahalo to the Honolulu police officer who came to the aid of my elderly dad, who was in physical distress on Keola Lane.

I'm sorry I didn't get your name, but many thanks for doing a great job contacting family and staying with him until my aunt arrived.

RECREATION

CITY BOWLING ALLEY PROPOSAL A GREAT IDEA

With the recent rash of public bowling alley closings, Councilmember Ann Kobayashi's proposal that the city open and operate a bowling center is a great idea.

If it catches on, now is the time to purchase the automatic pin setting and other equipment from alleys that have recently closed.

If the equipment is reusable, it could surely be purchased at a bargain price, and it would save the public tens of thousands of dollars in the construction of new alleys.

CONSERVATION

BWS MUST BETTER LINK PRICES TO WATER USAGE

Knowing that summer would precipitate governmental pleas to conserve water, our household made significant efforts to do so in recent months.

We cut our daily use from 222 gallons to 136 gallons, a decrease of 39 percent.

Yet our combined water/sewer bill for the period was only 17 percent less.

Until Honolulu learns to closely link price to consumption, there is too little financial incentive to conserve.

PRESIDENT

DIRK KEMPTHORNE SHOULD BE IN 2008 RACE

Right now, it seems pretty clear that either Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton is going to be the next president. None of the Republican candidates is electable: Rudy's too goofy; John's an old grump; Mitt is, well, just too vanilla pudding. So what are the party's options?

How about a man who was mayor of Boise, Idaho, governor of Idaho, a U.S. senator from Idaho, and who currently serves as secretary of the Interior? How about a Republican candidate who possesses charisma and intelligence, has unmatched experience in government, who speaks and projects himself with authority, tempered by grace and humility, a man who, well, is just darn likeable?

Who is that man? It's Dirk Kempthorne, and he should be running as the Republican candidate for president in 2008.

He's handsome, refreshing and appears to be a clean as newly fallen snow. So let us Republicans form a "Draft Dirk Kempthorne Committee" and get us a person who has a realistic chance of winning an election against whomever the Democrats choose as their candidate. Dirk Kempthorne is the real deal.