Letters to the Editor – 11/26/14
Blame Obama
While not in favor of impeaching President Obama, I disagree with Dan Boylan’s reasons against doing so.
Unlike the well-documented lies and misrepresentations associated with the partisan passage of Obamacare, it is equally well-documented that the WMD premise for the Iraq war was a failure of domestic and foreign intelligence — not the lies of “neo-conservatives.” There was bipartisan congressional support and many prominent Democrats on record expounding on the WMD threat. We are now back in an Iraq in crisis because of Obama’s poor decisions. Boylan presents an incomplete picture of the economy by ignoring record numbers of citizens on government subsidies and massive new debt and programs burdening future generations.
Good reasons for people to do their own homework.
John Fernie
Kailua
No more parties
George Washington predicted political parties would be the ruination of this nation, and today it’s clear Congress allows the nation to go to ruin while they blow the nation’s limited resources squabbling over political party clout!
The only non-violent way to correct that situation is to restore the right of the people to vote for the person they believe can best do the job with “write-in” candidates. That is the only non-violent way to oust the professional politicians who are only interested in getting their fingers in the till.
Rico Leffanta
Honolulu
A classy guy
I loved Bob Hogue’s column about Bob Apisa, and it does not surprise me a bit that Bob gave those Michigan State game balls away. I was older than Bob, and a fellow athlete with his brother Bill at UH. I worked four long summers with Bob lifting boxes in the warehouse at Dole Cannery. Pulling 12-hour shifts with Bob, same crew, I got to know him quite well.
The story about showing up with baseball attire from the waist down in the 1964 Punahou Relays, is the gospel truth — I was there. Bob broke my cousin Ken Souza’s state shot put record, which he set at those same relays, circa 1956, while at Waialua High.
I’ll tell you another little-known fact about Bob. I was a sprinter-jumper-javelin thrower on the UH track team. At the AAU Trials, May 1964, Bob shows up in sweatpants and, perhaps, baseball cleats to run a 100-yard heat. Duffy Daugherty (the Michigan State coach) requested that he get a 100 time for football. I, among others, chuckled at the sight, plus this big horse did not know diddly-squat about starting blocks. He still finished in 10.6, which is awesome for a man his size.
Bob did have a “class” about him, so giving that kid the ball was predictable. Hawaii has to look long and hard for another Apisa model.
Bill Souza
Honolulu
