Letters to the Editor – 9/3/14

‘Factual’?

I love MidWeek and think it adds such value to the community, but I was very concerned and disappointed to find inaccurate information presented as fact in Jerry Coffee’s column “Ferguson Lesson: Do What The Cop Says.”

Editorials serve a vital role in advancing public discourse, so author opinions should flow freely, but news organizations have a responsibility to ensure columns do not include incorrect facts, both for the sake of public knowledge and their own credibility.

Mr. Coffee writes that Michael Brown was shot as he charged toward the officer, referring to this as “what we know” and “the factual knowledge,” but several eyewitnesses say Brown was shot while surrendering with his hands up, leaving so many questions about what really happened that a grand jury has been called.

The bottom line is that Mr. Coffee’s “factual” claims have not been proved and should not have been presented as if they had, especially involving an event of this significance.

Mary Pratt
Mililani

Well interpreted

As an active pastor and chaplain for 50 years, I loved the well-balanced hermeneutical approach in Jay Sakashita’s column, “Women, The Bible And Interpretations.”

Contrary to one right-wing critic of that informative article, I worship only the living word (Christ), not the written word (resulting in “Bibliolatry”). Doesn’t “full submission” to God still allow for a broad spectrum of Biblical interpretations?

John A. DeSaegher Colonel, U.S. Army
(Retired)
Ewa Beach

10 football fixes

In light of UH athletic director Ben Jay’s hint at cutting the football program, here are the top 10 ways to save UH football:

10) Lift all restrictions on buying beer at Aloha Stadium!
9) Sell half-price beer after the game!
8) Have a cheerleader or Rainbow Dancer drive you home (yours, not hers) if you’re too drunk!
7) Rehire June Jones!
6) Threaten to rehire Fred von Appen!
5) Pro bono coaches! (Tomey, Wagner and Miano are still around.)
4) Schedule only “body bag” games (rich, powerful opponents pay you to lose big time)!
3) Start Wahine football! (The Wahine programs are doing just great.)
2) Get the politics out of UH! Then you can hire properly and fire somebody without having to pay them! Maybe even find who was responsible for the Wonder Blunder!
1) Bite the bullet and realize that most college athletic programs lose money.

Leighton Loo
Honolulu

Send your letters to dchapman@midweek.com.