Letters To The Editor
Supporting coach
Our sons’ basketball coach, Geremy Robinson of Team Opencourt Basketball Hawaii, was recently highlighted as one of Hawaii’s Most Wanted in MidWeek‘s July 4 edition. Previously we had assumed that Crimestoppers Honolulu was pursuing the most dangerous individuals lurking in dark alleys or hiding in dilapidated homes who pose an imminent threat to the community. To the contrary, our coach is one of the most public figures on the local basketball scene who is investing his life in developing young men on and off the court. If he needed to be located, a simple Google search would have revealed his non-profit basketball club and contact information.
Geremy was shocked to learn that he had an unresolved legal matter. Upon hearing of this situation he immediately reported to his local police station, paid the bail, and resolved the incident. We support our coach.
Andrew and Deborah Zimmerman, Honolulu;
Vivien Kauhola, Salt Lake;
Susan Thoemmes,Waipahu;
Brad and Arlene Campbell, Kaimuki;
Elaine Campbell, Kaimuki;
William Yung, Honolulu;
LaTressa George, Kapolei;
Peter Hochman ohana, Kahala;
Chris Cain, Kapahulu;
Richard McGriff, Aiea;
Carl Maybin ohana, Kailua;
Lindsey Henry ohana, Honolulu;
Bruce Hawkins ohana, Makiki;
Dave and Coral Andrews, Honolulu;
Pulu Ohana, Salt Lake;
Scott Macleod Ohana, Kailua;
D. Saunders ohana, Honolulu;
Alec Eror ohana, Kailua
Forever relevant
Have we reached a point in our history that Bob Jones is correct in his premise that the Constitution is a “no-longer relevant document?” John Adams wrote, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other … A Constitution of Government once changed from Freedom, can never be restored. Liberty, once lost, is lost forever.”
Have our ethical values and character so eroded that by default our Constitution is inadequate or no longer relevant? Are we so spoiled and entitled that we’ll exchange our freedom and liberty for the promise of stuff? American Statesman Daniel Webster wrote, “The Constitution was made to guard the people against the dangers of good intentions.”
Have we accepted the premise that government can manage “good intentions” better than an individual, his family, and church, so we no longer want the protections provided by the Constitution? Thomas Sowell wrote an excellent article titled “Dependency and Votes,” in which he stated “The poor have been used as human shields behind which the expanding welfare state can advance. The goal is not to keep the poor from starving but to create dependency, because dependency translates into votes for politicians who play Santa Claus… ‘Entitlement’ is just a fancy word for dependency.” Too many forget or don’t care that nothing is free, and that government can only give what it has borrowed or taken in taxes. Entitlements are either money you earned in the first place, or money someone else earned given to you by politicians. If dependency on government to provide what they deem we need and can keep is preferable to freedom and liberty of individual choice to work as hard as we choose, and be allowed to keep, spend or give to charity the majority of our earnings as we see fit, then unfortunately, I’d have to agree with Bob Jones that the Constitution might no longer be relevant. Hopefully there are still enough men and women who embrace the concept of sacred honor that Susan Page wrote about, and our Constitution can survive the attempts to fundamentally transform our nation.
Barbara O’Nale
Kapolei
Not outdated
Bob Jones suggested in his column “Considering Constitutional Rewrite” that the most empowering document in the history of human government be scrapped because it covers little “which vexes us today” and replaced with something more appropriate to “life in the 21st century.” The Constitution, a very simple document with profound impact, established a governmental system that afforded us the greatest opportunity in human history to govern ourselves without interference from an overbearing magistrate.
The Founding Fathers provided a formula for amending the Constitution to deal with the unforeseen issues that Mr. Jones is concerned about. If the American people are convinced that an issue needs to be addressed and included in the supreme law of the land, then an amendment is possible. As the founders wisely intended, the time and energy necessary to do so obligate us to build a consensus. The Constitution is not “outdated.” Let’s not throw out the document that has made us “the land of the free.”
Jim Neuman
Wahiawa
Nobody’s listening
If you had asked me a year ago, I would have agreed that Oahu needs some form of alternative public transportation besides the bus. Unfortunately, I did not realize that that alternative would be a death sentence for the bus system that serves the entire island. Since the rail will only serve a small portion of potential commuters, how can it be justified as a replacement for the current mode of public transportation in place now?
Mr. Yoshioka is being disingenuous in claiming that complaints are down. He is not a stupid man. People stopped complaining because no one is listening. Most riders are not wealthy, connected, technologically savvy people. They are hardworking people who sometimes work two or three jobs to make ends meet. If they have to spend an inordinate amount of time waiting for a bus, that cuts into their income. They don’t have time to spend at useless ignorational meetings that the City postured as informational give-and-take sessions.
Royle Kaneshige
Waialua
