LOGIC ERROR

SOVEREIGNTY CRITIC SHOULD STUDY HISTORY

In his Aug. 10 letter "Hawaiians should just be Americans," Wayne Wisecarver states " ... just be Americans. It worked for the Irish, the Poles, the Czechs, the Germans, the Chinese, the Vietnamese ... "

This statement shows a complete disregard for world history and a huge misuse of simple logic. If Mr. Wisecarver cares to notice, Ireland, Poland, Germany, China, etc. are still sovereign countries. The Irish who became Americans came to America — whereas the country of Ireland did not become America. On the other hand, the Hawaiians did not go to America, America came to Hawai'i and illegally overthrew them.

So unless you really think that the countries of Ireland, China and the rest are actually a part of America, we would prefer you keep your poorly-thought-out reasoning in California. Apples are not the same thing as oranges.

TESTING

NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND IS JUST A FAIRY TALE

No Child Left Behind is the law of the land. John Kawamoto writes (Aug. 11) what he thinks would happen to two of his favorite fairy tales if the Board of Education lowered standards: the prince would not have found Cinderella, and the Engine That Could would not have made it up the mountain. He ends his article by saying that high standards are the only way that "education in Hawai'i has a chance of having a happy ending."

The previous day, Llewellyn Lloyd wrote about No Child from the real world. Schools are focusing their resources on reading and math while other "non-tested" areas like art, music, PE and even social studies and science suffer. Test-taking is replacing learning. But Lloyd also refers to that bell-shaped curve that reveals there is and always will be different levels of ability. Simply because politicians mandate standards, everyone will not be proficient. Using words like raising the bar, reform and accountability has dominated the national agenda.

While standardized testing should remain part of a student's education, this high-stakes testing has forced schools to narrow the curriculum and promote items that will be tested.

Perhaps we should look at No Child differently. After all, it is a made-up story where all children will be proficient in math and language by the year 2014. And it does appear that it is trying to deceive the public into believing this. Wait, No Child is a fairy tale after all.

KEEPING COOL

SHADE TREES AROUND STORES WOULD HELP

Might you consider an article on the shade trees of Honolulu that afford delightful walkways — for walkers and shoppers?

It has been brought to my attention that many stores, like Wal-Mart and Nordstrom, are planting non-shade trees (if any at all). How best might an appeal be made to contractors and retailers to plant fast-growing shade trees to afford shoppers a cooler and esthetic experience if only while walking to and from their stores to the bus stops?

This may be considered a contribution to fewer cars on the road.

MENTALLY ILL

PAPER MUST FOCUS ON MORE THAN BAD NEWS

NAMI, the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, is a leading voice for people who are living with the effects of mental illnesses. The boards of NAMI Hawaii, the state organization, and NAMI Oahu, our strong local affiliate, met on July 30. A significant topic was the recent very public discussion of the state's Adult Mental Health Division.

The 15 board members at this meeting are consumers, family members and professional providers of mental health services. We certainly agree, through our own personal experiences, that the state system has its flaws and that evidences of those flaws should be made public. But unfortunately for all of us, the problems in the mental-healthcare system and your sensationalized stories of violence blended with the words mentally ill are what seem to make "news."

You should know that there is good news, too. The concept of recovery from mental illness is no longer just a dream. Through medication and therapy, there is an avenue to a renewed way of life for the many more who have mental illness than your headlined news of recent events suggests.

It was naive of us to expect that stories of employment, personal successes and reintegration into communities by recovering mentally ill people should be front-page news. But please remember that accounts of these achievements by people with mental health disabilities are essential in the ongoing quest to erase bigotry and stigma.

EXPANDED SYSTEM

INCREASE FUEL TAXES TO FUND MASS TRANSIT

A good mass-transit system is essential for O'ahu as well as the other islands. The first line should be an east-west line on the south side of the island, followed by tubes through the island to the Windward side. Ultimately it should go entirely around the island.

In order to get it done quickly, the obvious way to get a lot of money in a hurry is to increase the gasoline and diesel fuel taxes. I suggest a 50-cent-per-gallon tax. The effect on poor folks can be offset by dropping the universal car insurance requirement, which causes many people to spend more on insurance than gasoline.

No one would even notice such a tax, especially us people who do not have cars.

BLOOD QUANTUM

KAMEHAMEHA SCHOOLS IS FOR ALL HAWAIIANS

I was elated to read Lahela Rice's Aug. 14 letter. Finally someone who knows what Kamehameha Schools is all about has shared her opinion on the subject.

Much Hawaiian community input that I've read pertaining to the Kamehameha Schools court decision was authored by those identifying themselves as native Hawaiian (50 percent or more), leaders in the Native Hawaiian community, or Kamehameha alumni who are fortunate enough to have had many family members attend the school. It seems as though this sector of the Hawaiian community has appointed itself to speak out on behalf of Kamehameha, as though Kamehameha Schools only belongs to this particular group of Hawaiian people.

Nowhere in her letter, other than at the beginning where she acknowledges that she's a Kamehameha senior, does Lahela identify herself as anything other than Hawaiian. Hawai'i was united under one ali'i nui, Kamehameha I, and thus became one people: kanaka maoli. Kamehameha Schools has nurtured many Hawaiian children over the years, regardless of Hawaiian blood quantum. The only requirement has been, and should continue to be, that some amount of Hawaiian blood is flowing through an applicant's veins at birth to be eligible to attend. Kamehameha Schools belongs to all Hawaiians, regardless of status or blood quantum.

HAWAIIANS

THE COLOR OF OUR SKIN SHOULD NOT HOLD US BACK

Wow! To read about how united the Hawaiians are regarding their rights and their school makes me cry.

I was born and raised in Hilo, left home in 1960 to pursue my education and taught in the California school system for 37 years and am now here in Nevada. The Indians have a similar situation. This issue makes me want to fight, too. My people deserve their rights as well as the whites and the Supreme Court. I don't like this; the blacks have the same issue, too. Color of your skin shouldn't be any issue.

One situation I encountered was in my second year of teaching in California. I was called into the principal's office to find a Japanese mother who was from Hawai'i. One of my former first-graders disrupted this Japanese family because of their race, damaging their windows and gate and a glass door. As I talked to this child about all of these ugly happenings, she looked up at me with her innocent look, saying, "My father said the 'Japs' are 'no-good people' and no one else in this world is better than us white people." I replied, "I am not like you, I come from Hawai'i." Her reply was, "But you're my teacher, I love you," and she grabbed me and cried.

We held on to each other and we talked till we felt good about our visit with the principal and this Japanese mother. I made an appointment to meet with this dad after school that day. I sure made my point that "color of your skin" gets the same education in my book and my school. It was brought out that "no other color is better than the white race." Lucky there was no disaster of any kind. Even though my skin is different from this child's, I was the teacher. I received an award at the end of that year.

When the bylaws state "Hawaiians only," it should be as that. I love my heritage and culture. I thank the Man Above for this in my daily prayers. Anyway, leave my people alone. I was raised on Hawaiian homestead land — lease land. We should "own" that land today.

MARINE RESOURCES

OUR OCEAN ONCE WAS ABUNDANT

I found the Aug. 11 Island Voices, "Ocean's 'rainforests' must be protected," apparently advocating the closing of the Northwest Hawaiian Islands to further taking of coral or fish, enlightening and pleasantly surprising. I know personally or by reputation three of those who signed the commentary. Their opinions are authoritative.

If we don't soon realize that unrestricted fishing will have devastating effects on all marine life, then the fish caught will continue to get smaller until they eventually disappear.

As I write this, I am painfully aware that my grandchildren will never see what I saw around our reefs or in the ocean as I dove and fished as a young person. When is the last time anyone saw a big, green uhu, a couple of nice-size kumu, a cave or a hole filled with menpachi or 'aweoweo or a big ulua around the reefs of Moanalua Bay or the North Shore of O'ahu (two areas I've dived and fished in regularly for the past 45 years)? How many can recall the huge aku schools with acres of birds on them off Makapu'u?

If you could make it through the rough waters of the Moloka'i Channel in the small boats we used to fish from to the Penguin Banks, an ono or mahimahi was almost guaranteed. What about the huge schools of otaru and 'ahi that used to show up off O'ahu's North Shore? Or the incredible winter run of marlin between Kaena Point and Kahuku? Or the large schools of akule and 'opelu that used to frequent our inshore waters? Or at night seeing the reefs from Portlock to 'Aina Haina literally lit by hundreds of torch fishermen?

We must soon realize that it will be to our economic and environmental advantage to protect our precious marine resources. I don't know the numbers but would guess that the state benefits more in terms of taxes collected and persons employed by businesses that take people diving or viewing our reefs than it does from those who deplete those same resources.

If anyone doubts the effectiveness of closing geographical areas to fishing, take a trip to Hanauma Bay. Compared to the rest of the reefs around O'ahu, it is like swimming in an aquarium.

Fishermen, by their nature, do not want their freedom to fish limited. It is understandable. Thus we need umbrella organizations like state or federal government (or their agencies) that look at the big picture. Unfortunately, efforts along these lines have not always been successful because many of those who stand to gain by continued exploitation of the resources are the decision-makers.

I have recently started deep-sea fishing again in Kona. I am amazed at the attitude change by the charter fishing boat captains and others. No longer is the culture one of killing marlin of any size. Rather, bragging rights belong to the ones that tag and release rather than kill those magnificent fish.

The point is that we have to change all our attitudes. Implementing no-take areas, catch-and-release, size and bag limits, and banning long lines and gill nets are, at the least, deserving of consideration.