Merry Christmas to our veterans After nearly nine years of incredible service and sacrifice, the war in Iraq has finally come to an end. And the quiet professionals who stood at our gates and who went forth in America’s name
Merry Christmas to
our veterans
After nearly nine years of incredible service and sacrifice, the war in Iraq has finally come to an end. And the quiet professionals who stood at our gates and who went forth in America’s name are coming home.
Thanks not to our highly paid politicians, but to our magnificent troops, the people of Iraq now have reason to hope for a brighter future for their children. As future generations read the illustrious history and of the gallantry displayed by America’s veterans, they will visualize a battlefield where courage ruled the day and where brave young men and women in uniform stood as giants.
Past are the days when a disgruntled public disgraced our flag and spat upon our returning warriors. Gone are any doubts as to the purpose and honor of their selfless service. Today our countrymen welcome our sons and daughters home and pay tribute to these men and women who have sacrificed so much. We veterans understand what they have done and we are grateful.
While our public celebrates and rejoices at their victory, we veterans remember that again this holiday season there are countless soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and coast guardsmen still standing in harm’s way around the globe defending our nation and our most cherished of all human liberties, freedom.
This and every Christmas, we veterans pray for their continued strength and protection, and we pray as well for their spouses, fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, and brothers and sisters. To veterans, the term is family.
Tony Elliott, Lihu‘e
The ultimate
In Steve Jobs’ biography the author suggested that the principle that guided Jobs in his quest to create a great corporation, Apple, is simplicity.
“Simplicity is the ultimate in sophistication,” said Leonardo da Vinci.
Our bureaucrats take the opposite tack: “Bureaucratic developments are the ultimate in complexity.”
Ralph Tamm, Lihu‘e
A holiday tradition
The big question this time of year is why do my people (Jewish people) eat Chinese food on Christmas?
It’s a tradition that started since most Chinese people are not Christian and do not celebrate the holiday. Therefore those in the restaurant business stay open when literally everything from shopping malls, movie theaters, bowling alleys, sporting events, public libraries, public pools, even grocery and drug stores are closed on Christmas.
On Dec. 25, the United States is pretty much closed down, but 90 years ago, things were really closed. It was either church or family and friends at home. Therefore Jewish people had nothing to do until they discovered Chinese restaurants were open.
Chinese restaurant owners did not discriminate.
They did not care whether they served blacks, Jews, Portuguese or space aliens. They treated all their customers with due respect.
This was unique at a time when a Jewish person could be turned away at the door of a restaurant since anti-Semitism was a real thing.
The Chinese restaurant owners didn’t care, and more people meant more money.
One obstruction for Jews to get over was that Chinese food was filled with non-kosher ingredients like shellfish and pork.
Some just held their nose and ate it. In the late 1950s, there evolved this humorous concept of “safe treyf.”
Obviously, treyf (non-kosher food) is forbidden but “safe treyf” means it’s prohibited but OK. If you can’t see the pork in the won-ton soup stock, or if the shrimp in the shrimp chow mein is chopped up into little tiny pieces that you really can’t recognize, then it’s OK.
The irony about all this hoopla of Jews having nothing else to do on Christmas is that Jesus himself was a practicing Jew and I would bet my matzo ball soup he would most likely have eaten kosher Chinese food on Dec. 25 with a message of peace and aloha to one and all.
Merry solstice, Happy Christmas and rejoice in Chanukah!
James “Kimo” Rosen, Kapa‘a
