• Beach wedding • Racial disparities in Hawai‘i’s criminal justice system • Where was Fox? Beach wedding When I read the letter that Rev. Christine Kube wrote, I just could not hold back. Why would Rev. Kube jeopardize her couple and interfere
• Beach wedding • Racial disparities in Hawai‘i’s criminal justice system • Where was Fox?
Beach wedding
When I read the letter that Rev. Christine Kube wrote, I just could not hold back. Why would Rev. Kube jeopardize her couple and interfere with 40 other people at another wedding on the beach? There is lots of space on Shipwreck Beach. Did she really need that particular space. It’s this kind of unprofessional conduct that gives all the wedding professionals a bad name. For the sake of not ruining my couple’s day, I would have let it pass and made a great day instead. Rev. Kube turned it into a personal battle instead of moving on and taking it to DLNR afterwards to plead your case.
Hans Hellriegel, Kapa‘a
Racial disparities in Hawai‘i’s criminal justice system
Youthfulness is an important factor in explaining why ethnic Hawaiians allegedly have higher rates of arrest and incarceration and longer jail sentences and probation than criminals of other races. In the 2000 census, the median age for ethnic Hawaiians was 25, while the median age for everyone else was 39 (the 2012 census shows a similar age disparity). Criminal behaviors — especially violent crimes deserving lengthy prison sentences — are the sins of youth rather than middle age. But the OHA report does not adequately examine and does not draw appropriate conclusions about age. It fails to compare outcomes for racial groups within specific five-year age groups.
Most so-called “Hawaiians” have most of their ancestry from other races. But the OHA study counts anyone with even a small fraction of Hawaiian blood as a “Native Hawaiian” and fails to count them in the other racial groups to which they also primarily belong. Other racial groups are not counted in this manner; thus the data are badly skewed. It’s like counting Michelle Obama as solely Caucasian because she has 1/32 of her ancestry from a white slave-owner.
Kenneth Conklin, Kane‘ohe
Where was Fox?
Cliff Waeschle’s letter (TGI Forum, June 6) repeated Fox News’ criticism of President Obama not commemorating D-Day .
In 2009, President Obama traveled to Normandy to take part in a ceremony and give a speech honoring the 65th anniversary of D-Day. Fox News was around; the praise was not.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who ran D-Day, issued a brief written statement from the White House on the 10th anniversary of D-Day in 1954. Fox News was not around and neither was any criticism.
In 2001, Bush dedicated a D-Day memorial in Virginia, and in 2004, he went to Normandy to mark the 60th anniversary of D-Day. The other six commemoration-free years, Fox news was around, but the criticism was not.
GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney spent D-Day 2012 campaigning. He tweeted a message to honor those who fought on D-Day, as did President Obama. Fox News was around, but the criticism was not.
Peter Antonson, Lawa‘i
