Plenty of laughs without comics
After nearly 30 years of living in Kona, I have earned the right to write a letter to the WHT editors. My comment is directed toward the “Don’t drop comics” commentary by the Christensens of Waimea.
We constantly laugh at the entire island culture, as one big cartoon. Whether it be a mayor using public funds for table dancers, water wells that mysteriously all fail at the same time and somehow can’t be repaired, or the 5-mile Queen Kaahumanu Highway project that is now in its 10th year and over initial budget by $45 million (according to the WHT recent article).
It’s all one big cartoon! We just laugh, knowing most of these problems, are systemic to Hawaii’s culture. Evenings, we often acknowledge, no matter how incompetent and inept the local governance is, they can’t take away our incredible ocean views and spectacular sunsets. From my perspective, you provide plenty of comic relief at WHT, with or without the cartoons.
Greg Novotny
Kailua-Kona
Song not befitting university setting
On Saturday, Dec. 9, I attended a Frank Zappa tribute concert hosted by the University of Hawaii at Hilo at its Performing Arts Center. I have listened to some Zappa music in the past, but was not fully informed of Zappa politics and his views toward religion.
The musical performance was a collaboration between Dweezil Zappa (Frank’s son), and musicians of the Hilo Jazz Orchestra, one of whom is even a good friend of mine.
To my shock, one of the early songs in the concert was a public mockery of Christians and the Bible. Performing artists danced around the stage singing ridicule at “Jesus freaks” and renouncing the Bible.
Now this is not a rant against Zappa, rock and rollers mocking Christ is no new thing, and I actually support their First Amendment rights. An orchestra of classical musicians hosted by a state university, funded with donations and tax dollars, publicly mocking my savior Christ is what offended me. It is an extreme example of poor judgment and poor taste.
The director should be called to account by the university and the university president should affirm to the community that it is a safe place for Christians to work, study and visit, free from ridicule, harassment and discrimination.
Now, I also support the right of the university to be political, and to host whoever/whatever they want. What the University of Hawaii at Hilo and its Performing Arts Center need to decide is, do they want to alienate themselves from the Big Island Christians, who are sponsors and members of their organizations and active in the community at large?
The UH-Hilo Performing Arts Center says itself that it only manages to survive from generous community donations, I suggest they not alienate themselves from Christian giving. As for the musicians and band members, they need to ask themselves where they personally stand with Christ and respecting Christians, before they play such inflammatory lyrics in public.
Had a group of artists chosen to sing about Muslim hate or sang a ridiculous song about Judaism, the University of Hawaii at Hilo might find itself the subject of a national debate.
Jonathan Cook
Kailua-Kona