Let us all sing our state and national anthems

As a citizen who enjoys watching our athletic events on TV, including University of Hawaii sports, I am very disappointed with the way our national anthem and “Hawaii Pono‘i” are handled.

In previous years, the audience and fans all sang the national anthem and “Hawaii Pono‘i.”

It was one of the few times we got to sing those songs, and it was thrilling and patriotic to hear all the voices singing the national and state anthems.

Hawaii should start a national trend and have everyone sing the anthems again.

Roy L. Benham

Hawaii Kai

Christian Syrians have been vetted already

There should be no problem with vetting Syrian or Iraqi refugees.

There are thousands of them outside the U.N. refugee camps. They are the Christian and other minorities who cannot stay in the camps because of well-founded fears of persecution by the Muslim refugees there.

They stay in churches and private homes because of this reality.

They have, in effect, already been vetted by the Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant churches and charities in both the Middle East and Europe.

One of the criteria in our refugee laws is religious persecution.

We will see if these religious minorities will be welcomed by the Obama administration or if it clings to the fiction that we can only admit refugees who are selected from the U.N.-run camps.

Carol R. White

Punchbowl

Modern science helpful to Hokule‘a voyagers

In reference to Tim Guard’s on-point letter (“Ancient Hawaiians would approve TMT,” Star-Advertiser, Nov. 26), early Polynesian voyagers discovered the exactness of astronomy in navigating unseen seas.

Today’s Hokule‘a voyaging team, on a double-hulled canoe of ancient design, is applying the use of today’s technology to navigate the open seas of Earth.

Building the Thirty Meter Telescope atop Mauna Kea will, indeed, signal the continuing development of the navigational traditions of Hawaiian wayfarers who sailed uncharted waters to Hawaii.

How proud the Hawaiian navigators would be knowing that their early journey to Hawaii is enabling the Hokule‘a team to sail beyond the Pacific, and will now lead mankind into exploring the universe.

Hawaii’s future generation of voyagers can now prepare to navigate the heavens.

Charles Ota

Aiea

Natatorium should be restored to past glory

Aloha from Canada.

We attended the Nov. 11 Veterans Day ceremony in front of the Waikiki Natatorium while we were on Oahu.

We found the service very moving and everyone made us feel welcome to join in.

Our hearts go out to all veterans who struggle — may they find solace in their lives.

We also sincerely hope that government and public decisions will result in the Natatorium being restored to its past glory. Remembrance is so very important in our world.

Thanks so much for your diligence. Mahalo.

Angela and Chris Atkins

Vancouver, B.C., Canada