Dear Sir:
Richard Wolfgram wants 'honest discussion,' but honesty to him seems to be a cheap thrill in bashing everything wrong about Tonga, and anything associated with Tongan people.
His infamous 2005 published attacks on Tongans living in Utah, and Tongans in the Mormon Church, is continued here in your publication. Was it the death nail that served the demise of his publication, Ano Masima?
His latest trip to Tonga with his ...Ugly-American... eyes illustrates my point: Too many ...Westerners... (anyone putting Tonga down in comparison to Western countries standards), including Richard, have no respects for the survival of the Tongan culture....
My rebuttal to Mele Lynch...s letter addressed her conflicting mission: She...s protective of the environment while she abhors the beauty of preserving Tongan traditions. I maintain that the latter are more important to those of us Tongans who support their preservation.
Unfortunately, Richard could not add anything constructive to rebut my view except lashing out with personal attacks. Among other things, he lectured me on the proper usage of English words. Thank you Richard, but my Tongan education has served me just fine.
How about you writing an essay in Tongan, Richard?
Whether I live on the moon, in America, or in Tonga, I will always defend the preservation of Tongan traditions.
That is something Richard, and other Westerners, will never understand. Not until they understand what ...Tonga Mo...unga ki he Loto... means.
...Ofa atu,
Sione Ake Mokofisi
sionemokofisi [at] mac [dot] com
