Critics of Hawaii’s challenge to the Trump administration’s Muslim travel ban have got it wrong.

It was not any legal error or misjudgment that doomed the challenge, but the mere fact that the majority of the Supreme Court are conservative justices.

Had President Barack Obama’s choice been approved in the last eight months of his term, there would have been five liberal or moderate justices on the court today, and the ruling would have been quite different.

The fact that several District Court judges and dozens of appellate court judges all agreed with plaintiffs, while only five justices on the Supreme Court didn’t, clearly demonstrate that Hawaii, Washington and other states’ attorneys general were on firm legal ground. Each of them are legal scholars and practitioners of similar intelligence and expertise.

So, let’s not criticize then-state Attorney General Douglas Chin or any of the other states for trying to protect our constitutional and civil rights against a clearly discriminatory, malicious and racist executive order.

Francis M. Nakamoto

Moanalua Valley

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‘Dial M for Murder’ deserved a review

Whatever happened to reviewing good theater?

Over the years, I have enjoyed many concerts and comedy acts at the Hawaii Theatre in Chinatown, but last weekend we stumbled upon something entirely different: A professional stage production of the classic “Dial M for Murder” with Joe Moore and Pat Sajak. I actually had never seen a simple, straight play at the Hawaii Theatre Center. The show was excellent — good theatrical lighting and sound effects — and showcased impressive acting skills from Sajak and Moore. Truly, it made for a lovely night at the theater with friends.

It’s a shame that there have been exactly zero reviews of the play, especially as it’s a fundraiser for this historic, nonprofit theater. What gives?

So, here’s my review: It’s a great play, head over to the theater to check it out. We thoroughly enjoyed it.

Jane Mount

Waialae-Kahala

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If a baker can refuse, so can a restaurant

Explain to me why the U.S. Supreme Court says it’s OK (and applauded by the conservative right) when a bakery denies service to a gay couple (based on some guy’s sincere belief that being gay is a sin), but it’s suddenly not OK to deny service to the president’s mouthpiece, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, based on a sincere belief that this administration is corrupt, racist, immoral, sexist — need I go on?

It seems to me that what’s good for the right-wing goose should be fine for the rest of us ganders.

David Young

Makiki