Hawaii’s Legislature would do well to follow California’s lead and become the second state that bans pet stores from selling dogs, cats and birds. Oahu is widely known for its underground puppy mills that sell to pet stores with little regard for animals’ breeding standards or welfare. Recently, some homeless on the Pearl City bike path were exposed for breeding puppies to sell to pet stores. It’s this kind of lack of regulations and ethics that do both the animals and buyer an immense injustice. The argument that pet stores would go out of business clearly illustrates the amount of money changing hands with almost no scrutiny.
The law could be named after the late Pamela Burns, the Hawaiian Humane Society’s CEO for 27 years and a ceaseless advocate and tireless champion of animal rights in Hawaii. This law would honor her dedication and tenacity in advocating for the welfare of animals.
Pat Kelly
Kaimuki
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Kaiser youth hurt by adults’ bad behavior
Once again that old adage, “It’s the kids that suffer when the adults can’t get along,” has kicked in.
I was shocked that Kaiser High School canceled its football season because the administration and coaching staff could not get along with the parents. Police were called in numerous times because of numerous threats and altercations. A once-proud program is now in shambles.
I saw part of the Kaiser-Campbell game on TV and what struck me was that although the Cougars were outmanned, outweighed, outnumbered (many or all went both ways) and out-everything else, these smaller players, despite being pounded on every play, still got up and played on.
It’s the winners who get up after getting knocked down. So it looks like the REAL winners were the Kaiser athletes on the field, and the losers … well, we know who they are.
Chip Davey
Downtown Honolulu
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Get fuller analysis of Ala Wai Canal bridge
I hear arguments that a bridge over the Ala Wai Canal will facilitate crime into Moiliili. This argument is highly opinionated and gets heightened by emotions, such as the recent shooting in Waikiki (“Keep Waikiki out of Moiliili,” Star-Advertiser, Letters, Sept. Opens in a new tab20) Opens in a new tab. Stepping back, we see the recent incident occurred six to eight blocks from where the city is even considering a bridge. And the shooter actually lived in McCully-Moiliili, so to say that “no bridge” would keep bad people out of either neighborhood is unfounded.
I encourage anyone interested in learning more about a potential pedestrian bridge to attend the Oct. 5 McCully-Moiliili Neighborhood Board meeting, 6:30 p.m. at Washington Middle School. Figuring out whether to construct a bridge — and if so, where — will take months of planning, including many opportunities for community input.
Let’s judge the merits of a bridge, and whether any negative impacts can be satisfactorily addressed, after it’s fully analyzed.
Tim Streitz
McCully-Moiliili Neighborhood Board chairman
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Mueller must hasten probe against Trump
Robert Mueller, please hurry on your investigation into the Trump administration. “Twitter man” is about to start a nuclear war and everyone I know and love are in the danger area.
David Campbell
Kailua
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Move aside bully in North Korea conflict
The current diplomatic crisis involving North Korea demonstrates the danger to the world when a narcissistic bully gains control of nuclear weapons. Judging from his threatening public statements and hyperbolic bluster, he appears willing to start a war, using those weapons and killing millions of people, merely to bolster his own fragile ego and personal political power.
We need to find a way to peacefully remove this unstable individual from power before the unthinkable is forced upon us. We also need to do something about Kim Jong Un.
Greg Harding
Ala Moana
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Make pot legal, then regulate like liquor
Recreational marijuana should be legalized and regulated like alcohol. By strict regulation, our society will be able to better control the use of cannabis.
Our state — and nation — would ensure strict regulation by requiring delineation and separation of potent batches from relatively mild ones.
By doing so, there will be no mystery to purchasing pot; if potency is desired, a batch analogous to high-proof whisky can be purchased. If not, a milder high can be obtained with a supply of less-intoxicating marijuana.
This is analogous to alcohol: beer relatively low, hard liquor relatively high in intoxicants. By adherence to strict regulation, recreational use of marijuana would be as safe an intoxicant as alcohol.
Stuart N. Taba
Manoa
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Police at Haiku Stairs is welcome presence
Thank you for your article, “HPD officers help boost security at Haiku Stairs” (Star-Advertiser, Sept. Opens in a new tab12) Opens in a new tab.
As a resident in Haiku Village, I and many in the neighborhood are very grateful for the Board of Water Supply providing the HPD security to Haiku Stairs.
Between myself and a neighbor, we counted more than 4,000 trespassers in 2015 and more than 5,400 in 2016. So when HPD states it has kept “at least 900 illegal hikers” from trespassing in one month, it is a huge relief.
As it is well documented, the hikers/trespassers are a real nuisance and safety issue in our neighborhood, and I welcome the added HPD presence.
Thank you, Board of Water Supply, Kathleen Elliot-Pahinui and HPD, for starting to make our neighborhood great again.
Ray Cabrera
Kaneohe
