On Sunday, I saw a B-25 in flight for the first time and came close to tears. This is the plane my dad flew in World War II. He went to war thinking he would die; he still lives in Portland at the age of 95. I wish he could have seen this magnificent, gleaming airplane in the sky.
I have to express my gratitude to the people who organized the 75th World War II commemoration. I was able to see this fabulous aerial parade that included so many airplanes besides the B-25. It was very impressive.
Mahalo.
Jan Gibson
Aiea
We should work toward common understanding
The saying, “Don’t talk politics,” is timeless. Humans have so much in common outside their political bubbles. Why spoil a pleasant conversation?
Political divisiveness is growing uglier in America, mostly because internet-driven, easy-access news options allow each viewpoint to stay in its own comfort zone. False and misleading information spewed by politicians, from left, right or center, is regurgitated ad nauseum in these political tribal news hubs and social media.
Remember, we have more in common than we have differences. Ask yourself, do I love America? Am I a patriot?
If yes, then please take a few moments each day to validate comments by politicians through nonpartisan, nonprofit organizations like FactCheck.org. We have to have the same factual baseline in order to make intelligent decisions.
Let’s heal the political divisiveness of America. Unity through truth. Otherwise it will be civil war again in America. I prefer the War song, “Why Can’t We Be Friends?”!
Pat Caldwell
Kailua
Dr. Sia’s contributions benefited all of us
The obituary section contained a notice that Dr. Calvin Sia had passed away (Star-Advertiser, Aug. 30). He was a local pediatrician who had national impacts.
Dr. Sia developed the patient-centered medical home model, which created teams of health care workers with different specialties to provide coordinated, comprehensive and continuous care. The model applied initially to special-needs children, but was expanded to include all children.
The model is now the standard of excellence and has been adopted widely throughout the nation. This is only one of a variety of programs developed by Dr. Sia to improve the health and well-being of children.
Furthermore, his concepts for improving medical care have been integrated in the medical field in general. He worked to make health care “family- centered, accessible, continuous, coordinated, comprehensive, compassionate and culturally sensitive.” We are all beneficiaries of the work of Dr. Sia.
John Kawamoto
Kaimuki
Think about others during lockdown
I watched an interview with a kupuna at the protest at the state Capitol about the current lockdown. She said she probably had a few more years to live and did not want to spend it looking at the four corners of her home.
I am a kupuna also, and I would love to be out and about and living my life. But I would feel so guilty if my lifestyle spread this awful virus, and it would break my heart if I spread it to my only child and his children, my grandchildren, because I only thought about myself and wanted to live my life the way I want to.
It is hard, but come on, people. Stop thinking about only yourself and think about others, because there is a ripple effect in your decisions.
Tina McFarland
Wahiawa
Freedom doesn’t extend to making others sick
Gary Johnson complained about how his freedoms are being denied because of the shutdown (“Restrictions trample on our freedoms,” Star-Advertiser, Letters, Aug. 30). He decried not being able to have friends over, eat in a restaurant, get his hair cut, go to school or take a hike.
What he doesn’t seem to understand is that these are duties of concerned citizens, not a restriction of their freedoms. It is our civic duty to try and stem the daily increase in the infection rate and deaths by accepting the fact that we can catch and spread the virus by not wearing face masks or through social gatherings.
The old saw that says, “Your right to swing your fist ends where my nose begins,” fits all too well in these days of the pandemic. Johnson doesn’t have the right to make me or my family or other locals ill through his selfishness.
Eileen Glaholt
Kaneohe
Children need in-person instruction at schools
The state Department of Education and the Hawaii State Teachers Association are failing our kids. The failure to provide new instruction in the final quarter of the last academic year and the inability to conduct in-person instruction are having known and measurable negative impacts on our children.
Have these organizations advised the state on the negative impacts of degraded instruction? Have they considered whether some teachers would voluntarily provide in-class instruction? Fear beyond reason and a continued failure to account for negative impacts on kids and families are harming an entire generation of students, and there appears to be no fix or end in sight.
Benjamin Scott
Mililani
Change gloves more frequently for safety
Seeing the Hawaii National Guard along with security officers screening interisland travelers, I saw something that should be addressed.
As a health care worker, I know that we must maintain cleanliness and prevent cross-contamination to help control the spread of COVID-19.
What I witnessed were caring personnel who had gloves on but did not change them with each person they encountered. I understand that they are concerned about the travelers’ welfare, but touching different people without changing gloves is spreading the germs to the other person.
I know changing gloves between each person may be tedious or uneconomical, and may cause more time delays, but I think it may help in securing more protection for our travelers.
Bonnie Matsumoto
Moiliili
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