The Domestic Violence Action Center’s CEO Nanci Kreidman wrote an excellent commentary stating that client contacts to the center have jumped 62% during the pandemic lockdown (“Domestic violence victims need a home,” Star-Advertiser, Island Voices, May 22). Requests for legal information increased 271%.

I am a retired attorney who spent 40-plus years running a large Honolulu divorce and family law firm. My personal experiences confirm this sad trend. So many divorce cases include elements of spousal violence nowadays that our firm must hire experienced criminal law attorneys to handle them.

The latest tragic fourth-grade school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, was heartbreaking and inhumane. And shootings near a Blaisdell Center graduation — WTF (“3 hurt, gunman arrested in shooting near Thomas Square,” Star-Advertiser, May 28)?

Our country seems hopelessly polarized, nasty and increasingly violent. Stabilizing traditional community values, basic morality and nuclear families have broken down. Prodded by incendiary social media, our civilization seems to have lost its civility.

We need to get a grip on this now- prevalent “anything goes” mentality.

Bradley Coates

Waikiki

Elect representatives who will protect us

Most countries have people with mental health problems, drug and alcohol addictions, extremist views, pandemic isolation and economic stress. Yet in no other country are mass shootings epidemic or even common.

It’s not just horrific school shootings, either. More American children now die by gun violence each year (homicide, suicide, accidents with unsecured weapons) than police officers in the line of duty. It has become a leading cause of death for children.

It’s any government’s foremost obligation to protect its people from harm. The fundamental purpose of Congress is to represent the people. The great majority of Americans, including thousands of gun owners, favor the passage of red-flag laws, expanded registration and background checks.

The U.S. House has passed such proposed laws, yet a minority in the Senate opposes even allowing debate on the subject. Who, exactly, do they represent?

Our own role in this crisis is to choose representatives who will actually do their jobs. This November, let’s only elect or reelect leaders and representatives who will address the gun violence epidemic and finally take action with sensible legislation that can save thousands of American lives.

Sue Cowing

Niu Valley

Train teachers, guards, and harden all schools

There are lessons to be learned from the recent school shooting tragedy in Uvalde, Texas. Schools should have fans or air conditioning to allow for locking down all classrooms. Schoolyards should be closed off to unauthorized visitors. Visitors should be funneled to a single entry point and scanned for weapons.

Teachers and guards should be allowed to carry concealed weapons to defend themselves and others from armed attackers. Concealed weapons will make it impossible to determine who are authorized to carry weapons. All authorized weapons must be carried on the person and not in purses or desks, where they may be stolen or withheld when needed.

Finally, principals should be held responsible to manage all defenses to their schools, including planning, organizing, manning and funding as required. The state should budget for necessary training and hardening for all schools.

Russel Noguchi

Pearl City

Prevent disturbed teens from buying weapons

Instead of being all “livid” about who did or did not do what and casting about to assign blame, wouldn’t it be refreshing if the so-called leader of the Great Fundamentalist Vigilante State of Texas took a step back to acknowledge that this is all happening on his watch, and that “The buck stops here!” (“As police waited, children inside Texas school called 911 begging for help,” Star-Advertiser, Top News, May 27)?

Perhaps then he could pass a truly groundbreaking law that prevents disturbed and disaffected teenagers from purchasing weapons of mass destruction. Constitutionality is not an issue in Texas, as we have seen.

If people like Salvador Ramos still want to play with these types of guns, send them to the Army recruiting office, where they’re more likely to receive the necessary background checks.

Jared Wickware

Kalihi Valley

We need ‘well-regulated’ militia promised to us

We have to acknowledge that there are a few crazy people among us. There are unstable people in our communities for a whole bunch of reasons and some people go out of control sometimes.

We do allow unstable people to own tons of guns, and therein lies this plague of random, senseless, horrific shootings.

We need that “well-regulated militia” that the Second Amendment promises us. What we have now is chaos.

John Berestecky

Palolo

Abercrombie links SB 2510, special interests

I want to thank former Gov. Neil Abercrombie for his letter in support of Hu Honua, the tree-burning power plant, and Senate Bill 2510, the special interest legislation in support of Hu Honua and other combustion power plants (“Hawaii needs Hu Honua, energy independence,” Star-Advertiser, May 26).

It’s refreshing to hear such honesty from a politician. Abercrombie said out loud what that bill’s author, state Sen. Donovan Dela Cruz, and its advocates have so strongly denied: This bill was written to benefit a few corporations, which has been obvious to any clear-eyed observer since its introduction.

I can understand if he doesn’t care that Hu Honua would increase rates on Hawaii island and accelerate the climate crisis. But has he not figured out SB 2510 also would raise rates on Oahu? Or does he not feel concern for that detail, either?

When Abercrombie lost his party’s primary nomination for a second term, he was widely viewed as out of touch and cynically unconcerned with real issues. I admire his consistency over time, but still I’m surprised he would throw his lot in with the dirty tricks of Dela Cruz.

Russell Ruderman

Keaau, Hawaii island

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