No, no, no! Please do not ruin the ambiance of our open-air Waikiki Shell with a tensile cover (“City proposes more than $11.67 million in upgrades to Waikiki Shell,” Star-Advertiser, Aug. 14).

I attended the Jack Johnson concert last month. Sitting under the stars is a big part of what makes the Shell such a wonderful venue.

Why would you want to block out the sky and the rain? This is Hawaii, where a little shower is welcomed.

And for the extra seating on the lawn: not needed. The Jack Johnson two-night concert was sold out both nights. So if an act has low attendance, then it is most likely the act, not the lack of seats. The grass area is where kids play and parents have room to dance. More seats with a tensile cover would turn our beloved Shell into a static concert hall.

Fix the orchestra pit and the concession row, but leave the rest alone. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

Jack Lutey

Haleiwa

Native Hawaiians aren’t just the ‘host culture’

Lt. Gov. Josh Green’s frequent reminders that his wife may soon be “the first Hawaiian first lady” are a bitter satire of the state of Native Hawaiians today.

The position of first lady is decorative: Its function is to entertain and serve the guests of the governor. It is not a position of power or influence.

How very much like that position is the role Native Hawaiians play in Hawaii. We are the welcoming “host culture” — a watered-down version of the “aloha spirit” serving as Hawaii’s competitive advantage versus the equally tropical Caribbean.

We can, like the first lady, make our pleas. But we do not call the shots, even in institutions nominally our own, like the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

It harkens back to the beads-andbaubles patronage of Native Hawaiians of the territorial days. And it is a dynamic Green would do well not to repeat.

Makana Hicks

Makiki

Thanks to city for fixing potholes on Auloa Road

Last year, I emailed the city, asking it to repair the potholes on Auloa Road coming off the Pali Highway. I’m not sure if it had anything to do with my email, but now the road has been repaved.

A big mahalo to the city for fixing that up, and an especially huge mahalo if it actually took the time to read and investigate my claim.

Jasmine Reddy

Kaneohe

Civilian suffering comes with war, militarism

Recently, the USS Bowfin near the Arizona Memorial added a history display to its exhibit: the tragedy of the Tsushima Maru, a cargo passenger ship evacuating 1,661 civilians, including children, from Okinawa. The Bowfin torpedoed the ship 78 years ago, on Aug. 22, 1944, sending most passengers to their graves.

This is not to say the Navy intentionally slaughtered these refugees, as the Bowfin and its crew believed they sank Japanese destroyers. The commander and submarine received medals. Imperial Japan forbade its subjects from speaking of the incident, after abandoning survivors in fear of further naval attack.

However, it is a misnomer to call this an accident, as if it were unexpected.

Such suffering by innocents is the inevitable outcome of wars and their preparation. From the Navy’s contamination from its Red Hill fuel tanks to the killing of Ukrainian and Palestinian children, such catastrophes are certain, not accidental, consequences of militarism that is repeated by militaristic governments.

Pete Doktor

Moanalua

To solve safety problem, tear down Pavilion No. 4

Given its history, it seems that “activation” has not been the cure for Pavilion No. 4 in Waikiki (“Waikiki residents urge city to fill beach pavilion to increase safety,” Star-Advertiser, Aug. 16).

It was nicely designed to continue the beachside design when Kalakaua Avenue was overhauled years ago, but is there any overwhelming need to keep it?

The solution is simple: Tear it down and replace it with the existing style of sidewalk. The cost to the taxpayers in future liabilities should far outweigh demolition and sidewalk replacement. Oh, and there would be more ocean views.

Andrea W. Bell

Kailua

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