Recently Gov. David Ige said there is no way that the state Department of Land and Natural Resources or Honolulu police could cover all state and county parks and beaches 24/7, seven days a week, to monitor and police gatherings of more than 10 people.

However, we kamaaina know that the large gatherings occur on holidays and weekends, between the hours that the parks are open to sunset, and where there are clusters of pop-up tents.

Obviously, the most effective solution to curtail the community spread due to large gatherings is to concentrate enforcement during these days and hours, in lieu of shutting down all parks and beaches.

This won’t stop all community spread due to violations, but it will help to lower the rate of infection in our lahui.

Rodney C. Go

Kaneohe

Don’t want to support those who reject vaccine

As I read various newspapers and internet sites, it’s interesting to see the numerous articles about those who were anti-vaccination and anti-mask who contracted COVID-19 and ended up in the hospital and died.

In many of the articles, family members said that they wished their loved one had gotten the vaccination. And then the next sentence is, “If you want to donate to our GoFundMe account to help pay for the funeral and the hospital bill, go to … ”.

Really? This COVID-19 pandemic has been going on for more than 16 months, more than 600,000 U.S. citizens have died and we are being asked to donate to pay for those who don’t believe that this is a real problem.

I’m sorry. As much as I care and do support those who really need it, I can’t and don’t have much compassion for those who refuse to believe the science and the doctors, and then ask for us to pay for their stupidity.

Larry Dove

Waipahu

Be more careful about what goes on front page

The decision about what goes on the front page is one of the most important decisions a newspaper makes, as it is the first (and sometimes only) thing people see. There is a duty and responsibility to make sure the message is clear so that the newspaper doesn’t engender any misperceptions to the public it is trying to serve.

So I was a little perplexed recently to see the headline, “State hits new infection record” (Star-Advertiser, Aug. 28), accompanied by a picture of a woman wincing as she gets the vaccination shot. Of all the pictures that could have been selected, you chose that one?

And earlier in that week the main headline said, “Group’s virus claims draw concerns” (Star-Advertiser, Aug. 25), which is ambiguous as best when the concern is clearly about the false and dangerous claims that COVID-19 vaccinations are a government conspiracy.

The public deserves better, especially now.

John Cheever

Kalani Iki

Even vaccinated can’t let down their guard

Those who opposed the COVID-19 vaccine have the right to refuse to vaccinate for whatever reason, but the COVID-19 crisis that is unfolding is at epic proportions. The high number of hospitalizations and increasing death toll really is alarming (nearly all new infections are of the unvaccinated).

Think two things:

First, don’t let your guard down. Even vaccinated people need to take responsibility for new infections. While we may think being vaccinated allows us more leeway from getting really sick, we may be carriers. We all need to take heed to avoid large groups, respect social distancing and wear a mask — all common-sense things that we control.

Second, if a vaccinated and unvaccinated person gets COVID-19, the vaccinated person has a better chance of a less-serious illness and not being hospitalized. That’s now a proven statistic.

Laughlin Tanaka

Pearl City

Other sports venues open; why not UH?

I totally agree that University of Hawaii athletics depends on fan revenue (“UH athletics depends on revenue from fans,” Star-Advertiser, Letters, Aug. 27).

If fans were allowed to attend the UH-UCLA game at the Rose Bowl; if family and friends were allowed to attend the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Penn.; if players are allowed to participate in outdoor team sports; if tourists are allowed to pack our beaches and parks, and indoor gatherings at bars and restaurants are allowed as well, it’s ludicrous that fans will not be allowed to attend games at the new UH stadium, which is open to the great Manoa breezes.

I would think attendance could easily be controlled by limiting the number of attendees and requiring they provide proof of vaccination. Attendees would surely provide incentive for our team to perform well.

Also, since UH requires students to be fully vaccinated, dorm residents could easily walk to home games, providing a true sense of campus living as well as additional revenue.

Linda Teruya

Makiki

Domestic terrorists more dangerous than al-Qaida

President Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw from Afghanistan has triggered an avalanche of criticisms, mostly from Republicans. Some congressional Republicans say, among other things, “abandoning Afghanistan will undermine efforts to support democracy” and “will encourage terrorist groups to launch another 9/11 attack against the United States.”

It’s hypocritical for the Republicans to say they support democracy in other countries while actively undermining democracy in America. For example, they refused to participate in the congressional efforts to investigate the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol that was committed by Trump supporters for the sole purpose of keeping him in power even though he lost the election. They passed laws to make voting harder for minorities and continue to push the “Big Lie” that the 2020 presidential election was fraudulent.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, domestic extremists (QAnon and Proud Boys) pose a greater threat to the U.S. than do foreign violent extremists like the Taliban and al-Qaida.

Rod B. Catiggay

Mililani

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