I have a solution for the poor, indigent people who can’t afford bail, and for whom the “no bail” legislation will help. Don’t do the crime!

The ACLU and other bail reform organizations need to redirect their efforts toward crime reduction, instead of trying to circumvent the system to allow criminals back out on the street even faster to commit more crime.

State Sen. Karl Rhoads said he doesn’t believe crime will rise because of this action. He said it will save the state money. How, and how much? If crime isn’t going to rise, then I don’t believe the amount saved is significant enough to justify this liberal call for excusing bad behavior and traumatizing and marginalizing the victims.

The state of Hawaii is fast on the heels of duplicating the illogical liberal actions of New York and California. Don’t sign the bill, Gov. Ige!

James Roller

Mililani

Vote for leaders who support green economy

Political leaders, the business community and the general public all want economic growth. But with economic growth comes more fossil fuels consumption. The world is shifting to renewable energy, but economic growth and rising global population mean renewable sources can’t keep up, according to the International Energy Agency.

What drives the economy? Consumer spending drives roughly 70% of the economy.

Baby boomers were the dominant U.S. consumers, but they have been taken over by millennials and Gen Z. Morgan Stanley states that we may see the dawn of an economic “youth boom.”

According to the United Nations Environmental Programme, a green economy is low carbon, resource efficient and socially inclusive. We the consumers need to “vote” green with our dollars. And we must vote for political leaders who will champion a green economy. What our climate future will look like depends on how quickly we act.

Dan Nakasone

Wahiawa

Japan must recognize its role in war atrocities

Elizabeth Grant’s views are askew (“U.S. must recognize role in atomic bombings,” Letters, Star-Advertiser, May 5).

First and foremost, war is hell. Second, Japan started the World War II without declaration and by a sneak attack. Third, the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki ended the war and saved countless lives on both sides. It took two bombs days apart to convince Japan’s emperor to capitulate, though his military wanted to fight on, using civilians and children in the fight to the death.

Fourth, Japan still does not recognize its brutal occupations, especially in China and Korea, where massive atrocities and destruction are still bitterly remembered to this day. There are some “comfort women” alive today who live in shame, torment and deep embarrassment. War is hell.

Greg Casler

Kailua

City needs to alter TheBus express routes

It has been a year since our Route 80A Express was taken away, turning a 40-minute commute into a 90-minute one. TheBus and the Department of Transportation Services have used pandemic ridership numbers to justify this taking. Their representatives told me it wouldn’t be fair to leave our express route when they were taking away others, yet the A Express continues to come every 20 minutes or so.

When I suggested that one of the 80 expresses could make one stop at University of Hawaii-Manoa, dropping riders off at Sinclair Circle, they said, “We’re not going to do that.” When I asked for just one morning express and one afternoon express, again the answer was no.

Meanwhile, I watch multiple buses to Kahala Mall come by in the span of three minutes, every day, several of them practically empty. I see buses constantly canceled or out-of-service, refusing to pick up people despite clearly having passengers.

I don’t say this because I want those other routes to have less. I only ask, why we can’t have just a little?

Jeremy Rasor

Hawaii Kai

Supreme Court has always been political

Regarding Thursday’s article in the Star-Advertiser, “High court increasingly seen by Americans as too political”: Really?

Give me a break. The reality is that the Supreme Court has always been political. It was created by politicians in the first place.

Do justices have agendas? Of course they do.

In 1811, when President James Madison nominated Joseph Story as chief justice, it caused an uproar with the Federalists. And it goes on and on and on.

Americans need to wake up and smell the roses if they think the Supreme Court has not been politicized from the very start.

Louis Carnazzo

Kailua

High court disgraced for decades to come

It is upsetting to read the letter that revises history about the Roe v. Wade decision. Harold Nakagawa said it was an overreach of allegedly liberal judges (“No right to abortion in U.S. Constitution,” Letters, Star-Advertiser, May 4) — but the Warren Burger Court can hardly be labeled liberal. The 7-2 vote was made with judges who honored the right to privacy.

I was just graduating college in 1973, and I remember the joyful celebration of a woman’s right to control her body. We can all celebrate individual choice and privacy as part of human rights specified in the preamble of the Constitution; life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.

The current Supreme Court draft shows that five members stand ready to disgrace the institution by saying they would follow precedent, but then support the Federalist Society agenda instead of the American judicial system.

Although there is rampant voter suppression, voting remains our best hope of restoring the rule of law.

Sara Marshall

Aiea

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