Picture the old western movie scene in which the gun-toting marshal confronts the bad guys and drives them out of town. Only the scene that played in Waikiki was Mayor Rick Blangiardi with his trusty sidekick, Police Chief Joe Logan, facing off against the parish priest of a Waikiki church. The marshal ordered Fr. Lane Akiona of St. Augustine By the Sea to shut down the church outreach to the poor, which has served free hot lunches every weekday for about 50 years.

The lawmen’s threat was that they would step in and shut it down if the church didn’t. It seems the motley lunch crowd of poor and homeless people are not welcomed by the tourist industry, particularly the Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort across the street.

It’s not the marshal’s first face-off against churches with a mission. Ask the River of Life folks he drove out of Chinatown. In fairness, there are bad actors among the street people, but they are not the majority of the poor and hungry.

The mayor clearly loves good “optics” — in news photos weekly at city and private business events.

I don’t think I’m the only one who does not think this is a good optic for you, Mr. Mayor. Or for the police chief.

Mary Adamski

Palolo

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