No confusion if road is privately owned

Your editorial on roads in limbo conflated two distinct categories of roads (“Resolve who owns ‘limbo’ roads,” Star-Advertiser, Our View, Dec. 2).

Mapele Road in Kahaluu is not a road with disputed ownership, so there is no need for government action or study and no “confusion.”

The issue is simple: The private owners of the road do not want to bear the expense of maintaining it. So should the government do so? I think not.

But in any case the cost should be determined before the burden is assumed.

Bill Wynhoff

Kailua

Most people prefer meat in their diet

Another bleeding-heart vegetarian complaining about enjoying a meal consisting of some kind of meat (“Plant-based diet over imu turkey,” Star-Advertiser, Letters, Dec. 1).

Seriously, Dr. Ira Zunin is just showing what most of the community wants, as can be seen by the massive support (“Community can help secure future amid climate change,” Star-Advertiser, Wealth of Health, Nov. 28).

He and his son and others are just happy they could provide what the community wanted. This has nothing to do with the joy of dead animals. Those who stick to a “grain, fruit and nut-based diet” just leave more for the rest of us.

Kip Anderson

Salt Lake

State shouldn’t pay for PISCES staffers

An obscure state agency, PISCES, is requesting $670,000 for salaries for four full-time and “several part-time staff” (“Space agency asks state for funds to keep it going,” Star-Advertiser, Nov. 30).

If we assume their part-timers are equivalent to two full-time staff, my public-school math skills tell me we are paying an average of about $112,000 per employee. And this is in addition to another $1.5 million that PISCES is requesting for fiscal year 2017.

This is another example of out-of-control government spending. Let NASA waste hundreds of billions in rocket launches. Hawaii taxpayers do not need to pay more for its own missile agency.

Glenn Young

Nuuanu

Muslim-based unit could fight ISIS

More than 70 years ago, thousands of Americans lost their homes and farms and were herded into relocation camps simply because they were of Japanese ancestry. They were treated as potential enemies of America and were denied their constitutional rights because many leaders in our country were afraid they could undermine and threaten the security of our nation by helping and assisting Japan — our principal enemy in the Pacific.

Fortunately, before the war was over, Congress passed legislation that allowed Americans of Japanese ancestry to volunteer to serve in the United States Army. Thousands of these young men volunteered to serve their country to demonstrate their loyalty and allegiance to the United States of America.

Instead of passing anti-Muslim legislation, Congress should consider passing positive legislation that would give the Muslims in our country the opportunity to serve in a Muslim-designated U.S. military unit that would be trained, equipped and then sent to the Middle East to fight ISIS and other terrorist groups.

William T. Kinaka

Wailuku, Maui

Refugees must want to be Americans

In response to Jeff Bigler (“Americans should welcome refugees,” Star-Advertiser, Letters, Nov. 30), I would like to point out a few things.

First, no one is “slamming the door” on refugees. What the opponents want is to make sure we know who is coming into the country. No one is opposed to people coming here to assimilate, become Americans and pursue their dreams, which was the case with previous generations.

Second, do they really want to come to America? Put yourself in their situation. Would you want to be loaded on to a plane and taken to a foreign land where you don’t understand the language or the culture? Or would you rather stay in a safe zone in your own country with the hope of going home at some point and picking up where you left off?

Larry Cunningham

Kailua

Don’t trust Obama on refugee issue

The obligation of Americans to accept refugees fleeing terror in their own land, provided they can be properly integrated, is tacit. (“GOP, Gabbard defy national principles,” Star-Advertiser, Letters, Dec. 1).

Likewise, it should be clearly understood that the Syrian refugee crisis carries with it an element of national security that must be effectively assessed and addressed.

Assuming both propositions are legitimate, the question then becomes: Can we trust an administration that considers “climate change” a more urgent threat than the very terrorists who are driving these refugees from their homes in the first place, to strike the proper balance between morality and safety in the formulation of resettlement policy?

Stephen Hinton

Waialua

NextEra can benefit by staying in Florida

So now we are informed that if we turn control of Hawaiian Electric Co. over to NextEra, our benefit can be calculated to be $1 per month (“Monthly savings? $1,” Star-Advertiser, Dec. 2).

Tell you what: I’ll give NextEra $2 per month to stay in Florida.

William McCorriston

Manoa