The Democratic Party establishment in Hawaii and its politically ambitious former state Attorney General Doug Chin were hoping that Hawaii could be pivotal in bringing down one of President Donald Trump’s key policies.

As it turns out, the whole effort was as much of an embarrassment as the false nuclear missile alarm that made the Democratic leadership under the incompetent Gov. David Ige the laughingstock of the world.

Now we have something real to worry about — Kilauea. At least we seem to be doing a better job with that one.

Let’s just hope Chin stays out of it.

Edward D. Lasky

Hawaii Kai

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Say no to higher condo towers

I do not understand why we have any rules on how high developers can build towers in Waikiki and Kakaako.

In the last two years, four projects have received approval from the City Council to build higher than currently approved. Now another developer is asking for waivers for two more towers (“Developer questioned on number of affordable units in its project,” Star-Advertiser, June 25). It also is asking for other variances from approved city requirements.

I support affordable housing. If all of these units were affordable, I might be supportive of height variances. But no one can really believe that this will be the plan for these towers.

I’ll be contacting my City Council member and request he vote no on this waiver request. I recommend everyone do the same.

Larry Dove

Waipahu

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Historic firearms keep history alive

A “zero-tolerance” policy for idiocy would be really useful.

Dedicated and knowledgeable collectors like Garret Ogata keep history alive and inspire young scholars who can touch and examine the artifacts that convey the human details of otherwise abstract and dry historical narratives (“Civil War guns open classroom rift,” Star-Advertiser, June 24).

Holding a Minié ball in your hand and hefting the rifled musket that would send it crashing into a line of men is a much more affecting experience than simply reading about a particular battle, and adds significant educational value.

Taught correctly, history is upsetting, even offensive at times, but we must learn from the past, lest we repeat our failures.

Blind adherence to Board of Education Policy 305-1 isn’t beneficial to our students, nor to the society in which they live. Historic firearms are the right kind of guns and living history to have in the classroom.

Kudos to Ogata for enriching his students’ educational experiences.

Brian Isaacson

Kailua

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New house looks beautiful

Today I noticed something that made me happy.

Across the street from Windward City Shopping Center, a house is under construction. Only the wood frame and some windows are up.

It made me smile because unlike the soulless, sterile, view-obstructing, neighborhood-ruining, money-generating, plant-free, obese rectangular boxes that are going up around town, this home actually looked beautiful.

It’s one story with wide eaves and an elegant pitched roof. There will be a lanai in the back and a covered carport in the front. Older trees were kept, and there’s room for a modest yard surrounding the whole house.

Thank you, whoever you are, for giving me a little faith that not all people think only about money when they tear down and rebuild.

Connie Wickware

Kalihi Valley

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Border separation abuse of children

In response to Joan Rank, I must say she is wrong on many counts (“Trump subjected to selective outrage,” Star-Advertiser, Letters, June 22).

The outrage is not just because of widely circulated pictures; people were upset about child separations before the pictures. The American Association of Pediatrics has called the child separations state-sanctioned child abuse. The United Nations’ top human rights official has called it abuse.

Illegally crossing the border is basically trespassing. Illegal, but not such a heinous crime that justifies separating families. That is excessively punitive, like capital punishment for jaywalking.

Terrence Ching

Palolo

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Owner can refuse to serve Sanders

If the U.S. Supreme Court ruled a bakery could refuse to make a wedding cake for a gay couple because of the owner’s deeply held beliefs against gay marriage, then surely the owners at Red Hen had the right to refuse service to Sarah Huckabee Sanders because of their deeply held beliefs in human decency (“Trump delays response to eatery’s snub,” Star-Advertiser, June 26).

Mark Doo

Nuuanu