As a concerned citizen, I want to thank the Star-Advertiser for “Challenge ruling on ‘open carry’” (Our View, July 30).

When I read in the paper last week of the ruling by the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals regarding the “open carry” law, I was shocked and saddened to see us, as a “civilized people,” returning to the Wild West mentality of believing that guns make us more safe.

I appreciate living in a state with strict gun laws, which, as your editorial pointed out, has led to Hawaii having the fourth-lowest gun violence rate nationwide.

I don’t want to see that changed and hope that other states take heed. We will have lost the “war on terror” if we allow fear to rule our relationships with each other and with our courts of law.

Meredith Leigh Kimitsuka

Kailua

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Rail costs soared with Caldwell

I’m not a fan of U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa. Even so, Mayor Kirk Caldwell has some nerve blaming Hanabusa for the “explosion” in the cost of rail (“Caldwell criticizes Hanabusa’s HART role,” Star-Advertiser, July 31).

On Caldwell’s watch, the cost of rail has gone up by several billion dollars. Hanabusa was in charge when there was an increase of just $384 million.

What a perfect case of the pot calling the kettle black.

Beverly Katz

Kailua

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Hanabusa attack way off the mark

Mayor Kirk Caldwell’s criticism of U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa’s tenure on the rail board is completely off the mark.

Throughout the 2016 mayoral campaign, Caldwell repeatedly praised Hanabusa’s service on the board of the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART). In fact, during a live TV debate against me, Caldwell went out of his way to specifically cite Hanabusa as a leading example of exactly how he wanted rail board members to conduct themselves.

Caldwell even added that he wanted other rail board members to act more like Hanabusa.

The mayor’s criticism of Hanabusa now, after singing high praise of her service before, is a direct product of Caldwell’s crude opportunistic politics. The plain and simple fact is that the Honolulu rail fiasco has nothing to do with Colleen Hanabusa and everything to do with Kirk Caldwell.

Charles Djou

Former U.S. representative

Hawaii Kai

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Hanabusa kept silent on NextEra

Your article reporting that Gov. David Ige and U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa both “opposed” the proposed Next-Era takeover of Hawaiian Electric Industries Inc. is misleading and needs clarification (“On the issues,” Star-Advertiser, July 29).

Hanabusa took no public stand during the entire NextEra controversy.

Meanwhile, in the Public Utilities Commission’s “case of the century,” the federal government through the Navy was one of two parties (along with the IBEW union) that made special deals with NextEra and supported the takeover.

Hanabusa’s silence stood in contrast with the mass opposition by the energy stakeholder community, dozens of state and county lawmakers, and the general public.

Exactly how did Hanabusa show that she opposed NextEra, when it actually counted?

After-the-fact “dittos” — after all the commitment and leadership it took to achieve a historic rejection of the takeover — shouldn’t count, or should be clearly reported as such.

Isaac Moriwake

Kaneohe

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Carry your bag, help environment

I was so glad to see that a majority of folks answering the Big Q are OK with the 15-cent bag fee (“How are you coping with Oahu’s 15-cent shopping bag fee?” Star-Advertiser, Big Q, July 27).

So many grumblers. Is it really that hard to carry a bag or two with you? Mine are folded up to the size of a deck of cards, or I use my backpack.

I wish folks would think more about the environment than themselves.

There are so many more pressing issues that need our attention and energy. Change is hard but it happens.

Move on.

Liz Dunn

Makiki

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Admit that Trump was a mistake

I have a polite suggestion for my fellow Americans who voted for Donald Trump in 2016.

What you might want to do now is this: Simply admit that you made a mistake. It happens to all of us. We are imperfect creatures.

It is the wise person, however, who can admit to an error in judgment, move on, and adjust his or her future behavior accordingly.

We may have 2 1/2 more years of Trump. That’s how the Constitution works. But, to current supporters of the president: Come 2020, please do not make the same mistake twice.

Kevin O’Leary

Kalihi Valley