Aloha to the beautiful people of Hawaii. In September 2007 I experienced the most wonderful vacation and met the most beautiful people who, although strangers to me, treated me like close family.
I am very concerned for you now; my thoughts and prayers are with you all. I pray that this storm will turn back out to sea or at least do very minimal damage. I pray for your safety. Take care, my beloved ohana.
Thank you, mahalo and God bless.
Mark Eastman
Elgin, S.C.
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Bus fare increase would gouge seniors
What is wrong with this city? Us seniors have enough trouble keeping up with taxes — city, state, property — and the high cost of living in Hawaii. Now the city wants to increase our annual bus pass 214 percent, from $35 per year to $110 (“Council to consider TheBus, TheHandi-Van fare hikes,” Star-Advertiser, Aug. 21).
Don’t get me wrong; I do not mind paying something, but a $75 increase? How about a $10 increase? Enough is enough. The city is gouging every pence out of us.
Many cities on the mainland and Great Britain (including London and Leeds) let seniors ride on public transportation free. The problem is that those making the decisions don’t ride the bus so they don’t care about poorer people and seniors.
Toby Allen
Hawaii Kai
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Keep wild animals out of circuses, fairs
After 24 years, many people in Hawaii and around the world still remember the tragic death of Tyke, an innocent circus elephant. On Aug. 20, 1994, after many years of abuse and torture in captivity, Tyke tried an ill-fated attempt to escape the circus at the Blaisdell Arena, only to be cornered and gunned down by the police.
No animal should ever experience Tyke’s fate again. Keeping animals in captivity for entertainment purposes is inhumane and cruel.
In 2015, Gov. David Ige pledged to stop issuing permits for entertainment acts involving wild animals. The state Board of Agriculture will consider a proposed rule banning the importation of wild animals into Hawaii for circuses and fairs.
In his recent campaign commercials, Ige claimed that he stood against the special interests and that he “walks the talk.” Let us hope that his administration will extend our aloha to wild animals by passing the proposed ban. It would be a great part of his legacy.
Hamid Jahanmir
Ala Moana
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President tries to silence his critics
At his televised presidential inauguration, Donald J. Trump swore on the Holy Bible to “the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution.” The First Amendment guarantees freedom of speech, including specifically for the press.
Trump tries to silence the nonviolent protests of some NFL players; revokes the security clearance of a critic who is a former top government intelligence official; he threatens many others; continually stereotypes critical press as “fake news” and “enemy of the people,” the latter label inviting violence; expels a reporter covering the White House for asking critical questions; tries to censor critics on Twitter; and on and on.
One of the vital signs of a genuine democracy is general agreement on facts, together with rigorous but civil and constructive discussion and debate, this ideally aimed to promote the common good.
Trump regularly attacks all of these and more undermining democracy.
Leslie E. Sponsel
Hawaii Kai
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‘Don’t rock the boat’ Democrat politicians
Examples of Hawaii’s “don’t rock the boat” policies include no decision on the Waikiki Natatorium, no tort reform to solve the physician shortage, a never-audited state Department of Education, no fluoride in our water system and pie-in-the-sky, no-plan “all-renewable energy by 2045.”
Vote Democrat to return to President Barack Obama’s similar “non-confrontational” policies of overpaying for NATO, China stealing our intellectual property, NAFTA and China exploiting our jobs and manufacturing, ISIS spreading and slaughtering Christians, Syria gassing its people, North Korea firing missiles and threatening us, the U.S. unilaterally paying $1 billion toward the global warming initiative with no other country paying anything, Russia invading Crimea, Iran’s Middle East expansion, and lopsided EU, Mexican and Chinese tariffs.
I want Nancy Pelosi’s higher taxes, more regulations, abolishment of ICE and open borders, a $10 trillion deficit in eight years, slow economic growth, and a “cool” president. Yeah!
Gary R. Johnson
Kaneohe
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A married person can be a pedophile
Marion Walker’s letter is well-taken but I feel there are many misconceptions regarding the relationships between pedophilia and factors of biology, societal roles and gender (“Allow Catholic priests to marry, ” Star-Advertiser, Letters, Aug. 18).
Pedophilia is a discrete mental/psychological condition that is not determined, created or prevented by various factors like gender, sexual orientation, marital status or career/vocational status. Whether an individual is a man, woman, homosexual, heterosexual, married, single or divorced, he or she is either a pedophile or not. Pedophiles may inhabit any or any combination of these roles or factors.
It is true that pedophiles often seek refuge in professions where being seen as an authority figure or respected role model, with access to children, are major aspects that explain why so many offenders are found among teachers, coaches and clergy. A married priest could still be a pedophile, just as a married lay person can be.
William E. Conti
Waikiki
