While it is entertaining to join with others of similar conviction and gleefully point out the obviously awful things about President Donald Trump, we deceive ourselves if we think his supporters are not aware of his demerits. Yet they rejoice in his choices of conservative judges and his efforts against the hated liberals who have threatened their world with support of same-sex marriage, abortion, welcoming of foreigners, restrictive gun laws — things that threaten their values.

If we wish to win over any of Trump’s base, we must resist the temptation to self-righteously expound on the Trump negatives that already are well understood by most voters and concentrate on discovering ways to present progressive ideas in ways less insulting to the Trump faithful.

John M. Flanigan

Kaneohe

Climate change inaction bigger long-term story

This reader has been impressed by recent Star-Advertiser editorials supporting the impeachment of President Donald Trump (“It’s now time to impeach Trump,” Dec. 15; “Impeachment trial awaits better rules,” Dec. 20). Your case for Trump’s moral and emotional unfitness to be this country’s leader is quite compelling.

Then again, is the current crisis — the weird attempt to blackmail the Ukranian president to serve Trump’s personal political agenda — really unexpected? After all, over the last three painful years, Trump’s unfitness for office has been made abundantly clear.

But one can wonder how people, say in 2040 or 2050, will reflect not only on this impeachment drama, but on the Trump presidency in general. Isn’t it likely that for these people living in a much hotter, more chaotic, more perilous Earth than ours, Trump’s real “high crime” in their eyes will be his denial of the reality of climate crisis — his refusal to initiate policies, when there was still time, that might have averted the worst catastrophes of global warming?

Noel Kent

Manoa

Why won’t city give Makiki a dog park?

Advocates for a Makiki dog park tried for years to get permission from the city to turn a disused piece of land near the freeway in Makiki District Park into a dog park. There would have been zero cost to the city, as the advocates were willing to pay for design, construction and maintenance; all we needed was the OK.

Parks Director Michele Nekota killed the idea at a Makiki Neighborhood Board meeting.

Now the city wants to put a dog park in heavily used Ala Moana Regional Park. What’s the difference between dogs in Makiki District Park and dogs in Ala Moana Regional Park? I wonder what it could be.

Steve Miller

Makiki

Gabbard marches to a different beat

Many have criticized U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard for her “present” vote on impeaching President Donald Trump. They claim that she isn’t representing the will of her constituents who “overwhelmingly” support impeaching Trump.

This isn’t something new in politics. At $500 million per mile, the rail is the most expensive rail project in the country and 90% of the people won’t use it. Yet our lawmakers consistently vote to support it.

More than 70% of the people support the Thirty Meter Telescope. However, our elected representatives are in hiding, with only a handful who openly voice their support for the TMT.

We already have three political hacks in Congress who just follow the party line. We don’t need a fourth. This one-party state keeps churning out political hacks. Gabbard marches to the beat of a different drummer, which is refreshing. I am not a Gabbard supporter, but I am seriously considering it.

Bert Oshiro

Hawaii Kai

Public can offer views on judge’s performance

This year, Circuit Court Judge Fa’auuga To’oto’o gave a sentence of 10 years probation (plus time served) to the Kahaluu man who confessed to murdering his tenant and leaving the young man’s body in a shipping crate (“Kahaluu man gets 10 years’ probation in tenant’s death,” Star-Advertiser, Dec. 13).

Here is how the public can weigh in on a judge’s courtroom sentencing habits or judicial conduct or fitness: Write a letter to the Judicial Selection Commission, six months before the end of a judge’s term, and state your reasons why he or she should not be given another term. (In the middle of a term, a judge can only be removed from the bench due to the judge’s personal misconduct.)

Judge To’oto’o’s current 10-year term expires Oct. 6, 2020. Next April, go to www.courts.state.hi.us to find out if the judge requested an additional term. The website will also tell you where to send your letters regarding the judge’s judicial performance, including his sentencing history.

Anne Miller

Kaneohe

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