• An exercise in futility
• Saddened but not surprised
• A leap of faith
An exercise in futility
Chickens. Goats. Pigs. Deer. What do these creatures have in common?
Each was brought to Kaua‘i. They have acquired feral status, roaming the wilds of forested regions in Koke‘e that have been foraged with great intensity. Each has left its mark and have moved hither and yon with their voracious appetites.
Recently, a deer was seen in the lowlands of Waimea, across from the Plantation Cottages.
Pigs have made their way down the dirt canefield roads in search for food, also.
The goats are cliffside clingers who can reach the tips of shrubs growing precariously at the edge of a precipice.
And chickens are everywhere, period.
Is a fenced-in area going to stop the devastation that these animals have wrought?
Pigs are notorious for their persistence in digging under fence lines. Goats are just as adamant and will concoct a way out with the deer trailing along.
In the meantime, these animals will devour the delicate shoots of the maile vines because they are relentless in their quest to find food. The chickens will simply fly over the fence line.
Might that planned fence be an exercise in futility and a waste of time and money? It might be best to extend the hunting period or to at least have a discussion on the feasibility of the idea.
Let’s hurry. The varroa mite is a pending threat that requires our attention.
Jose Bulatao Jr., Kekaha
Saddened but not surprised
Thanks for the warning (“What’s up with our government?” Letters, Feb. 27).
The gay hoards are at the gates! And you say it’s coming in the form of a kind of swishy Berlin airlift. Will there be B-17s or Bi-17s? Powered by flowers? Bombarding, barbarian, homosexuals! Will Sparky, the gay dog, or Big Gay Al be coming too? Oh my! Run away! Run away!
Seriously, folks, our U.S. Constitution guarantees each and every citizen the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness regardless of race, religion, ethnicity or sexuality. Our founding father had the insight to understand that there will always be people who will do what they can to trample on the rights of a minority people for any reason. Not allowing gays to have civil unions is, without question, a form of discrimination. It’s tyranny of the majority.
I don’t care if someone believes in a Christian God and a “sacred” bronze-age book, or the Flying Spaghetti Monster. People have believed in thousands of different gods and dogmas over the ages. What I do care about is them forcing those beliefs on others by denying any group equal rights. The world needs a lot more love, not less.
The only threat to heterosexual marriage, given the divorce rates, are the people in those marriages. And no preacher will ever be forced to marry a gay couple in his church. We have a secular Constitution. The United States is not a Christian theocracy. Some people just don’t seem to understand this.
The 14th Amendment says that no state can deny any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. Lastly, I would like to add that I’m saddened but not surprised by the fear, bigotry, hatred and self-righteous sense of “morality” in the letter.
Phil Higginbotham, Kapa‘a
A leap of faith
I read with interest the article in the Feb. 28 edition of The Garden Island newspaper about efforts to reduce fatalities on Kuhio and other highways on Kaua‘i.
It is a much needed effort, however, one hazard is being ignored — nighttime driving. Except in certain local areas, the highways are totally unlit at night and extremely dangerous.
The painted lane markers are worn thin and are very difficult to see at night. Add to that the fact that many people drive full time with their bright lights on and will not dim them for anyone, it seems like a miracle that there are not even more collisions, especially at night.
With billions coming from Washington for infrastructure improvements in the states, it seems like a good time to upgrade and improve the lighting on our highways. We could add more streetlights, or at a minimum, have continuous lane marker reflectors on both sides of the lanes or even just reflective paint lane markers.
As it is now, it is just by a leap of faith that it is possible to drive the highways at night.
David Dauterman, Lihu‘e
