• Political signs • More airport woes • Kudos for Kaua‘i • Is Washington too far from Honolulu? Political signs Are we really going to be subjected to the visual pollution of political signs five months before the primary elections?
• Political signs • More airport woes • Kudos for Kaua‘i • Is Washington too far from Honolulu?
Political signs
Are we really going to be subjected to the visual pollution of political signs five months before the primary elections?
A law limiting such displays to only 45 days prior to the voting day was disregarded because it was thought to be unconstitutional. However, there was a “gentlemen’s agreement” among candidates that the rule would be adhered to. With one or two exceptions (Councilwoman Yukimura, for one), the agreement has been ignored.
Now I see the candidate for prosecutor or her supporters have already begun to plant her signs in yards under the absurd idea that the viewers would vote for her because of the sign. I for one planned to vote for her, but now I may change my mind.
Of course, since this administration totally ignores (except for high school grads’ congratulatory signs) the existing sign ordinance, it is likely appealing to candidates’ “better nature” is probably futile.
Richard Machell, Kapa‘a
More airport woes
On March 11, I went to greet a friend at Lihu‘e Airport. I parked at the curb a few minutes before Hawaiian Airlines from Honolulu was due in at 1:50 p.m.
A Mainland family of three teenagers and a pre-teen were seated on a curbside bench surrounded by their luggage. They were quiet and well-behaved, and it was obvious that they were waiting to be picked up.
An older security guard came and questioned why they were sitting there, even though it was obvious they were waiting.
His tone of voice was confrontational and rude. One teen informed him that their parents were across the way getting a rental car. He informed them that if the car didn’t come soon, they’d have to vacate the bench and leave the terminal.
As he walked away, I apologized to them for the guard’s lack of aloha. He heard me and went to another guard a few meters away, and they looked at me and jotted down my license plate number.
About a minute later the second guard walked up to me and told me that the plane had not yet arrived and I had to drive around before I could park again — even though there was plenty of room for other cars to park.
Whoever is in charge of security needs to better train these workers. It was unnecessary and unacceptable behavior — especially with tourists.
I was even more surprised that the security guard was so rude to these young tourists, especially just days after the lieutenant governor apologized to the stranded Denver tourists who were rudely made to leave our airport during the storm.
Where has all the aloha gone?
Judy Xenofos, Lihu‘e
Kudos for Kaua‘i
Mahalo to the citizens of Kaua‘i. We spent our 20th wedding anniversary (our fourth time on Kaua‘i) in late February and early March.
The Waipouli Foodland, Waipouli Diner, Ono Family Restaurant, local farmer markets, and many other shops and people extended aloha.
It always feels like home when we are here, and it is because of the citizens. Someday we hope Kaua‘i may become home for us and our little farm.
Kathy Deutsch, Florissant, Mo.
Is Washington too far from Honolulu?
After reading in The Garden Island that the House of Representatives of the de facto State of Hawai‘i recommended passage of a resolution recognizing Hawaiian nationals as a population residing lawfully in the Hawaiian Islands, the words of U.S. President Bill Clinton came to my mind.
On Nov. 23, 1993, when he signed the 103rd Congress Joint Resolution (also known as the Apology Bill) to make it into U.S. Public Law 103-150, he said, “We have learned the lessons of history. We will not walk away.”
Interestingly, the House of Representatives in the state where most of the Hawaiian nationals live is waking up only now, 19 years later, to recommend the recognition of those who proudly claim to be the heirs and custodians of this ‘aina, the people of which had lived in a highly organized, self-sufficient, subsistent social system based on communal land tenure with a sophisticated language, culture and religion.
In the light of current international events when the government of the United States appears to be noticing instantly and demanding the stopping of alleged human rights violations in foreign countries far away from its shores, House Resolution 68 only envisions the “encouraging” of the courts and law enforcement of the de facto state government to stop “nationality-based harassment and prosecution of Hawaiian nationals.”
The word “encouraging” falls short of demanding such action. The harassment mentioned in the resolution is ongoing, and it is a human rights violation.
Strangely enough, it occurs against the Hawaiian nationals for simply expressing their allegiance to and pride in the Lawful Hawaiian Government without ever requesting or resorting to violence.
At a time when the United States demands the stopping of such violations in Egypt, Syria, Russia and many more countries, why is the Hawai‘i House of Representatives too timid to request the same for the protection of the Hawaiian nationals?
Are they less worthy to exercise their human rights in their homeland?
Or perhaps Washington is too far from Honolulu, or maybe they never read the entire text of the Apology Bill?
Janos Keoni Samu, Kalaheo
