• For John, mahalo • Regarding ‘historic scam’ • Airport security For John, mahalo Many thanks from myself for my son John David Stem, whom I discovered unconscious March 10, 2012, with necrotizing fasciitis. Mahalo to the Kaua‘i Fire Department
• For John, mahalo • Regarding ‘historic scam’ • Airport security
For John, mahalo
Many thanks from myself for my son John David Stem, whom I discovered unconscious March 10, 2012, with necrotizing fasciitis. Mahalo to the Kaua‘i Fire Department who responded within five minutes to suction out John to get him breathing and to the Kaua‘i EMTs who transported us to ER, to my neighbor EMT Cody Bonilla who was not on duty but at the EMT house and rushed back to assist, and to the Wilcox ER staff for your attentive services.
Surgeon Dr. Juliette Zelada, your tireless efforts to stem the invading bacteria saved his life. You gave clear explanations and with Dr. Mark Garner, you provided the family with peace as to what was happening with John. Your staff is unbelievable, everyone from the respiratory therapist who kept telling John to breathe on his own — the nurses, the aides, everyone who had a hand in his being alive today, I thank you. Kaua‘i needs to know what an excellent staff they have at Wilcox Hospital.
John had his first pigskin graft and called me shortly after he came to. The oxygen treatment at the Hyperbaric Treatment Center located at Kuakini Hospital helped heal John. He was transported at least twice daily from Straub and people need to be educated about this hyperbaric oxygen treatment.
His doctor at the Hyperbaric Treatment Center was Dr. George Macris, along with Curt Thompson, Bob Green, and the two Paul’s; at Straub, the surgeon Dr. Allen Anae, and the plastic surgeon Dr. Randy Wong, with Dr. Brian Kim. So many fine nurses, aides and staff are there, as well. He will be having his own skin grafts next week if the pig skin is successful.
Mahalo to Air Ambulance personnel Tristan, Philip and pilot Kaleo, and to O‘ahu’s EMTs who transported John to Straub and to Kuakini, and all the others who are helping take care of John yet.
He has much left in his recovery but with all the prayers from everyone, he’ll be well on his way to coming home soon. Thank you, Realtors, individual customers, churches, Hawaiian and political organizations, friends and family.
Keep praying for a speedy recovery.
Janice Bond, Lihu‘e
Regarding ‘historic scam’
I was surprised to see such a controversial column by Diana West presented in The Garden Island (Forum: March 26). Her revelation is definitely cause for concern once again. So Diana is back to the question of the legality of President Obama’s birth certificate and selective service documents. Now couple her story with a story last week, in the Washington Times, March 22, reported by Jeffrey T. Kuhner. Jeffery states that President Obama has given himself the powers to declare martial law — especially in the event of a war with Iran. It is a sweeping power grab that should worry every American.
On March 16, the White House released an executive order, “National Defense Resources Preparedness.” The document is stunning in its audacity and a flagrant violation of the Constitution. It states that, in case of a war or national emergency, the federal government has the authority to take over almost every aspect of American society. Food, livestock, farming equipment, manufacturing, industry, energy, transportation, hospitals, health care facilities, water resources, defense and construction — all of it could fall under the full control of Mr. Obama. The order empowers the president to dispense these vast resources as he sees fit during a national crisis.
We have been through two long-fought wars in recent times and never has there been the need for martial law. I recall martial law during World War II, which was one where the entire nation was mobilized. We in Hawai‘i had severe gas rationing, for example. World War II was quite different than these smaller, remote Middle East battlegrounds. One might expect that the “power grab” by Obama might be more political and further, snuff out any more challenges to his status as a citizen. Yes, I am concerned.
Alan Faye, Hanalei
Airport security
In the last few months, there have been many complaints expressed in this forum about the TSA security and lack of aloha at Lihu‘e airport.
The TSA website at www.tsa.gov has a complaint form you can fill out along with a toll free number (1-866-289-9673) to report problems. The website also has a blog with a comments section to share your frustrations and tribulations.
After reading the website, I have come to the conclusion that the Transportation Security Administration employees take their jobs seriously and go through hundreds of hours of training.
TSA employees are not in the hospitality business, in fact, quite the contrary. These men and woman are stressed since, according to the TSA website, seven times every day, every checkpoint in the U.S. is tested with ‘fake’ threats to ensure that the TSA officers and agents are on alert.
Many people may interpret SA employees as being rude. Everyone likes the rules bent for them. However, these agents’ jobs are on the line every day with fake threats. How can they determine if they are real or fake?
Leave the aloha to the hospitality industry and our safety to ‘rude’ TSA employees if it means lives being saved.
We all need to put on some thick skin. Everyone is too sensitive these days. Nobody can handle criticism, but everyone loves to dish it out.
Do we really want TSA agents looking the other way? My guess is we all want TSA agents to look the other way for us, but not for the other guy.
James “Kimo” Rosen, Kapa‘a
