• Kaua‘i Police and Humane Society fail • Get involved in landfill site decision • In defense of religious freedom Kaua‘i Police and Humane Society fail I work at a store in the Princeville Shopping Center. A customer was in
• Kaua‘i Police and Humane Society fail • Get involved in landfill site decision • In defense of religious freedom
Kaua‘i Police and Humane Society fail
I work at a store in the Princeville Shopping Center. A customer was in the store around 9 a.m. recently. We chatted, she continued on her way to enjoy her vacation from Canada. Not 10 minutes later she burst into the store crying and very upset.
After we calmed her down, she explained what had happened: “I was walking back from the bank and this guy was kicking the crap out of this dog. I couldn’t believe it, I yelled at him to STOP. He started yelling at me and telling me to mind my own f***ing business. I just couldn’t believe what I just saw. This poor dog had a purple bandana on and was so scared. She looked to maybe be pregnant or nursing puppies. She was cowering on the ground trying to get away but he had a string tied to the bandana.”
We called the police, and the dispatcher said very rudely, “Is the guy hitting a person?” I said no, but he is yelling and harassing my customer and kicking a dog.
She replied, “It’s not a person, call the Humane Society.” I asked if she could send an officer, since the station is almost next door. She said “no” and pretty much hung up on me.
I called the Humane Society, and explained what happened and that the police wouldn’t do anything. She said she would see where her humane officer was and got my phone number. Never heard back from the Humane Society.
My customer was now quite worried and mad that no one would help her. She said “I’m just a tourist; I never expected to see this. I’m afraid to walk back to my hotel now too, what if he is looking for me since I yelled at him?”
The police department is funded by taxpayers’ money. The Humane Society is funded by donations. We as a community are paying to be protected and have our animals protected as well. For the police to flat-out refuse to come to a call that involves violence to an animal and harassment to a person is very disheartening.
The worst part is the fire/police station is right down the road from the shopping center. It wouldn’t take more than 5 minutes of an officer’s time to make this tourist feel safe.
I know the Humane Society may not be able to get to the North Shore quickly, but they should be working with the police and at least call us back.
Violence is wrong.
Kristin Schwichtenberg
Kilauea
Get involved in landfill site decision
The headlines of Tuesday’s front page of TGI, “Ma‘alo at top of list for county’s new landfill site,” stated that county officials told the Kaua‘i County Council on Oct. 28, 2011, that the private consultant AECOM got the go-ahead for an EIS (Environmental Impact Statement).
Mahalo, TGI for publishing this article — as now the public is alerted. It is critical to be involved: to be a part of the scoping process in the draft Environmental Impact Statement (dEIS).
I urge anyone concerned with the county’s intent to build the new landfill at Ma‘alo for the next 200 years to submit comment during the scoping process in the document known as the draft EIS.
The scoping process is the process by which the issues to be addressed in the draft EIS are identified.
I called the mayor’s office to find out when the scoping process is as the phone number published in TGI for solid waste just went to voicemail. The deadline is looming, I can feel it …
Since it is election year I would be interested in how the various candidates feel about this issue, perhaps TGI might do a piece on this?
Bonnie P. Bator
Anahola
In defense of religious freedom
Aug. 1 is a significant day in the history of our republic. This is the day that the Obama administration’s plan mandating that all insurance plans cover contraceptives and abortofacient drugs becomes effective.
I am not a Catholic. Believers in the Catholic faith are seeing their religious rights trampled by this government action.
I believe strongly in respecting the religious rights of others as I would hope they accord the same to me. This is an affront to the beliefs of people whose faith strongly opposes what the government is now doing.
There has never been such an action in the history of the United States that so flagrantly demeans the religious rights of others.
I see nothing in the papers nor on television. What has happened when the Constitution is perverted and people remain silent? I am at a loss to understand the silence.
Talk emanates from the White House about giving allowances to religious employers who oppose the Obama plan. But for many, there is no way not to participate without the government enforcing this action.
During the administration of President Clinton an act was passed called the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. The current mandate of the Health and Human Services branch directly violates this act.
Am I speaking politically? Yes, but only to arouse your actions and allow the people to deal with this issue consistent with that which has existed since our nation was founded.
If my comments resonate with your concerns, let me hear your views. The ox that is being gored today may be mine in the future.
Monroe Richman, M.D.
Koloa
