Letters for May 9, 2015 //story number 1, SATletterBittenwolf: Pitt bull story used bad information It is important, when writing a news story, that you disclose your personal biases before you pass your story/allegations off as “news” or “facts.” Therefore, before
Letters for May 9, 2015
//story number 1, SATletterBittenwolf:
Pitt bull story used bad information
It is important, when writing a news story, that you disclose your personal biases before you pass your story/allegations off as “news” or “facts.”
Therefore, before I continue, I would like the readers to know that I am the owner of a rottweiler/husky mix and I have never been attacked by a pit bull. I also believe that it is an owner’s responsibility to raise a safe dog.
Now, I have disclosed my personal bias and I would like the author of The Garden Island’s recent “pit bull attack” articles, Bill Buley, to explain his obvious bias. I say obvious because only a reporter with a bias would find it fair to compare “figures” posted on a website, hosted by a dog bite-victim without verifiable citations (Dogbites.org), to actual data published by the peer-reviewed Journal of American Veterinary Medical Association.
These two sources are not comparable in quality by any means and were used in this context in a TGI news article from April 17 titled “A breed apart.”
This is inappropriate, in my admittedly biased opinion, because putting these two figures side-by-side conveys to the reader that they are comparable in quality and falsely convey that there is some “debate” going on about whether pit bulls are responsible for a majority of dog attacks or not.
The values presented are not comparable, only peer-reviewed and verifiable sources should be published and they state that “most of the factors surrounding dog-bite related fatalities are preventable and unrelated to dog breed.”
Kimberley Bitterwolf
Lihue
//story number 2, SATletterSindt:
Mahalo farm-to-table supporters
“Agriculture” is often prefaced with four letter adjectives in The Garden Island and has virtually disappeared as it existed 30 or 40 years ago. However, there are many folks on island who get up every morning and attend to the crops that find their way into the sunshine markets, restaurants and tables of residents on Kauai. I happen to be one of these small farmers and had an enlightening and rewarding experience on delivering garden fresh veggies to a restaurant customer this week — one that made me realize it isn’t such a bad thing being a farmer.
Our delivery receipt has a “Thank You!” on it. The wonderful lady who most often signs the receipt looked at me and said “No, no! It’s us that need to thank you.”
A bit surprised, I replied, “Eh… why’s that?”
She replied, “Well, without you farmers this restaurant would not exist and I wouldn’t have a job.”
The conversation went on and we both agreed that a great deal of mahalo and thanks is warranted in the farm-to-table relationships.
Over 20 years ago, a restaurateur by the name of Peter Merriman was plying his cooking skills on the Big Island using only fresh, locally grown or caught food. Crazy man. It was a struggle but Mr. Merriman more or less started the farm-to-table revolution that created the opportunity for us small traditional food producers to survive throughout Hawaii.
So with this backdrop, I want to give credit and thanks to the restaurants and eat-fresh n’ local devotees that keep Kauai Roots Farm going. To the locals and visitors alike that support our Garden Island farmer, rancher and fisherman fresh food network, mahalo and aloha!
Ed Sindt
Kauai Roots Farm, Kalaheo
//story number 3, SATletterMachell:
A manager system isn’t flawless
The “manager system a no-brainer” letter in TGI May 5 is another sample from a growing list of those people who think a change of Kauai’s system of government would solve our political problems.
Mr. Whelan writes “Talk to anyone who has lived under a manager system.” Citing the highly corrupt Bell, California, case dismissed as being an anomaly. Perhaps we should now ask someone who lives in Ferguson, Missouri. However, Mr. Whelan correctly states the choice of a manager is critical. So I guess we need to vote for intelligent council persons because they choose the manager.
We have already tried to insulate the electorate from making too many mistakes by instituting term limits for mayor. Has it helped yet? A city manager system distances the electorate from the head of local government.
Mr. Lewis’ recent column points out there are many options that would have to be decided upon under a city manager system.
We have a Charter Review Commission in place. It will “sunset” next year. We haven’t heard anything about their views on this issue recently. A dose of more investigative journalism might be helpful.
Richard Machell
Kapaa
^
Story used bad information
It is important, when writing a news story, that you disclose your personal biases before you pass your story/allegations off as “news” or “facts.”
Therefore, before I continue, I would like the readers to know that I am the owner of a Rottweiler/husky mix and I have never been attacked by a pit bull. I also believe that it is an owner’s responsibility to raise a safe dog.
Now, I have disclosed my personal bias and I would like the author of The Garden Island’s recent “pit bull attack” articles, Bill Buley, to explain his obvious bias. I say obvious because only a reporter with a bias would find it fair to compare “figures” posted on a website, hosted by a dog bite-victim without verifiable citations (Dogbites.org), to actual data published by the peer-reviewed Journal of American Veterinary Medical Association.
These two sources are not comparable in quality by any means and were used in this context in a TGI news article from April 17 titled “A breed apart.”
This is inappropriate, in my admittedly biased opinion, because putting these two figures side-by-side conveys to the reader that they are comparable in quality and falsely convey that there is some “debate” going on about whether pit bulls are responsible for a majority of dog attacks or not.
The values presented are not comparable, only peer-reviewed and verifiable sources should be published and they state that “most of the factors surrounding dog-bite related fatalities are preventable and unrelated to dog breed.”
Kimberley Bitterwolf
Lihue
^
Mahalo farm-to-table supporters
“Agriculture” is often prefaced with four letter adjectives in The Garden Islandletter and has virtually disappeared as it existed 30 or 40 years ago. However, there are many folks on island who get up every morning and attend to the crops that find their way into the sunshine markets, restaurants and tables of residents on Kauai. I happen to be one of these small farmers and had an enlightening and rewarding experience on delivering garden fresh veggies to a restaurant customer this week — one that made me realize it isn’t such a bad thing being a farmer.
Our delivery receipt has a “Thank You!” on it. The wonderful lady who most often signs the receipt looked at me and said, “No, no! It’s us that need to thank you.”
A bit surprised, I replied, “Eh … why’s that?”
She replied, “Well, without you farmers, this restaurant would not exist and I wouldn’t have a job.”
The conversation went on and we both agreed that a great deal of mahalo and thanks is warranted in the farm-to-table relationships.
Over 20 years ago, a restaurateur by the name of Peter Merriman was plying his cooking skills on the Big Island using only fresh, locally grown or caught food. Crazy man. It was a struggle but Mr. Merriman more or less started the farm-to-table revolution that created the opportunity for us small traditional food producers to survive throughout Hawaii.
So with this backdrop, I want to give credit and thanks to the restaurants and eat-fresh n’ local devotees that keep Kauai Roots Farm going. To the locals and visitors alike that support our Garden Island farmer, rancher and fisherman fresh food network, mahalo and aloha!
Ed Sindt
Kauai Roots Farm, Kalaheo
