Childish comments are, sadly, the norm today
Interesting that you should object to childish exchanges between Joe Biden and Donald Trump. I certainly agree but think that this single instance reflects today’s level of discourse about politics. The number of sophomoric attacks and debasing statements against those of differing opinions is, to my mind, appalling.
For example, in Thursday’s edition of TGI, James Rosen offered glowing support for the president — his opinion, not mine, though of course he has a right to it. He then describes Democrats as “the worst bunch of (criers) I have ever seen!”
Argue the merits, Mr. Rosen. We don’t need the ad hominen attacks. In this regard, the column by Cokie and Steve Roberts is on the mark, as I see it.
Robert Springer, Koloa
Better bus system would boost its use
I totally agree that the Kauai Bus needs improvement.
Why not model it after The Bus on Oahu?
It should run at least every half hour (preferably every 20 minutes) from the airport and other stops and allow luggage (if afamily has too much luggage, have other members just take the next bus).
Also, the major tourist destinations should be covered.
For Ke’e Beach, which is clogged like LA traffic, there could be a separate two-way run from Hanalei.
A separate two-way run from from Waimea to the major lookout at Waimea Canyon, as well.
This would make taking the Kauai Bus so convenient for tourists and residents alike as it would become more attractive.
Paying more for a bus ride would easily be worth it compared to the expense of renting a car for a whole trip. Again, takingthe bus would cut down on traffic (less stress) plus be better for the environment.
Gary Saylin, Davis, Calif.
Candidates should debate gun violence
I don’t know anyone who wasn’t deeply moved by the March For Our Lives event this past Saturday. The Parkland students continue to organize people to demand town halls on April 7. These kids plan to keep the pressure on until there is meaningful, significant change.
The issue of gun violence is supremely important to me. I am an educator, and the safety of students is an enormous responsibility that I take so seriously. I know that parents, aunties and uncles, sisters and brothers, are counting on me to keep their loved ones safe. We deserve help from our representatives to ensure their safety with common-sense gun laws.
At a recent talk story event on Kauai, congressional candidate Sherry Alu Campagana gave me a face-to-face commitment to never accept campaign donations from a gun lobby. She also agreed to fight for an assault weapon ban.
I am aware that Campagna’s opponent, Tulsi Gabbard, has passed on multiple opportunities to co-sponsor bills to advance laws addressing gun violence. I believe the voters of Congressional District 2 deserve to hear these two candidates address gun violence, and other pressing issues, in at least one debate.
Debates help voters become more informed and better prepared to make a thoughtful choice. If you agree, let’s let the candidates know we want debates. Message them on social media, email, and call. These folks want to work for us, we deserve to hear their ideas and what they will commit to do for us.
Cynthia McClung, Kapaa
Busses today for the most part are carrying but a few riders most of the day, an enormous waste of tax dollars. In Lihue at the main police station are parked almost 30
Kauai Buses being wasted.
The busses are too big for the islad’s bussing population. Small vans running every 15 minutes would serve us better.
Bring over the Filipino Jeepneys that are fun to ride and incredibly frequent.
A s well bring over the Filipino “Tricycles” and “Quadricycles, and restrict them to serve just the town they could be assigned to.
They serve the public very well in the Philippines and waiting is mostly only 1 to 2 minutes and they pick up and drop off anywhere on their route.
Mahalo Salamat,
Charlie
Everyone does this including Charlie. They leave out the missing link in comparing the Philippines. The link is the “Trike,” a motorcycle with covered sidecar, that takes you from the van or bus to your front door or from the van or bus to your final destination. You will never get Trikes past USA safety rules.
I was not at all “moved” by the media event/match, but then again, I don’t own a TV and avoid people who watch cable news nonsense. The NRA has been around for 140 years. School shootings have been around his mega violent video games and dosing kids with antidepressants.
The first school shooting in what became the USA was in 1764.
Before 1980, there were 162 school shootings
Gee whiz, that one was easy!
Yes, candidates should debate gun violence but in the case of Campagna/Gabbard it’s a matter of Left and Leftier so it’s not much of a debate.
“Common-sense gun laws”. What is that? It means that if you don’t agree with the author’s position you don’t possess common sense. It shuts down any discussion as it attempts to position itself as the only moral, logical solution. Strikes me as a tad arrogant.
I’m glad the author takes seriously the safety of her students. Tell me, is she just as vociferous, even more so by the number of students killed texting while driving, killed while drunk driving, drug overdoses or those that commit suicide, all of which take far greater number of children’s lives than someone else shooting them?
The senseless death of children is being used to promote an untenable position. Common-sense gun laws are really just a euphemism for gun confiscation. That may seem like quite a leap but just look at the current laws. It’s against the law for a felon to possess a weapon yet they get them anyway. It’s against the law to enter a gun free zone with a gun and yet this is precisely where most slaughters take place. It’s obviously against the law to murder people but that’s exactly what happens.
Some of the strictest gun laws in the country are found in the major cities with the highest amount of gun crime such as Chicago so just passing more gun laws isn’t helping. You are only restricting the rights of the law abiding by passing more and more laws. If more laws were the answer our island would not have to worry about illegal drug usage, since it’s against the law.
Let’s be honest here, the incremental laws being suggested to ban high capacity magazines, semi-automatic rifles and scary looking “assault weapons” (a made up term) is just an intermediate step. The end game is confiscation; there is no common-sense law that will stop criminals from criminal activity. They eventually want all law-abiding citizens to turn in their guns. Of course they want the criminals to turn in theirs too but as they say “When they outlaw guns, only outlaws will have guns”. Remember, it was an NRA member with a scary AR-15 that stopped the church massacre in Sutherland Springs Texas last year. Had all the good people with guns turned theirs in there would have been a lot more innocents that would have died.
Usually a debate consists of two opposing sides, not two wolves discussing the best way to slaughter a lamb but by all means you are free to argue amongst yourselves. Just be aware that there is another side to the debate, one that seeks to protect the rights of the law-abiding citizen, their life and liberty.
Poor Stan, he sees the tipping point has finally come and none of the usual things have made all this go away so he’s throwing about 6 or 7 all at once to see if anything sticks.
The first is just silly. You really think you can discredit a teacher for not making your mistake and writing about 6 or 7 topics without any development? She wrote about one. It;s just silly to say that means it’s the only thing she cares about!
Chicago is a weak one since everyone but Stan knows it’s surrounded by territory without any gun control measures.
Sutherland Springs is the lone exception that proves the rule that this almost never happens.
The loopholed “Ban on Assault Weapons” (1994-2004) only banned manufacture; not the sale or use or possession. Zero guns were confiscated………..nevertheless:
1984 to 1994: 19 incidents of 6 or more killed
1994 to 2004: 12 incidents of 6 or more killed
2004 to 2014: 34 incidents of 6 or more killed
Now we’ve had a big increase in incidence and the number of victims. The tipping point has come, Stan, so start talking about alternative solutions that are quick and productive instead of the same tired dope about your precious assault weapons!
Here’s an analogy. Let’s say you have a leaky roof, it has a lot of leaks, some bigger than others. Wouldn’t it make sense to fix the biggest leaks first? Kids get killed for many reasons. Be honest, is the goal to reduce the number of unnecessary deaths or is that merely a justification to eliminate certain self-defense weapons? If this is not all just a pretense to crush our constitutional rights then wouldn’t it make sense to place more emphasis on the causes that create the most adolescent mortality? Pick one, any one of the higher rated causes such as drowning. Ten times as many kids accidentally drown each year than are gun homicide victims and that includes gang bangers. When do we ever see a march on Washington to demand kids get swimming lessons?
If you don’t think Chicago is a good example of the failure of gun control laws, why don’t the surrounding areas with abundant guns but not restrictive gun laws have just as bad if not worse gun violence as Chicago? In Chicago bad people have guns and good people can’t defend themselves.
Your idea of a lone exception proving the rule that something almost never happens could just as easily be used against the idea of out of control school shootings. Millions of kids go to school safely every day. It’s extremely rare for a shooting to occur but we all know about it because it makes national news. Just like airlines flying millions of miles safely everyday but when one crashes we all know about it. On the other hand if you did a little research you would find that rifles (AR-15’s among them) are used thousands of times each year to stop assaults and robberies.
I’d be happy to talk about solutions but you need to be honest about what you think the problem is.
The USA is doing everything it can to reduce fatalities such as drowning. The USA is a mutitasker. The idea of doing nothing because other recognized problems occur with greater frequency and greater totals is truly lame. Doing nothing is just what you are advocating. You are fine with the status quo. Too bad, because the tipping point has finally arrived.
Chicago’s gun supply comes from the surrounding area, defeating gun control. That was the whole point. Why did that have to be explained?
Let’s see your source for the statement that rifles stop assaults and robberies “…thousands of times a year…”
Cynthia…we all understand the tragedy of young lives senselessly taken. However, nothing is to be gained by demonizing the inanimate objects used to commit these crimes. The terminology used is misleading and laws passed on that basis produce no viable solutions. Certain drugs have been banned for decades…has that stopped the flow of the illegal (and prescribed ones)? The fact is that in the face of this outright ban illegal and prescription addictive drug are readily available.
The term “gun violence” is one of the monikers that serves no useful purpose. The violence is perpetrated by evil or unstable psychopathic individuals. The solutions rest in ensuring that these people are unable to purchase or possess guns.
Hawaii already has all the necessary procedures/laws in place. For instance, I have owned rifles and handguns for many years. Still, every time I renew what Hawaii calls a “permit to acquire” I must sign a release that allows the police department access to my mental health records (there are none). This permit to acquire is valid for one year. For every handgun purchased we must go through the same process and immediately after the handgun is registered the permit is extinguished. What more can be done without quashing one of the most important right guaranteed by the Bill of Rights? Would you accept the level of restraint placed on we lawful gun owners if it was applied to the 1st Amendment?
Another glaring misnomer is “assault rifle”. A rifle is a rifle. Some are fully automatic (completely banned in Hawaii), some semi-automatic (one shot per press of the trigger) and some bolt action. Many handguns are also semi-automatic–others are revolvers. ALL guns can be used to assault someone…just as knives, bats and virtually any solid object can be.
In order for solutions to end, as much as possible, evil, violence prone people’s actions, they must address the real issue–the people, not the objects they use. Moreover, rational accurate language has to be employed in order that the entire issue not be clouded, irrational and hyper-politicized as would happen with two politicians debating “gun violence” or “assault rifles”.
RG DeSoto
RG DeSoto, I’d like to hear how you propose to “address the real issue–the people.” What exactly do you have in mind? What programs? Offered by whom? The problem I see is that whenever they get a chance, “conservative” lawmakers do everything they can to Kill the very social programs that would provide help to the troubled people who may turn violent.
From all reports, this Cruz kid in Florida was a walking time bomb, and advertising himself as such, but nothing was done. On the other hand, how can the “authorities” step in and shut him down when he hasn’t committed an actual crime Yet? It’s a very sticky business.
BTW, I do not know Cynthia McClung, but on her behalf, mahalo for your civility in laying out your issues with her LTE.
Our 1st amendment rights are regulated. You can’t, as a prank, yell “FIRE” in a crowded theatre.
Our 2nd amendment rights need to be regulated so a crowded theatre in Aurora Colorado doesn’t hold the victim count record simply because James Holmes’ 100-round drum magazine eventually malfunctioned.
In response to Cynthia McClung: Rep. Gabbard’s strong record on gun control speaks for itself.
As a registered Democratic Party voter in CD2, I’m beyond pleased by Rep. Gabbard’s strong record on gun control, including the assault weapon ban, which she has clearly supported since before running for, and since being elected to, Congress.
In 2012, Huffington Post reviewed the incoming #113th Congress member’s records from 2008-2012, and Rep. Gabbard’s rating was an A+ – indicating her strong stance for stricter gun control laws. Now if only the current GOP-held House would allow those essential gun control bills to be brought to the House floor for a vote….
According to research, Rep. Gabbard has never accepted money from the NRA and has never accepted money from the NRA or other gun lobbies since she first campaigned for Congress in 2012. Coupled with Rep. Gabbard’s F rating by the NRA, 0% rating by the Hawaii Rifle Association, and 100% rating by the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, her record speaks for itself – no debate required.
There is no gun problem Cynthia. Every “person” in the “ban guns” camp points to Great Britain as that wonderful example of a total gun ban for all citizens working blah blah. Well, just this last year London has surpassed New York in the number of murders. Would anyone who still believes we have a “gun” problem please explain that? The weapon of choice in London? Knives! Perhaps a total knife ban is next? No more steak for you Cynthia!
Oh boy Gordon, if 58 people had been knifed to death in Las Vegas by one guy then at least 56 of them would have deserved to die for standing around and waiting their turn. Don’t you even know what we’re talking about when we bring up mass shootings? Don’t be so silly!
Gordon Oswald, I just made a decision. Starting now (as I write this it’s 5:50 PM Pacific time April 2), I am not going to respond to you or any other TGI Troll whose reason for being here is to throw personal insults, rather than discussing facts like reasonable people.
If I want to see what “conservatives” are saying on a given issue, I will look for commenters’ names like R.G. DeSoto or Mark Beeksma, who argue in a civil manner. (Beeksma is just as mean as you, but is diplomatic about it.)
If I start to read someone’s comment, and it turns insulting (whoever it’s aimed at), I’ll skip past it and not bother reading — let alone responding.
I’m not pretending to be Little Miss Innocence, BTW. Over the years, I’ve looked for any chance to slap you around ever since your claim, back in your Rightisright and Lehualad days, that 70 percent of Hawaiians are “obese, slothful, lazy.” Then there was the time you pretended to be a woman and compared me to your ex-husband. As I recall, I had previously posted something nasty to you about … Sorry, I’ve forgotten what. (For the record, no, I’m not obese, slothful, or lazy. Not even “overweight,” in fact.)
Whichever of us threw the first insult, over whatever subject, I’m changing my ways now, and since I will only read people who comment in a civilized manner, I pledge that when I respond, it will be in the same civil tone.
So there you are. If you want to argue which President did / has done the best for the American economy, state your case and stick to that … and I will respond in kind. Otherwise, good-bye, Rightisright / Lehualad.