Kaua‘i High senior is unhappy camper
Time is something that really is lacking, for seniors especially.
And due to the selfishness of the tourists and the shameful lack of universal action to do what needed to be done by our state and national governments, our time has been cut short, and the effects of this virus have been made longer than it could’ve been.
But people are naturally selfish. It’s just human nature, which really puts the responsibility on the governor to deter people from coming.
What many people don’t realize or have forgotten is that everything changes after high school.
Yes, we get to see some of our friends during breaks, but as our differing dreams in life take us through different paths, the connections and bonds we’ve created grow apart.
With the ability to go back to school practically being thrown out the window due to the people who keep traveling and testing positive, we can’t say our last goodbyes to our campus, teachers and friends. We can’t have a proper graduation.
If the leadership of this state did what our Mayor Derek Kawakami did from the get-go we probably would be the state that took the least amount of damage from this pandemic.
But (Gov. David) Ige didn’t, so the tourists felt welcome to come, and they brought the virus with them. The last few months are all we seniors have left before most of us say our goodbyes and go off to begin our careers and higher education. That experience has been cut short. All we can do now is hope for the best and salvage the rest.
Brant Tanaka, Lihu‘e
Now is perfect time to start composting
In response to Janai Kapua’s letter to the editor (TGI Forum April 13, Look where we have gotten to now), urging us to “spread a little hope and plant a seed of the vision of what we can create on our island and in our world,” I want to add my vision of how each of us can help ourselves and Kaua‘i and our earth.
During this time of staying at home, more people are spending time outdoors, doing yard work. A perfect time to start composting. Why? Our landfill is almost full. One fourth of what gets sent to the landfill is organics. By not putting any food waste or green waste in the trash, the landfill will last longer and be cleaner.
How can you make compost? Set up a bin in your back yard. Go to kauai.gov/Composting or call the county Recycling Office at 241-4841 to learn about bin and worm composting on Kaua‘i. Search for composting on ILSR.org (Institute for Local Self Reliance). Get a compost tumbler (yes, there are tumblers small enough or apartment-dwellers) or a worm composting bin. If you can’t compost your own food or green waste, find a friend or neighbor who can compost it.
What does compost do? Compost is a soil amendment, more versatile than fertilizer, good for all kinds of soil. The organic matter in compost holds water so you don’t need to water plants as often, and the carbon in compost attracts other minerals and more carbon from the air. Yes, that is how you would be helping not just yourself (with more nutritious vegetables) and not just Kaua‘i (with more room in the landfill), but also the earth — by sequestering carbon. Instead of sending carbon into the atmosphere it will be deep in the ground. Start composting and everyone wins. That is my vision of what we can create on our island and for our world.
Ruta Jordans, Kapa‘a
Good letter Brant! It’s good for a High School student to get involved and vent frustration the right way. Keep educating yourself and fight for what is right! Just make sure you learn to recognize the “truth” without a self focused need, or political agenda, that might pervert your Common Sense. It takes a degree of maturity to realize that anything and anyone can be criticized after the fact and circumstances under which decisions were made. A perfect example? President Trump ordering a complete travel ban from China nearly a month before there was even one American death having occurred from the virus! Biden, the Democrats, their fake media, and Hollywood wierdo puppets called our President Xenophobic, a racist, stupid, low IQ, and a fear mongerer at the time. Now 3 months later they’re saying he didn’t do enough, regardless of the fact that he possibly saved hundreds of thousands of American lives! You get the picture? Those with an immature political agenda become sheep. The “sheep” are now focusing on the fact that some States don’t have enough ventilators for the sick, and they’re once again blaming our President. Not a mention that Obama and the whining Governors of those Democrat controlled States had pissed and pilfered away their Pandemic stockpiles, including ventilators, for cash because of their fake desire to support criminals from other Countries rather than their own citizens? Most Democrat controlled big cities and States are functionally bankrupt. You know that, right? As we grow up and gain some maturity, if ever, those who are so immature as to conveniently criticize unfairly turn out to be the most unfortunate of souls in the end.
The main problem is that trump did NOTHING but a PARTIAL flight ban for nearly 2 months except make a lot of happy talk abpout how in control he was.
The 2nd problem is that trump included no plan to implement his partial ban so according to the NY Times, 40,000 persons have flown in from China since the partial ban.
But, not to worry, the xenophobic, racist, stupid, low IQ, and fear mongerering little rodent is doing a “perfect” job which is why his approval ratings have dropped to the 30s!
I really don’t take all that much interest in politics. But what I do see and care about is when the lack of action causes people to get hurt. Yeah there’s nothing we can do about it now but it does bother me when people ignore everything that’s happening and doesn’t do much about it. And especially puts it on someone else to figure out
Brant, I hope you can see that now is the time to take an interest in politics, and please encourage your friends to do the same. You and your peers are going to be voting soon. Seek out the ideologies that represent what you appear to want, and align with those ideologies. There are some major challenges this world is going to face while you go through young adulthood. Your generation has the power to shape human reactions to these challenges, and you should look upon this pandemic as a crash course. I am very thankful that Mayor Kawakami took the initiative to truly lead on this. We have benefitted from his foresight. While Ige may not have reacted as quickly, he is still not toeing the line of the members of the Federal Government with whom he ostensibly shares a political party. The state of Hawaii is far better off than most other states as a direct result.
But I would also urge you to not fall into the trap of blaming tourists for what has happened here. There were also residents of the islands who traveled to the mainland and brought back the virus. We have residents right now who think it appropriate to be out protesting the very same measures you just lauded Mayor Kawakami for putting in place. It is a very common thing for people to try to scapegoat outsiders for the problems in their community. Please RESIST this temptation, because it leads to very bad decision making, and your generation is not going to have very much leeway given the issues that are likely coming.
I did try to convey that it was everyone who was traveling and not just the tourists in my letter by saying “due to the people traveling”. Yeah… I should’ve used that line more but all wells. Just know that I do understand and know that it’s not just the tourists.
Thank you,
Brant,
Many of us are all frustrated. Just want to remind everyone that there were a few tourists that had the virus, but mostly local residents. Time to stop the blame and grow up.
The point Brant’s trying to make is that it isn’t just the tourists who are at fault for what is happening. It’s the build-up of poor decisions made by our President, Governor, and travelers that worsened an already bad situation. Whether it be an ignorant tourist or stubborn Islanders, the people who choose to travel and risk spreading the virus can’t escape the fact that they’ve played a major part in impacting our community. I understand that everyone is going through the same frustration but that doesn’t mean we should just sit back and relax while this pandemic worsens. Although we are stuck at home the least we can do is fight for our rights and the good of our people in any way that we can. As for Brant, he is using this opportunity to express not just his frustration, but the frustration of seniors across the nation, the frustration that’s been manifested due to 4 years of hard work being flushed down the drain. “Stop the blame and grow up” really? You call this a solution? Calling someone immature does nothing to help any of us. Honestly, you’d think the mature people would be the ones to realize that this is the horrible reality we are living in and that we need to take action to prevent things from getting worse. And as for blaming people, if no one is blamed then no justice can ever be served. Unfortunately, this isn’t some pipe dream where everyone can just be exempt from their faults, this is real life.
“And as for blaming people, if no one is blamed then no justice can ever be served. Unfortunately, this isn’t some pipe dream where everyone can just be exempt from their faults, this is real life.”
There is really only ONE “person” that should be blamed in this. That entity is in a position to have coordinated a nationwide response that would have produced drastically different results than what we currently have. That entity, through sheer arrogance and ignorance, refused to heed warnings and lessons from predecessors, undid work done by those before to provide a framework within which to launch defenses and offenses against such threats, refused to listen to its own experts in regards to the threat and possibility of a threat in a timely and CONSISTENT fashion and actively refuses to take ANY responsibility for its previous and current actions/inactions. It is not the job of individual states to develop solutions to problems of this magnitude, and because they have been forced to take a “go-it-alone” approach, the entire nation is at the mercy of a disease which does not care about geographical boundaries.
Let’s stop trying to lay blame at the feet of UNDERLINGS in the government structure. The fault is at the very top, and IT needs to be held accountable.
I literally just made that point….
Well stated Brant, as a parent of a 2020 Graduate, I totally agree. Honestly, I did not support Derek in the election, but seeing his leadership and guidance he has received from KEMA, Kauai County has done an outstanding job, being ahead of the game which the State of Hawaii is trying to catch up.
Yes, If Ige had stopped travel sooner to Hawaii, he would have saved lives, but instead he lacked the intestinal fortitude to do so, and we have paid dearly.
Best of luck in the future. Take care
thank you, best wishes to you as well
You are mistaken for blaming the tourists for bringing in the virus as local travelers are also carriers and NO ONE INTENTIONALLY BROUGHT COVID-19 ANYWHERE…. IT’S THE NATURE OF DISEASE.
Let’s stop the hate and racism now, ironic and contradictory to what our youth really need!
If we look at the bigger picture, there are wonderful videos going viral of young people singing and doing things to lighten the mood and conditions that are effecting the world’s population.
Volunteering is a great way to also escape the victimization mentality of thinking someone else is to blame.
Brant Tanaka
Many and perhaps most of covid-19 infections on Kauai have been caused by resident Kauaians returning from the mainland, not “tourists “.
Folks who visit Kauai for 4 or more weeks Every year are not “tourists” but part time residents.
In September if you or your classmates want to get jobs or attend colleges on the mainland should mainland residents insist on testing you for antibodies first and not allow you if you are negative?
Norbert J Woods, M D Pediatrics
you’re right, they’re a lot of locals traveling ablnd causing the numbers to go up. But the point of my opinion is that they should’ve stopped travel entirely but yeah, I should’ve worded it as travelers
and I think that testing us before we leave would be a good idea for the benefit of them even though our numbers are low. Yes it may be tedious but what ever protects everyone else, we individuals should do.
Mahalo Brant for reclarifing you STATEMENTS and yes, I agree to disagree on some issues. It makes for an interesting and intelligent dialog that is refreshing abet sad too. I am from the Kauai High Class of 1971 and did not go to commencement graduation but received a paper diploma and advice from the vice principal to get off Kauai and seek higher education and more harmonious community….. best advice I’ve ever had, by the way!
Now that I’m retired and at risk, according to the county orders, I am happily attempting to create more understanding of the universe through the medium of the internet and spiritual practices.
Good luck to you in creating the future you deserve and desire….
Here’s a little more on multivariable calculus to point;
“Integral and differential calculus are taken before multivariable calculus and deal with single inputs into functions. They introduce basic calc topics like derivatives and integrals, of course, as well as relations between position, velocity, and acceleration, series and sequences, parametrics, etc.”
Aloha Brant. That was very brave of you to submit your letter about how you felt over this situation. I really don’t blame you because I would have felt the same way too. You get to live you high school years only once, and that was taken away. Perhaps as the years go by you’ll look at this as a learning situation, because unfortunately this has never occurred in modern times, well as long as I’ve been alive anyway, and I’m ancient. Please disregard critics of your letter, because they don’t know either, and perhaps that is another lesson learned: expect to be criticized no matter what side of the coin you’re standing on. Stay strong.
thank you for that
Brant
It’s nice to see a young adult voice his thoughts and opinions. I live in Colorado and have a condo in Kauai so I have a vested interest in the island. I have a freshman in college in AZ and another junior in high school. Like you, they both missed out on a lot of school activities having to complete their schooling from home (no sports, hanging with friends, prom etc..). No matter what your political affiliation is, try and try hard not to point a finger at anyone and blame them for spreading this nasty virus. Things will get better, life will go on, you’re life will be whatever you want it to be. I suggest really embracing Rev Dr Malama’s response- It’s short, concise and well spoken. Best of luck to your future!
now mistaken, partly. Yes there were a lot of cases brought in by locals who went traveling for probably mostly unnecessary reasons. But the fact still remains that people who didn’t need to be here also came in and some of them were positive. and yes of course they didn’t bring it intentionally, but they did intentionally risk it for the benefit of themsleves for a vacation. Now I don’t see how I’m being racist but agree to disagree at this point. Thank you.
thank you, best wishes to you as well
God bless the youth ………..
Covid has its cost but so does higher unemployment which results in increased suicides and higher use of additive drugs. There needs to be a reasonable balance and with no new cases for many days we are not seeing that. Kauai needs to start easing up now not two weeks or two months from now.