LIHU‘E — It’s been nearly a year and a half since the Kaua‘i County Council held meetings open to the physical public, but following Wednesday’s special council meeting, around 60 residents met representatives outside.
Primarily, the conversation focused on enforcement of COVID-19 vaccinations or weekly testing for county and state employees and student-athletes and open communication with elected officials.
Residents expressed their frustrations to Council Chair Arryl Kaneshiro and councilmembers Bernard Carvalho, Felicia Cowden, Billy DeCosta and KipuKai Kuali‘i outside of council chambers.
Kaneshiro said that the council has received “numerous e-mails, voicemail messages and personal testimony about these same concerns from people on all sides of the issue.”
“The voices of our constituents are being heard by the council as we read many of these stories daily,” Kaneshiro said. “At this level of government, the legislative body, during this emergency pandemic period, cannot overturn decisions made by the Governor or the Mayor, or those that are being conveyed through federal or state laws.”
Following the discussion, Cowden said that constituents voiced a “clear fear” that vaccine passports would become “simply a first step in the erosion of human rights.”
“Sharply defined was potential health concerns for children and an economic isolation for people who choose other pathways to protect their health from COVID-19,” Cowden said in a statement.
Cowden said demonstrators pled for the council to “intercede for freedom of choice without perceived coercion to take vaccinations in our county.”
At times contentious, a matter of pent-up emotions, the discussion, which for the most part was shared over social media platforms, lasted about an hour and a half.
“The people were frustrated with their inability to be heard and asked the council for help,” Cowden said.
Last week, the council met in an executive session about the county’s vaccination program. About 77% of county employees, in this round of data-gathering, disclosed full-vaccination status. For Our Rights President Danny Hashimoto said that many from his group submitted testimony prior to the session, but have yet to hear much back.
“What we’re looking for from the executive session … (is) some sort of resolution, some sort of communication as a body representing us that you communicate up the line straight to the Mayor the concerns of us,” Hashimoto said.
For Our Rights CEO Levana Lomma said that regular COVID-19 testing is “not a reasonable substitute for those choosing not to take the vaccine.”
“It is a form of discrimination, particularly when we know that vaccinated individuals are just as capable of spreading COVID-19 as those who are not,” Lomma said.
Yesterday, Kuali‘i made it clear that the council does not have any specific role in county and state rules or mandates.
“When it comes to the Governor or the Mayor setting a government workplace; or any kind of, vaccination mandate, I believe it’s important to allow individuals the choice to object and opt-out of vaccination,” Kuali‘i said in a statement. “However, for me, I also believe it’s important to not get in the way of any mask, vaccination, quarantine and testing efforts by the Governor or the Mayor aimed at minimizing the spread of the virus, keeping our citizens safe and lowering the current strain on the limited resources of our hospitals.”
Kuali‘i said he was there to listen, and said he would follow up with state and county officials.
“There is little to no predictability for the future and that causes additional anxiety for all,” Kaneshiro said. “I would just like to remind everyone that we are a small, tight-knit community and we need to continue to support each other through respectful dialogue. We may not all see eye-to-eye on all decisions, but we must, for the sake of our island community, continue to treat each other with respect and aloha.”
Are we going to let a tiny group of people who absolutely *zero* training or education about public health and infectious disease RAM their agenda through? Levanna uses these people to send her cash to file lawsuits against the government that she knows will fail. But she gets that money. She believes in chemtrails and other conspiracy theories. In fact that’s ALL these people believe. The fact that Crowden plays along makes her just as repugnant and culpable. Are they unable to see the death and disease that’s rocking Maui right now? Do they care about the 5 members of *our* community who’ve already died? No. They’d tell you those people “just needed more fresh air and fruit”. Look at them. They’re screaming in the faces of our council. Not talking- screaming. Like a child that wants attention. They take selfies because it’s a selfish agenda. They represent the worst of us – people who have no idea how to sacrifice for the common good.
Ige and Kawakami also have no medical training, yet you listen to them?
Wow your right the govenor and mayor don’t have a medical degree!? Its almost like they have a special team of medical professionals that come together and gives them advice….
How many people in the “Our rights” group even know the difference between a bacteria and a virus?
That’s the problem. Medical advice.
I don’t know. This is a democracy we are living in. The few get elected to represent the community. But the few are like ding bats. Upside down. The reality is people want comfort in numbers. So they choose the county council. Even though not smart.
This is a very one sided argument from someone that is in an echo chamber of information online. Vaccine injury is real and big pharma behaves like a medical mafia.
I have a fully vaccinated family member who died after their vaccination, as could have been predicted from the earlier attempts at a coronavirus vaccine, when they actually did animal trials first, instead of rushing it right into the human population (and there was a mass die-off due to ADE, cytokine cascade, etc. .. the overreaction of the immune system to a renewed viral exposure). One BIG problem, as the inventor of the mRNA vaccine platform technology – Dr. Robert Malone – tells us, is that our government is not being transparent about the effects of the genetic injection products – like Pfizer – they are imposing on the population (which, by the way, are still an experiment that won’t end until May 2023). The Emergency Use authorization (EUA) was illegally obtained, as it could only go forward by suppressing the successful treatments that multiple groups of doctors, nationally and internationally, were creating. Here’s a fantastic interview by Bret Weinstein with Dr. Pierre Kory of the FLCCC (expert medical professionals who were convened to begin treating people almost from the beginning of the situation) – https://covid19criticalcare.com/videos-and-press/flccc-releases/covid-ivermectin-and-the-crime-of-the-century-podcast-with-dr-pierre-kory/
I understand that it can be disconcerting when one first realizes the extreme lack of Fully Informed Consent (a statutory requirement for both EUAs and FDA approved jabs), but currently government is not following the law in so many ways. Ergo, I give thanks that groups like Levana’s are willing to stand up for the law, which wouldn’t be necessary if we had a fully functional Checks and Balances system within the State.
I believe we all need to take precautions to stop the spread of Covid. Please wear a mask to protect me and my family from the disease- I too have rights that need to be protected!!! You can choose to not be vaccinated- but please stay home and isolate yourself for your safety and the safety of others on our island.
If you got the vaccine, why are you worried? Isn’t it to protect you? No, because you can still get covid with the vaccine, and you can still spread it. You stay home if you’re scared.
Amene!!
No, you stay home if you are unwilling to protect anyone but yourself.
Please study the terrain model by Antoine bechamp to understand what real health is and what sickness and disease is. Learn how to protect yourself so that you don’t have to be afraid of people and live in such a dark and fearful reality.
Perhaps the epidemiologists in this group of protesters can step forward and explain how their demand for “freedom” is more effective in combatting a pandemic than the recommendations of public health departments.
Yes, I hope one of them can explain it all to you.
Keep up the good work “For Our Rights”! There are millions of people all over America who are behind you 100%! This NIH funded/Big Pharma, MAN MADE, questionably leaked into Society, Virus is making a mess of our economy and Society. At the same time Drug Companies are making fortunes, and the United States Government is gaining Powers they have no right to inflict on us. We must secede from the United States and take our Islands back!
I bet you spent all that stimulus money though… Secede from the U.S. yeah right… I wouldn’t hold my “HA” if I were you… “therealhawaiian” okay???
Buddy, the hawaiians can’t even take care of their lawns. what makes you think they could run the state?
Frankly, I don’t want to get sick from Covid19 but what I am sick of are these maskless “rights” people showing no respect for their fellow inhabitants of this small island. Disgusted
What’s disgusting is how brainwashed you are.
I have one question for this “For Our Rights” group: Where do MY rights begin and YOURS end? I pled to this group to stop the division. The definitive lines drawn in the sand. Unity to fight the Pandemic and not fight one another please. YOU are only a very small group and have become a “cluster” of COVID by expressing your rights! How does this make any sense?
Looks like another super spreader event. So dumb.
this is a fool’s errand
These people are fools! Do you lose your rights when you wear a seat belt? Do you lose your rights when go through screening at an airport? Hey, how about all you tattoo lovers? You put that ink in your body that isn’t FDA approved, what’s wrong with a covid shot that is now FDA approved? Get off your selfish bandwagon and do something for others for a change!
Full FDA approval means its time for insurance companies to raise premiums for the un-vaccinated to refelect the higher risk these individuals are voluntarily taking and the potential costs associated with hospitalizations and long COVID. Insurance companies also need to start mandating all health care practitioners in their networks to get vaccinated if they want to continue accepting insurance. Finally it’s time for Medicaid and Medicare to mandate vaccination for all its beneficiaries.
To MKHoward,In total agreement w/ur post, especially the part about tattoos! There seems be a complete lack of empathy for us elders with compromised medical issues, with those that have to daily face angry tourists who refuse to believe that they can’t get what they want out of their vacations on Kauai! when I first looked at this photo & saw no masks except from our Council members..I knew that Wilcox is going to be busy in the next few days!The “anger”
these people give out..is so toxic they can’t even see they are setting themselves up for future problems! Wow ,can we just not be so selfish about our “personal” rights that conflict with the majority of our community sees as a necessary evil to be dealt with? this will end but your selfish, angry approach to getting what you want will not sit well for the majority of us on Island.If you don’t like how we work here…simple solution..is to move1 Aloha!
Thank God for Cowden, I’m so glad she is standing up for the rights of people she is representing.
We live in a FREE COUNTRY, these mandates are unconstitutional
Anyone here bothered by smallpox lately? No, we eliminated this disease by all getting vaccinated instead of “sticking up for our rights”. You have a right to not get vaccinated against Covid, but please don’t go into a restaurant, working place, airplane, bus, healthcare facility, concert, theater, crowd, etc., etc.
Dr. Bob, you’re comparing apples to oranges. You are well aware that not all virus are created equally nor do they behave in a similar way. Small pox has no known animal reservoir as a virus vector making it possible to eradicate through inoculation, and later vaccinations. Same goes for polio. To make the same argument for any coronavirus including sars cov2 shows you clearly either forgot or are not informed in the published literature as well as CDC and NIH. There has never been a virus with an animal reservoir that has been eradicated. I know you mean well. But, to not acknowledge the reality of what we’re dealing with here and most likely outcomes with COVID-19. You’re really just doing a disservice to your self. State the truth of the matter. Vaccines show great results in minimizing symptoms and hospitalizations. Great. Makes sense that’s a great option to have. Call a spade a spade. You absolutely cannot and will not vaccinate covid away. Please Stop spreading misinformation. Give the people ALL of the information and let them decide. I know you’re a great doctor and mean well. But you’re just wrong at this point regarding this issue.
Greg, I think you missed his point. He was addressing the general anti-vax sentiment.
Ah, the good doctor Mengele…er…sorry,Weiner is advocating a neo-apartheid. Shameful. How about this, doc:
In Israel — where data suggest those who have received the COVID jab are 6.72 times more likely to get infected than people who have recovered from natural infection — a majority of serious cases and deaths are occurring among those injected with two doses of Pfizer’s mRNA jab. And there is no doubt that cases there are. How can this be with some 90% of the population “vaccinated”.
Your comparison to smallpox is illegitimate and a red-herring. The smallpox vaccine is made from an actual virus…the poxvirus from cows. Cowpox does not infect people as you should know but it confers protection against smallpox because they are similar. It was first discover by Edward Jenner in 1796, who used the actual pus from a cowpox blister.
How is this irrelevant to the covid “vaccines”? You should know…Dr. There is a vast difference between vaccines that use actual viruses which are rendered less active, inactive, or only used in part and an mRNA genetic shot. The SARS CoV-2 virus has not been isolated, weakened or inactivated and is NOT used in the so-called vaccine. The mRNA gets into the cell DNA and gives “instructions” to produce the spike protein which supposedly prompts the body to produce antibodies. It does this to some extent (with an MMT of 119 for Pfizer); it is becoming evident these antibodies are less effective and this effectiveness more short-lived than those one might get from an actual infection.
So enough with your divisive, hateful comments about people who prefer to take a chance with getting infected rather than be subjected to a shot of what, despite FDA “approval” is still an experimental genetic shot. You should also know that it is vaccinated people that carry the biggest viral load. History will record this as an utter disaster over the long term.
RG DeSoto
Which mandates are unconstitutional in what ways? Please cite Supreme Court cases to support your assertions.
She is the worst elected person ever. You guys gave her a key to the kingdom. She already instigated the theft of 23 acres of someone’s property, why didn’t she give up her, and every member on the councils property before taking others.
Vaccine mandates are 100% constitutional. Just because you don’t know how the constitution works, this doesn’t make something illegal.
Saw a post recently from Levana Lomma:
“Do not get tested! They are depositing graphene oxide into your body! If you’re not already ill that will surely make you sick. We have to remember that our bodies are amazing things. Trust your immune system. Trust your psyche. Know that you can overcome any ailment without the need for Western medicine doctors and pharmaceuticals. I think many people are getting sick, they start to panic and the anxiety leads to difficulty breathing. Once they get tested they are exposed to CO and it’s all downhill from there. The Remdesivir IV in the hospital is making people worse! Make your own HCQ by boiling grapefruit rinds.”
Now we know – COVID is just bad anxiety folks and the cure is grapefruit rinds, said the person with absolutely NO credentials! LMAO.
And, if she took the time to fact check, she’d know tests do NOT contain graphene oxide.
She needs to visit a COVID ward, with one of her fake ‘mask exemption’ cards of course, and see the sad reality some are dealing with!
I wonder if I should let her know that the moon is NOT in fact made of green cheese too?
Mic drop.
This is now the pandemic of the obstinate, the grandiose, the needle phobic and of the conspiracy theorists. Darwin is rolling in his grave laughing !!!
Let’s trust people profiting for click bait farms and forum trolls over expert employees of democratically elected governments with adequate training. Behind these followers you have people making a ton of money. Contrary to the ever denounced by conspiracy theorists pharmaceutical companies- they don’t even need to invest billions in research and science to come up with vetted vaccines or remedies to back their claims. All they need is a connection to the Internet, a cell phone and willingness to spread rumors. Credible news outlets need to stop outsourcing advertising to companies like Outbrain and Taboola that voluntarily blur the lines between news, rumors and advertisement. Facebook and You Tube trolls are not an adequate source of information. We are dealing with a global public health crisis coupled with a crisis in representative democracy. Both are fueled by misinformation and lack of investment in education. Hawaii hospitals are currently at capacity. Freedom is an exercise in responsibility. It is not a blank check to ignorance and recklessness given by the community.
Totally agree, just because the few are so LOUD, doesn’t make it the rest of our decisions.
Take photos and names of all of these guys, when they get sick, and they will, isolate them anywhere, but a hospital, if they don’t do they part to for their safety, why give them a ventilator later?
Just like the homosexuals that contract HIV/AIDS from having unprotected sex. They know the risks and there is a simple, and in many places FREE, preventative yet they don’t wear it because it’s uncomfortable or makes their life less enjoyable. They need to be denied lifesaving medical treatment and just suffer the horrible death they deserve. Right?
People have been saying these “anti maskers” are going to get sick and die for the last year and half… I’d say our education system has worked perfectly. The general masses don’t question authority. Somehow they think agreeing with mainstream media and their government is being a “free thinker” and there’s no possible way they have been misled. It’s not like we have countless examples of corrupt governments or anything… did Josh green and all these other bone heads take money from Pfizer or is that just a “conspiracy theory””
Well said.
nUFF sAID
Covid vaccines cause 25 time more deaths than any other vaccine and other serious adverse effects make this a dangerous option for some. If you want to get a vaccine, fine, but why are you so adamant that everyone get the vaccine? Especially healthy young people who have healthy immune systems to fight the virus. This virus has become a political tool and good doctors are being silenced and canceled for speaking out. We live in America. Let freedom ring , every voice be heard, and let Americans decide the best health options for their circumstance. I wear my mask, I stand 6 feet away. Please don’t call those you disagree with idiots. VAERS reports 6,000 vaccine deaths, from Covid vaccines in 8 months. This is 25 times more than any other vaccine per million shots. Check out the chart at: vaersanalysisinfo/2021/08/12/annualized-deaths-per-million-doses-traditional-vaccines-vs-covid-19-vaccines/. Not everyone needs a vaccine to fight Covid 19. Please respect the differences and realize one size never fits all. Thank you.
From the CDC:
“VAERS reports alone generally cannot be used to determine if a vaccine caused or contributed to an adverse event or illness. Some reports may contain information that is incomplete, inaccurate, coincidental, or unverifiable. VAERS reports often lack contextual information, such as total vaccinations given or information on unvaccinated groups for comparison. Most reports to VAERS are voluntary, which means they may be subject to biases. Data from VAERS reports should always be interpreted with these limitations in mind.”
George: The spreading that is keeping the pandemic alive is from one misinformed non- vaxer to another. Even if it came from a bird or a bat originally, as some viruses have, the ongoing spread does not involve these animals, but others that are supposed to be a bit smarter, they are people who prefer to believe mythology.
You are a pharma educated I mean indoctrinated doctor. Study the terrain model, the fraud is easy to see through for any clear thinking person.
Remember when GMO divided the island?
The divide and conquer won.
Was the people getting poisoned?
Yes.
Later you all will learn that Big Pharma poisoned “false flag” the world for profits.
Raise your hands if you are Paying Attention!
I don’t know how this works. But if I never did play sports, I can write it in. I think Steve Uyehara, is like Bernard P. Carvalho jr. All show. Failed high school. Never mind content.
When the entire human population on the planet is at risk of extinction because of a pandemic, your “rights” cease to exist unless it is the right to protect others and yourself from infection. Take a good look at the people in this article’s photo. Remember these maskless faces. These are the people on Kauai who feel their “rights” are infinitely more important than your safety, your health, and your life. They don’t understand that the “rights” they are clamoring for are the right to act recklessly, selfishly, and greedily during a pandemic that is endangering the entire human race.
Even the most cursory knowledge of the personal histories of the two main “leaders” of this group should cause any remotely reasonable person to run in the opposite direction ASAP.
The simple fact that all these people are allowing their faces to be printed in the paper ….supporting this sort of absolute nonsense blows my mind.
The absolute nonsense is to pretend there is a big health emergency when The Actual Numbers from the Hawaii Department of Health clearly verify that this “deadly” Covid-19 is far less harmful in Hawaii than the common flu! Arguing for your own enslavement to Big Pharma and consenting to poisoning your own children when the official death count in Hawaii is ONLY 63 dead from Covid-19 including the so called Delta variant! Please wake up everyone! There is NO PANDEMIC! Not in Hawaii!!!
It’s alway these white trash haoles from the mainland that move here and grumble about everything. You should move back to the mainland where no one respects each other just like your doing by not wearing mask. Get out of Hawaii your taking up all our oxygen. Not wanted worms.
You should be thankful that some people of varying ethnicity are not sticking their heads in the sand and fighting for your children and grandchildrens future! Especially since you would apparently rather be racist then stand up against catastrophic government overreach which is rapidly killing and sterilizing local people Statewide!!!
Fact is that only 63 people have died of Covid-19 and the Delta variant in all of 2021! There is No Pandemic in Hawaii and there never was! The numbers don’t lie… Politicians and drug manufacturers do lie!
Halleluiah!!!
mAhalo “Andy”, REtroactively 120+ years and six on-site decades, EVERY ‘fake state’ voting system politician harbored the dank darkness of their intent. I lived the KPD BLUE AND Superferry eras and know that Paying Attention was key to today’s circus clown mentalities, the offspring to plantation parents who raised them to never bypass thousands of scandals they have maneuvered towards.
Thank You TGI for a fairly unbiased article covering the concerns of For Our Rights. My concern is with the polarization of our community reflected in the comments. As an F.O.R. member, I am frightened to be perceived as “recklessly, selfishly, and greedily … endangering the entire human race”. I am very concerned that legitimate questions, put forth by 1000’s of highly qualified doctors and scientists world wide, are met with censorship and character assassination. Though the stakes are high, science withers in this atmosphere of hysteria and stifled discussion.
In my perception, the fundamental problem is the capture of government by profit worshipping corporations. Many people are understandably very uncomfortable with contemplating the possibility of corrupted authorities and the implications. It is a far easier short term solution to demonize and dehumanize the messengers. “Conspiracy Theorist” is an easy label that can be applied to neutralize such disturbing inquiry; but consider the other hand: If society has agreed that any evidence of conspiracy is automatically shouted down as false, then it creates the perfect atmosphere for actual conspiracies to flourish.
The fundamental constitutionally protected right I am (and we are) arguing for is the freedom to speak, gather and engage in rational, democratic debate.
NEWS FLASH!!!!
Covid-19 Fear campaign in Hawaii is failing miserably because the Hawaiian people have basic common sense and they can ad and subtract!
THE NUMBERS DONT LIE! Politicians and drug pushers do lie!
The Hawaii Department of Health has kindly provided the following Real Time Numbers and Facts! (In contrast to Government exaggeration, innuendo and blatant lies.)
PLEASE WAKE YOURSELVES UP & understand what these following numbers mean!!!
Official numbers are verifiable at the Hawaii Department of Health website.
Common Influenza/ Pneumonia 2017-2018
526 total deaths in Hawaii
Common Influenza/ Pneumonia 2018-2019
964 total deaths in Hawaii
Covid-19 2020-2021 Only 502 (484 of which had underlying conditions which means only 18 people died of Covid alone last year in Hawaii!!!)
Total deaths due to COVID-19 & or the alleged delta variant in Hawaii so far Jan. 1-August 25 2021 Only 63!!!!!!
This absolutely and conclusively proves that there is NO PANDEMIC in the State of Hawaii and there never was! NO EMERGENCY whatsoever! More people die every year in Hawaii from tobacco smoking and cigarettes are still legal! More people die of car accidents and heart disease but I don’t see the government rushing to outlaw cars or fatty foods.
Unless you have a problem with basic math then you are now forced to side with common sense and science to declare that this slimy marketing scam with Big-Pharma and Big- Tech colluding with government to subjugate and defraud the people is now uncovered for what it is- BLATANT FRAUD!!!
And particularly if you are a local family or of Hawaiian descent you should be outraged at this culture crushing attempted take over of the Hawaiian Nation!
Governor I’ve is by far the worst thing to happen to the Hawaiian people since the overthrow of The sovereign Hawaiian Nation!!! He is quite literally sacrificing your children’s future on the altar of molech!
Every argument which tries to ignore the number of 502 deaths from 2020 and 63 deaths in 2021 is merely arguing to support Big-Pharmas marketing and sterilization plan for the Hawaiian people!
Wake up… they are coming for your children!