• Why progress matters • Diving tin cans • Do we want the same thing? Why progress matters It’s 2010 and there are still major world religions that uphold the lie that women are not as holy or sacred as
• Why progress matters • Diving tin cans • Do we want the same
thing?
Why progress matters
It’s 2010 and there are still major world religions that uphold the lie that women are not as holy or sacred as men.
The religious right keeps spouting this lie, and the one about homosexuality being an abomination. That is the real abomination, this discounting of the value of women, and of people of different sexual orientations from their own.
The right-wing “culture warriors” are in full swing this election season. Their anti-women’s rights, anti-gay agenda keeps spewing forth from these bigots. These extreme zealots are not future leaders. They are your future enslavers.
Stand up to intolerance, bigotry, and sexism. Say Yes! to true freedom for women, minorities, and gays and lesbians. This patriarchal oppression must be stopped. Stop this crime against humanity with your vote. The voices and rights of women and minorities matter. Vote and say yes to freedom for all human beings – female and male.
All the outside money paying for negative attack ads against Democratic candidates, do you really think that it’s grassroots? The Republican Governor’s Association who is running attack ads against Neil Abercrombie — grassroots? It got $1 million from the billionaire Koch brothers.
The far right pretends that the Tea Party movement is grassroots. The reality is that the funding for these groups, and for Karl Rove’s PAC, is from ultraconservative billionaires and giant corporations that want to keep their money and power.
They bankroll the Tea Party. They pretend they are grassroots. They push the message “I want to take back my country.” The real message is “let’s take our country backwards.”
Backwards to the 1950s or before. The truth is that life wasn’t so great in the ‘50s except for affluent white men. It sure wasn’t great for women, for people of color, for minorities. Before Medicare, Social Security, child labor laws, weekends. You really want to go back to that?
It matters who you vote for: for governor, for the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate. Vote Democratic and vote to open the American Dream to every person, not just to rich, white men.
Don’t your children and grandchildren deserve this opportunity? Ignore the lies of the super-rich and large corporations who are trying to buy this election. Vote for your best interest and the best interest of future generations.
David Thorp, Kalaheo
Driving tin cans
I am a farmer and I drive an older Suburban that has the room and power I need for the farm, but it gets only 13 mpg. The low mpg is not a problem, because I only drive it about 250 miles per month. The actual gasoline used is not that much, about 20 gallons per month.
However, the Obama officials are planning to force automakers to nearly double fleet efficiency to an average of 62 mpg by 2025. Autos have been around a long time. There is no magic way to double mileage. These people are either in dreamland, or they are purposely trying to shut down our economy.
I know that a lot of us rural folks on Kaua‘i either need or enjoy a vehicle with a good amount of horsepower. If those from the far left like Obama stay in power, you can say goodbye to your vehicle. We will all need to start risking our lives daily driving around in tin cans.
We seriously need to elect some politicians who have had more real-life job experiences. Fortunately, it appears that Obama will lose control of Congress soon. Unfortunately, we in Hawai‘i face the possibility of a brand new era of a left-wing governor who would also control the Legislature.
Abercrombie brags about his relationship with Obama. Abercrombie will surely push the same kind of goofy, left-wing ideas if he is elected.
I encourage you to vote for Duke Aiona, who can offer some balance of power and a voice of reason in our state government.
Mark Beeksma, Koloa
Do we want the same thing?
This in response to Gordon Labedz’s letter entitled “We want the same thing” (Letters, Oct. 14). As a person born and raised on Kaua‘i and having surfed here since childhood, I would kindly ask you to not provide your opinion about what the people of Kaua‘i want.
I have the privilege of knowing a great deal of Kaua‘i residents and have spoken to many regarding the whales, monk seals, turtles and shearwaters.
While growing up here I did not see one monk seal until I was 20. Now they have more rights than taxpayers on the beach and eat their fair share of fish.
I used to collect one, maybe two shearwaters a year, put them in a box and my dad would release them the next day. As long as I can remember, turtles have always been in and around the shoreline as well as the humpback.
My point is that although I am not a proponent of killing or extinguishing wildlife, I am a proponent of deregulation, not regulation. Kaua‘i affords a certain freedom, a freedom that we are used to and if you speak to many locals they would agree.
When people like you come in and try to regulate the status quo, you are met with opposition. We don’t need wacko environmentalists like you telling us what we should or shouldn’t be doing. We have enough rules already; let’s concentrate on our quality of life and survival.
Mark Stiglmeier, Kalaheo
