Elect council candidates who show up
As absentee ballots are out and general election day is near, when reviewing our choices for council candidates, a major consideration for me is in looking at who has already shown up and been engaged in our community conversations well before needing our votes.
Following the imprint of Queen Emma’s spirit
Speaking of diversity — the focus of the last “Green Flash” (Oct. 8) — the meaning of that word boomeranged back to me in Kokee as I enjoyed watching and being part of the Eo e Emmalani i Alakai Festival in honor of the beloved Hawaiian Queen Emma Naea Rooke and her 1871 upland trek with 100 friends into the Alakai Swamp area.
Overtourism: Time for some limits
“Overtourism” is a word coined by the international news media after rebellions against tourism in several European cities occurred in the summer of 2017. There are many reasons for locals in cities like Venice, Barcelona, Dubrovnik and other localities to demand: “Visitors go home.”
What if the roles were reversed?
Connect the dots. It’s not Sen. Brian Schatz but rather the most popular Sen. Mazie Hirono who recently garnished national attention with her part in the Kavanaugh hearing and her stance on the “Me too” movement. She said on national TV to the men of our country: “Just ‘shut up’ and step up. Do the right thing for a change.”
Report of my death is greatly exaggerated
It was Mark Twain who wrote, in 1897, something to the effect that the reports of his death were greatly exaggerated.
The advertised cost of a constitutional convention
In print and TV ads, Constitutional Convention opponents have been claiming that the cost of voting yes for a state constitutional convention on Nov. 6 would be too high.
Indulge for a moment, a rant on the topic of voting
People that already vote, will yawn and say “been there done that … move along … I’ve done my part and now I can get back to working in the yard.”
Be aware of human trafficking, gang stalking
I came to (The Garden Island newspaper) to inform people of my situation that I am in so as to help me and others. It’s called “human trafficking” and/or “gang stalking. It is a billion-dollar industry that targets people for various reasons; mostly for criminals to make money off your life in any way “they” can.
Heavy burden weighs down postal service
The Oct. 11 editorial, “Postal service can’t continue on same financial path,” states that the U.S. Postal Service is losing money. This is not quite true. The post office does not use taxpayer money and the taxpayer is not on the hook to pay for the accounting problems that Congress, in 2006, burdened the post office with when it passed HR6407 by voice vote in the House and unanimous consent in the Senate.
A Constitutional Convention? If in doubt, vote no
Two questions: What is a Con Con? Why should you care?
Kavanaugh doesn’t deserve to be on Supreme Court
“Prejudice” derives from Latin, meaning exactly as it suggests: “judging in advance.” In our country, it should be a basic creed that no public official, from cop to top, should be prejudiced against specific (non-criminal) groups of our citizens. Especially, judges at any level should not be prejudiced. That’s the meaning of the blindfold on Lady Justice.
Striving to think – and write – in support of diversity
The “Green Flash” is flashing orange, cooling … slowly traveling the spectrum to return to the healing vibration of life, the color green. It’s disappointing to this writer to see the old “local vs. haole/white foreigner” division erupting in recent editions of The Garden Island Forum letters, and unacceptable language.
Kauai Volunteers and World War II
Hank Soboleski’s column in The Garden Island (Sept. 30) sparked a flame in me, of recalling much during the early days of World War II. I always go straight to the Sunday TGI’s “Lifestyle” section to see what Hank’s latest story is to read.
Women’s voices must be supported, not silenced
When Dr. Christine Blasey Ford came forward with her story of attempted rape by Brett Kavanaugh, many women were thrown back to memories long buried and suppressed. Sexual assault survivors, both female and male, understood at a visceral level why she didn’t say anything many years ago and understood what she was sacrificing by standing up now.
Aunt Lydia did her best, then the commanders took over
If you have never watched “The Handmaids Tale,” which I suspect most local Kauai people have not, you have no idea to what I am referring. But if you are a breathing human of certain age categories, either my age category of the 50s or younger, and you are a woman who has access to the Hulu subscription service, you know exactly of what I speak.
Teach your children well; don’t espouse evil
This past week’s public lynching of Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, by Democrat Senate Judiciary Committee members, including Hawaii’s own Mazie Hirono, went beyond the pale in destroying not only what was left of comity in the U.S. Senate, but attempting to destroy an innocent public servant and his family.
Candidates that don’t show up, don’t deserve your vote.
In approximately two weeks, the first round of absentee ballots will be mailed out for the general election.
Hawaii doesn’t need a Constitutional Convention
Your publication recently editorialized that a Constitutional Convention would “put power back into the hands of voters” and “sidesteps political gamesmanship.” If only. You make no mention of the enormous powerof dark money that has so infected our democracy.
Candidates, reveal stances on high rises
I like Kauai as it is and I feel that a high rise might be built on the island and that would change the uniqueness of Kauai forever. He then said, “A high rise is coming to Kauai.” I replied, “That would be terrible.” He then said, “Sorry.”
Candidates must not ignore suicide epidemic
Dear local and state candidates: On Sept. 10, The Garden Island produced an article that discussed an “epidemic” that was developing on our island in regards to spiking suicide rates.