Positive thoughts needed at the state Legislature

Invocations don’t have to be about a particular religion to inspire. Every denomination offers lessons of wisdom, and there is real value in their ability to soothe the mind and spirit.

It won’t be easy to craft a solution that straddles the line between church and state, but rather than calling for an end to prayers by clergy before floor sessions, the state Senate should explore ways to keep the tradition alive.

In multicultural Hawaii, faith of many different kinds is an important part of daily life, and ceremonies like these give us opportunities to recognize and celebrate this diversity.

The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld the practice. Honolulu’s City Council has an invocation policy, and the ACLU is willing to help the Senate come up with its own. Here’s hoping legislators keep the faith.

We’re all in this together, except for Sunshine State

Oh the weather outside is frightful … Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!

And snow it did on Tuesday — in 49 of the U.S.’s 50 states. Yes, even tropical Hawaii joined the powder pack, with some 7 inches of snow atop Mauna Kea on the Big Island. Storms dumped snow across the Northwest and shut down most of the South; in Hawaii, rains drenched the islands, prompting flash flood watches and warnings.

Oh, and the lone no-snow state? Florida.