GMO labeling not necessary

I was dismayed to read the Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s view on GMO labeling ("Feds should tackle GMO labeling," Star-Advertiser, Our View, March 12), because GMOs are safe.

I understand that people want to know what is in their food, but genetic engineering is not an ingredient. A gene is added to a plant’s DNA, but if we follow the "GMOs must be labeled" logic, we should label tangelos as hybrids. We don’t because the fact that they are hybrids has no effect on whether they are safe for us to eat. The same is true of genetically engineered foods.

I think the hype about labeling GMOs is from folks who don’t bother to fully educate themselves. They see an article online from a source like "Say No to GMOs" and get scared, but they don’t look any deeper.

Elyse Jones
Liliha

Consumers have right to know

James Brewbaker writes thatGMO hysteria is causing our Legislature to waste time on a labeling law, that millions of acres were farmed last year with transgenic crops, thatthey are "absolutely safe," and that "nobody has even sneezed" ("Hysteria over GMOs not scientifically valid," Star-Advertiser, Letters, March 10).

It’s global statements such as these that discredit everything else the letter writer has to say.

We do not know how safe or unsafe these crops are. Thalidomide was considered safe, too,until thousands of babies with birth defects were born.

Until we know for sure, consumers have the right to know in order to make informed choices. We already have nutrition labeling; would it really be hardship to add GMO information?

Rike Weiss
Niu Valley

Dental sealants require dentist

Dental sealants can be an effective preventative treatment and the Hawaii Dental Association supports their appropriate use.However, the decision to apply the sealant to a child’s developing teeth can only be made after a diagnosis is made by a dentist.

Michael P. Rethman apparently doesn’t think a dentist diagnosis is required ("‘Prior exam rule’ hinders prevention of child tooth decay," Star-Advertiser, Island Voices, March 5). He said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds that "applying sealants is quick and easy and painless."

Who will do this quick, easy, painless treatment? Can that person diagnose diseases of the oral cavity?A dentist can, others cannot.

The "prior exam rule" states that a dentist must diagnose a patient before any treatment can be given to the patient by anyone. The Hawaii Dental Association agrees. Diagnosis first, treatment second. To remove this "unnecessary step," as Rethman puts it, can lead to unnecessary disease and pain for these youngest of all dental patients.Is that what we want in Hawaii for our kids?

Curt S. Shimizu
President, Hawaii Dental Association

Stop being mean to our homeless

Honolulu has been listed as being No. 8 in the top 10 meanest cities in the country toward our homeless.

Now comes with the news of sequestration and proposed cuts to programs designed to provide a safety net for those in need. Our mayor and City Council do their public relations that dehumanizes the homeless, encouraging negative stereotypes.

We forget that many of those on the streets are families with children who fell on hard times, and that many of us are just a couple of paychecks away from joining them. All it takes is a layoff, a furlough, a serious illness — things that are becoming more common.

We need to use our intelligence and resources to fight the root causes of homelessness, not the victims of it. A nation’s greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest members. Let’s be great!

Sherry Pollack
Kahaluu

Overbuilding will kill tourism

With all the recent commentaries by state officials, tourism executives and economic forecasters, I fail to understand why the obvious has not been addressed ("Visitor growth prompts warning," Star-Advertiser, March 10).

I see a packed beach and tourists citing the crowded conditions.What good will more hotel rooms do if there’s nowhere to enjoy what brings our visitors here in the first place?

On Tuesday the front-page headlines read, "Record revenue, rates lift hoteliers" and "Tourists pay more to fill rooms" (Star-Advertiser, March 12). Our visitors will go elsewhere if we continue squeezing them.

No more high rises on Waikiki beach. Let’s get some reasonable ideas going on here. It’s more than developer dreams and hotel profits.

Mary J. Culvyhouse
Kaneohe