Hobby Lobby ruling a travesty

The Supreme Court decision in Hobby Lobby commences a slide down the slippery slope that those who endorse it have warned will be a result of the Affordable Care Act.

What’s next? Can companies owned by Christian Scientists prevent their employees being insured for blood transfusions? Can companies owned by vegetarian Buddhists prevent their employees being insured for drugs made with animal products?

The Supreme Court has emasculated the Affordable Care Act notwithstanding its approval of it just as it has emasculated the right to abortion notwithstanding its Roe v. Wade decision.

The U.S. once again stands alone. We are the only civilized Western nation without universal health care. I am embarrassed to live in a country that in the 21st century condemns birth control.

Nancy Grekin
Makiki Heights

LED lights could be in crosswalks

I believe the best solution to the crosswalk pedestrian accident problem is a system of in-pavement LED crosswalk lights that are activated automatically when a pedestrian steps into the crosswalk or by the pedestrian pushing a button.

There are many companies that sell such systems, and most give a choice of a pedestrian-activated push-button operation or an automated system that turns on when a pedestrian passes between sensor posts. There are also systems that work in conjunction with traffic signals.

A search for in-pavement LED crosswalk lighting will bring up many sites and videos showing various types.

I urge the state and the city to look into these safety measures as a way to reduce crosswalk pedestrian accidents.

Robert Gould
Kaneohe

Support probe into VA problem

We are deeply concerned that veterans are waiting much too long here in Hawaii to receive initial primary care, which includes one of our members.

We do urge anyone concerned to contact members of our congressional delegation and share their concerns. We would support a level-headed fact-finding investigation to determine the exact reason.

It is also necessary that there be an adequate number of accessible qualified health care providers to meet our veterans’ needs. Congress must establish and fund these positions.

Interested persons can also volunteer at the Spark M. Matsunaga VA Medical Center to assist patients and potential patients.

All our returning and retired veterans deserve timely and quality health care.

Joy Marshall
Military Women of America, Chapter 2
Mililani

Have students at polling places

I suggest making working at the voter polls mandatory for high school students at least once before graduating.

They could still get paid for their hard work, but the most important thing is they would learn about the voting process firsthand.

There are high schools all over the state, so students could just go to a polling place close to their schools or even at their own schools. The state would benefit by having an endless supply of workers forever. We have the students work the cafeteria lines helping to serve lunch. Why not the polling places? Let’s start another tradition.

Bonnie Lee
Salt Lake

School makes useful compost

Pearl City High School has been the site of an exciting project from which I benefited recently.

Students learned how to transform discarded food from cafeteria lunches into compost. Formerly, such waste had been hauled away as garbage. In a year’s time, an unbelievable 40 tons of garbage became rich compost.

At the recent sale, 70 people showed up. Proceeds went to the school’s special education department. Composting of food waste makes perfect sense from a recycling standpoint and obviously fills a need for the gardening community.

These projects deserve official support. They should be expanded to every school in Hawaii. Why not turn mountains of noxious waste into fragrant compost?

Sylvia Baldwin
Kailua

Winer should quit Schatz staff

Ben Cayetano’s idea wasn’t to drag U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz down ("Cayetano’s negativity taints heated race for U.S. Senate," Star-Advertiser, Volcanic Ash, July 6). His idea is to drag Schatz’s chief of staff Andy Winer out of the campaign. It is a positive idea, not a negative idea.

Harold Arakaki
Kahala