Changes weaken dispensary bill

The reason there is so much trouble with the medical marijuana dispensary bill is because it is not good for the people of Hawaii ("Pot dispensaries measure hangs on," Star-Advertiser, May 2).

All the amendments ruin it, and make compliance unaffordable and discriminatory for all but multimillionaires with health licenses.

For one, the definition of a "person" needs to be an actual person — one license for one aspect (grow, manufacture, dispense) for one person. Give as many Hawaii residents a chance to make a good living, and people and the state will benefit.

If lawmakers feel in their heart that sick cancer patients on chemotherapy deserve a bit of chocolate or a brownie to take their medicine, then give them edibles.

Our representatives have got to rise above the money and do what is right for the 13,000-plus medical cannabis patients in the state of aloha.

Sara Steiner
Pahoa, Hawaii island

Tourists, rentals overwhelm Kailua

Leigh Prentiss wrote a well-stated letter ("Aloha toward tourists waning," Star-Advertiser, Letters, May 1).

Rememberthat Kailua is zoned "single residential" use only, and is not zoned for vacation rentals. The number of illegal vacation rentals in this townisastounding and the operators are not paying their fair share of taxes.Why aren’tthe laws being enforced after decades of complaints?

Now state representatives want to "study the issue more" and "fairly regulate and tax vacation rentals" ("Rules stricter for online ads," Star-Advertiser, May 2). Mayor Kirk Caldwell has introduced a measure to expand vacation rentals. Enforce the law!

Our quality of life here in Kailua has been greatly compromised by illegal rentals and the daily busloads of tourists. Traffic nightmares clog our streets.The wobbly tourists on bikes are accidents waiting to happen. While we cannot prevent tourists from visiting our wonderful town, illegal rentals are a cause of great concern for the infrastructure overload and overcrowding of our neighborhoods and streets.

Judy Holt
Kailua

Boxing photo sends wrong message

As a longtime subscriber, I am frequently disheartened by Star-Advertiser front-page headlines. Many refer to sports that would be better relegated to the sports section.

A recent headline and picture showed a fist smashing into another guy’s head ("Fight of the century: ‘Money’ in the bank," Star-Advertiser, May 3).

How sad.Front-page items have the subliminal effect of saying, "This is important."

The Kentucky Derby, an American classic, was buried in the Sport section.There are dozens of human interest stories surrounding this race.

How about the birth of a royal princess?

My dismay over headlines is not with these named items. It is what you choose to highlight for the public via the front page.

If the same amount of coverage were given to collegiate swimming, for example, imagine the interest in swimming events.

The paper has great power. How it choose to use that power speaks to its mindset.

Jean Morrison
Niu Valley

Hawaiians explored from earliest times

The protesters on Mauna Kea should be proud that the Hawaiians of pre-discovery days were renowned as wonderful explorers and navigators. They were quite remarkable in that they bravely set out in their canoes into a new vast unexplored universe (the ocean) and followed the stars to a new world.

Nainoa Thompson and the current sailing canoe crews have rekindled that remarkable spark of bravery and accomplishment and reminded the world that Hawaiians were the leaders of celestial navigation.

Take a positive approach about the opportunity to be the leaders again into the universe and open new worlds that will be discovered with the new telescope.Be the celestial leaders into the centuries to come.

Jean Rolles
Waikiki

Terrorists who hide faces are cowards

Executioners who stand behind their victims are cowards. They reveal the faces of their captives and yet hide behind masks. They hijack and demand ransom and show their power to the world. It is their mission to kill all infidels. In the name of their god, they act as heroes.

Do heroes kill innocent children?

The undeniable truth is they are terrorists and cowards. Let them show their full faces if they call themselves "heroes."

Robert Y. Abe
Waipahu

Don’t let Monsanto experiment on you

It’s sad to see people paid by Monsanto or have other financial reasons to tell us that GMOs (genetically modified organisms) are safe.

Monsanto said the same thing in 1969 about Agent Orange, a product used in Vietnam to killfoliage to prevent the enemy from hiding in the jungle.Our brave soldiers were assured that Agent Orange was safe.

Now, 45 years later,thousands of soldiers are dying a very slow and painful death from Agent Orange exposure.

Don’t let Monsanto experiment on us with GMOs.

John Wong
Aiea