Let everyone’s opinions be heard

While I don’t necessarily agree with Art Whistler’s point of view on the Mauna Kea protectors ("Open Mauna Kea and move on," Star-Advertiser, Letters, July 7), Mary Alice Ka‘iulani Milham’s call for the Star-Advertiser to use "caution in publishing" his "inflammatory language" goes counter to the sacrifices against oppression and denial of civil rights she so describes ("TMT comments inflammatory," Star-Advertiser, Letters, July 10).

Oppressing the news media from reporting everyone’s view is the very reason we still have dictators and oligarchy in the world today.

Let everyone’s views be heard, good or bad, right or wrong, by everyone. We need to know who the enemies are.

Orson Moon
Aiea

No majority has right to oppress

I am neither for nor against gay marriage.

I am for love and equality.

Our nation is not a theocracy; it is a democracy, meaning people’s power.

Our democracy has grown under a constitution in which the 14th Amendment guarantees equal treatment under the law.

Today, gender, sexual identity and sexual orientation are "protected classes."

Millions of dollars and heated debates later, laws denying homosexuals legal marriage have been found by the U.S. Supreme Court to be unconstitutional.

No state’s voting majority, or its body of lawmakers, has the authority to vote away the 14th Amendment rights of any minority.

Hatred born of bigotry and fanaticism is a more pressing danger to society than gay marriage could ever be. It is time to move on.

Only love and equality can conquer hatred.

Michael Spiker
Waiawa

Navy should fix storage tanks now

I am extremely concerned about the continued existence of the threat to our drinking water by the jet fuel leaking from Navy storage tanks in Red Hill.

The state, Navy and federal government need to ensure this jet fuel is completely cleaned up immediately. And for the sake of public health and safety, plus the health of our island and ocean, amend the draft administrative order of consent to require the Navy to replace the Red Hill fuel tanks to today’s, or better, standards within a 10-year period or sooner.

The immediate risk of aquifer contamination should allow no extensions of time, except for the public to weigh in on this issue.

What’s missing is a section in the administrative order detailing the cost to the people via taxes of potential loss of potable water, and/or the cost of cleanup of yet another useless, myopic and typically excessive expenditure by the U.S. Department of Defense.

Danielle Guion-Swenson
Makakilo

Most people oppose ban on plastic bags

Regarding recent letters published supporting the bag ban, it seems you only publish letters that are for the bag ban ("Charge for reusable bags," "Bring own bags to store," Star-Advertiser, Letters, July 10).

This is misleading sincethe use of plastic bags was never an issue to anyaverage person and I’m sure the majority of people still don’t support the bag ban.

It is irritating for these two people to be gushing about how wonderfulreusable bags areand that everyoneshould be charged for any otherbag. They must have broken arms from trying to pat themselves on the back so hard.

We do not need any pro-bag-ban people trying to force their views down everyone else’s throat, causing us unnecessary inconvenience and costing us more money when we shop.

They can do whatever they want in their own smug lives but they should stay out of everyone else’s life. Repeal the bag ban.

Gary N. Sparks
Waipahu

Let students access Internet to learn

Today’s 20-year-olds were born the same year the Internet took off.

Ten-year-olds were born when the first YouTube video was uploaded, and 5-year-olds were born when touch screens exploded on the world scene.

I’m confused because we invented all of these but we don’t take advantage of them in educating our students.

I’ve just completed 22 courses at a local university, online, without buying or reading a single textbook.

I use YouTube first, Google second. Kids are aware of what I do and would be better than I am at it, but we adults won’t let them use it.

It’s time to let them learn what they are interested in. Our kids are smarter than we give them credit for. They know that Siri, Cortana and OK Google have all the answers they need.

Gary Dubrall
Kapolei

U.S. flag not much to brag about either

Do we get rid of the Hawaiian flag, since it contains a symbol of the British Empire?

On Feb 25, 1843, Great Britain invaded Hawaii and threatened to bomb Honolulu with cannon fire, so King Kamehameha III was forced to surrender the kingdom.

The American flag flew over a slave nation much longer than the Confederate flag did.

The American flag has flown over all kinds of atrocities.

The flag has flown over slavery and symbolized racism, discrimination, bigotry and homophobia for hundreds of years.

The Confederate flag flew a relatively short time, and we’re getting rid of the Confederate flag.

Arsenio Ramirez Pelayo
Aiea