Many superdelegates don’t seem to understand what democracy is.

Voting against the candidate who won 70 percent is a slap in the face to the majority. The whole idea of superdelegates is unfair on its face.

Although America promotes democracy around the world, most other countries must see us as hypocrites when we cannot fairly choose the presidential candidates of our choice, let alone our presidents.

To make matters worse, our Electoral College system is permitted to cancel every vote of a “free” people and make a mockery of the popular vote.

A candidate who wins this way should decline the office in protest against an undemocratic, unjustified and purely political process, but this has never happened.

Also, many states have passed laws making it difficult or impossible for certain races or classes of people to vote at all.

How can we Americans even pretend to have a democracy?

Bill Russell

Mililani

Electoral College actually a good idea

In response to a recent letter (“U.S. democracy not very democratic,” Star-Advertiser, March 21): Although I agree wholeheartedly that the two major political parties appear on the verge of having kittens, I must disagree with the assessment of the Electoral College.

The Electoral College was created by people who knew to fear the tyranny of the majority.

They wanted parity between the states, and foresaw a time where the very large states’ votes could render the votes of other states moot, hence the Electoral College, which, by design, would be of particular benefit to Hawaii due both to our location and our small population.

Hawaii could, conceivably, become the deciding vote in an election.

Without the Electoral College, the little states may just as well stay home, leaving the decisions to the “super states.”

In my opinion, the Electoral College is the one thing that does the most to make representative democracy on a scale as large as America’s possible.

Michael Rodrigues

Kakaako

Force homeless into shelters or camps

Following up on the recent article, “Councilmen intent on tent cities” (March 2, Star-Advertiser), I am in full agreement — and pleased that finally someone is listening.

I’ve written a couple of letters to the editor regarding a space for the homeless. Find open land, build a shower and a restroom, provide running water and let the homeless camp there.

However, go one step further. Make it a law that the homeless have two choices: Either go to a shelter (assuming there is space), or take their tents and go to the designated camp site, with help from the city to move.

No more sleeping on sidewalks, in parks or on the beach.

The law must be enforced to make it work.

Toby Allen

Hawaii Kai

Tent cities don’t belong in Waikiki

Temporary encampments and tent cities in my district would not be appropriate because of the lack of usable open space, as well as the fact that Waikiki serves as the epicenter of our state’s tourism industry.

To clarify my position: Hygiene centers could offer an acceptable option, but tent cities or temporary encamp-ments for my district simply would not be appropriate.

Trevor Ozawa

City Council member (Waikiki, East Honolulu)

Psychiatrists can handle care needs

I want to expand on the safer alternatives to increase access to mental health patients in our rural communities (“Improve access to psychiatric care,” Star- Advertiser, Our View, March 22).

The medical community is working to increase access to mental health care. Through participation in the ECHO Hawai‘i Project, psychiatrists support rural family doctors through weekly video teleconference meetings.

This project allows medically trained primary-care physicians to safely prescribe psychotropic medications for their patients.

Telepsychiatry is another method to improve safe access to mental health care. Many private health care insurers reimburse for telepsychiatry and clinical outcomes have been equivalent to face-to-face visits.

If Medicaid/Medicare were to approve reimbursement for telepsychiatry, a huge part of the mental health needs would be met. U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz has introduced legislation to move this forward.

We need to develop these models of care to ensure that our patients receive safe mental health care, rather than allowing psychologists with minimal training to prescribe medication.

Dr. Julienne Aulwes

President, Hawaii Psychiatric Medical Association

Going green makes good financial sense

I still know a few people who ascribe to the lunacy of Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Donald Trump and other science- deniers who think climate change is a hoax of some sort — this in spite of the fact that every major university on Earth, the U.S. Department of Defense, the CIA, NASA and thousands of scientists have well-documented beyond doubt the danger of a warming Earth.

Let us suspend reality for a moment and pretend that the climate is not changing. It would still make eminent sense to switch to renewable energy as fast as we practically can because we could save trillions on trillions of dollars by getting off carbon-based energy.

Going to renewable energy is a triple win for everyone: scientifically, economically, and for our own personal safety and health. Even Limbaugh should want to save money.

Jim Quimby

Kamehameha Heights