This past weekend we saw yet another mass shooting, this time the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history.

At the end of every mass shooting, we offer our sincerest condolences, our prayers, our thoughts and our hearts, but the very next day we continue on with our lives thinking that it is what it is and the best thing we can do is move on. Then we wait for the next mass shooting to offer our thoughts and prayers.

The cold truth is that they all mean nothing because we did nothing. We have failed as a society, whether we failed to pass reasonable gun control or we failed to get a man psychiatric treatment. I don’t know why this keeps happening in America, but I know that our inaction has contributed to it. We have to fix this; only then can we truly honor the victims.

Adrian Tam

Kakaako

We have to break the cycle of violence

I am a pastor of a United Church of Christ congregation in Wailuku, Maui. Iao UCC unabashedly identifies itself as an “open and affirming” church.

This designation makes known our welcome of all who seek a relationship with the Divine no matter their race, ethnicity or sexual orientation.

This welcome we seek to practice makes it profoundly disturbing to hear of the allegedly religious motivation that spurred Omar Mateen to go on the rampage in Orlando.

It was reported that a fundamentalist imam encouraged such violence against LGBTQ persons. We know such violence goes against the spirit of Islam and that many Muslim leaders have spoken out against it.

A California pastor expressed gladness that “50 pedophiles” were killed, as if being gay translates into pedophilia. Such violence and hate diminishes us. The cycle of violence must be broken.

The Rev. Wallace Ryan Kuroiwa

Iao United Church of Christ

Wailuku, Maui

Killer maybe just deeply conflicted

Another massacre, another political football, and the blind struggle to characterize the elephant.

Talking heads attribute this killing to homegrown terrorism, international terrorism, easy access to weapons, hate crimes, a lone wolf, porous borders, failed immigration policy, no-fly list, and so on. Everyone‘s got a cause.

The simplest answer is usually right. Reports say that the killer cruised local bars and frequented online gay sites.

Was this deranged gunman simply unable to reconcile a rigid Muslim orthodoxy with his sexual orientation?

What if he had no political allegiance? That would explain inconsistencies that befuddle investigators: his purported loyalty to ISIS, Hamas, al-Qaida, the Boston bombers, some sworn enemies of others.

For a deeply conflicted soul, any political affiliation would deflect attention from his inner turmoil.

Competing interests are so hungrily seizing the moment to air their causes that they may not willingly relinquish the microphones to an apolitical alternative that would silence them.

After all, internalized homo-phobia isn’t nearly as political.

Mary A. Wilkowski

Pacific Heights

Contractor could help HART board

It is time to consider a contractor as a Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation board member.

A board member with knowledge of costs and scheduling might help to foster discussion among other board members.

The appointed contractor should not be a general contractor currently working on a HART project.

A contractor’s perspective and analysis could be helpful to other board members to understand and possibly improve morale at HART, the community and the contractors building the system.

Leonard Leong

Manoa

Unions ask too much of Maui hospitals

A government job is not a lifetime job, yet the unions want this at Maui Memorial Medical Center.

Like any business, if the medical center is unable to continue, the options are to trim costs, close its doors or file for bankruptcy.

Maui Memorial is able to continue because Kaiser Permanente will run the facility, with most of the current employees hired by the new administration.

Some employees’ benefits may be lost, but this occurs daily when businesses close or sell out.

The people of Maui are now at risk, since medical care is compromised. Present employees should realize this problem and allow the transition to proceed, since nearly all workers will be retained. Neighbors, friends and family members should not be put at risk.

Cynthia Endo

Kuliouou

Food supply can be boosted responsibly

Reflecting on your thoughtful editorial on the Joint Fact Finding report (“Don’t overreact to pesticide study,” Star-Advertiser, Our View, June 9) it’s clear the sector using residential and agricultural pesticides could do more to build trust in Hawaii.

The agriculture company I work for, Syngenta, wants to do its part. We’re working to improve productivity of the world’s major crops by 20 percent without using more land, water or inputs.

Is it possible to grow more food without using more inputs like chemicals and water, and without clearing more land for farming? It’s not only possible, our planet and people are depending on it.

Corn grown in the U.S. is a good example. Between 1987 and 2007, productivity increased 41 percent, soil loss for each bushel of corn grown has been cut by 69 percent, and irrigation has decreased 37 percent. Far better to produce more on less land than the other way around.

Angus R. Kelly

Head of corporate affairs, Syngenta Hawaii

Kunia