Feral cats can’t be managed

The commentary by Suzanne Case, “There’s nothing humane about treating ‘cats gone wild’ like pets” (Star-Advertiser, Island Voices, July 17) takes hundreds of words to say that the ultimate solution to the feral cat problem is euthanasia.

Although I’m a cat lover and it saddens me, I fear that I have to agree with Case that euthanasia might be the only practical solution to a problem that is not going to go away by itself. Perhaps someday they will invent a safe “morning-after cat food” that does not have the serious side effects associated with the current animal contraceptive chemicals sold by veterinarians.

However, bear in mind that even if such a wonderful cat contraceptive is developed, many feral cats eat food they catch, not food that is left out deliberately for them.

David Yasuo Henna

McCully

NextEra merger bad for Hawaii

Kudos for the governor for sticking to his decision against NextEra.

He really did his homework an saved the jobs of thousands of Hawaiian Electric employees and their retirement, whether they realize this or not.

NextEra has 14,300 employees in 27 states and Canada, while Hawaii has 3,918 employees in our little state. What would happen should NextEra decide our small state doesn’t need all those workers?

That’s only one of the reasons to oppose the sale.

Another would be the average savings per household NextEra claims we would receive. I would rather they keep the $1 per month and save 3,500 local jobs.

It’s not hard to learn the facts about how NextEra does business. You just have to take the time to read and do your own investigating.

Noreen Arakawa

Hawaii Kai

Social media harming isles

Social media is a dream come true for the tourist industry. Free advertising.

But how many tourists are enough? Let’s get 50 million visitors a year — it’s good for the economy! The rail? Good for the economy!

Not all things good for the economy are good for society.

We are getting overrun by hordes of random people who treat our sacred land as one big amusement park. The once-hidden gems where a local person could go for meditation and solitude are now advertised on social media with zero regard for the people of Hawaii.

The tourism industry says, “We need to have more aloha spirit.”

Oh yeah? Tell it to the residents of Maunawili, Kailua, Manoa or Portlock. It is out of control with thousands of hikers, or sea-cliff and waterfall divers, many who pay resort-level rates at illegal vacation rentals.

What is going on? Ten billion dollars for rail, but not enough money to enforce laws against illegal vacation rentals?

Arthur Reppun

Kaneohe

Use lasers to help with sea rescues

I read about the Coast Guard/RIMPAC rescue of the pilots out at sea (“Pilots’ rescue ‘an absolute miracle’,” Star-Advertiser, July 14).

An obvious idea seems to be to equip life vests with little waterproof laser pointers. Then, if someone needs rescue and it gets dark, anyone within a few miles would be able to pinpoint the victims out at sea without having to use any fancy communications gear.

Dave Scruton

Kapahulu

Show homeless compassion

Regarding Clif Johnson’s letter to the editor (“Get homeless to leave high-traffic urban areas,” Star-Advertiser, July 16): I understand his concern, especially since he lives in Waikiki. My wife and I live in Hawaii Kai.

But his letter contains not a hint of compassion. Hey, the homeless are real people.

I’m certain that most of the homeless would love to get off the streets. But to where? That’s a whole different issue. I don’t have a long-term solution, I confess.

Last week, walking along Queen Street from my auto mechanic’s shop in Kakaako to my Rotary Club meeting downtown, I saw an obviously homeless man, and I said “Good morning!” He looked surprised, but I detected a hint of a smile.

My point: If we seek solutions in a spirit of compassion rather than judgment, we’re apt to get there much sooner.

Kit Smith

Hawaii Kai

Time to integrate police forces

The best way to stop the back-and-forth shootings of black males and white police officers is to have the police force look more like the community it serves.

Police patrols should pair up one white officer with one black officer. Implementation of this idea may not be possible now due to the current imbalance of white and black police officers on the police forces across the nation.

The federal government can get involved by offering pre-discharge police training to black military personnel who are to be honorably discharged or retired from active duty.

Many black military personnel will accept this proposal because it will mean continued service to country and service to the community that they will live.

Roy S. Tanouye

Waipahu

Non-abstinence not a surprise

My first reaction to Nanea Kalani’s story was, “Well, duh!” (“Sex ed found to alter minds but not actions,” Star-Advertiser, July 18).

The executive director of the Hawaii Youth Services Network said that “for some young people, they will not choose abstinence.” Right there is the heart of the problem.

Students rise or fall according to teacher expectations. Those who do not believe in abstinence cannot credibly teach it.

The expectations for responsible behavior and delayed gratification has been in free fall for the last half-century, according to the mantra, “If it feels good, do it.”

Students are keen at tracking the scent of hypocrisy.

Thomas E. Stuart

Kapaau, Hawaii island

Hawaiians knew New England

As the Hokule‘a makes its way up the New England coast with stops at Salem, Mass. and Portsmouth, N.H., after visits to New York and Boston, note that these ports were well known to Hawaii residents in the mid to late 1800s (“Hokule‘a makes its way up New England coast,” Star-Advertiser, July 18).

The New England region was at the epicenter of the American whaling industry, and hundreds of Hawaiians worked aboard whaling ships that were home-ported in whaling towns such as these.

Many Hawaiian sailors settled in this area permanently, and married Caucasian or Native American Indian women. Some American whalers settled in Hawaii and married Hawaiian women. The Hawaii Hussey clan traces its heritage back to Alexander Pollard Hussey, who arrived here aboard a whale ship in 1843. Hussey’s ancestors were prominent whale ship owners and captains in Nantucket, Mass. Alexander settled on the island of Hawaii, and had 15 children by two Hawaiian wives.

Nanette Napoleon

Kailua