Americans need to come together

As the wise say, “Acceptance is the first step to moving forward.”

The Constitution, the very fabric of our democracy, gives protesters the right to protest. But they won’t accept Donald J. Trump as president-elect.

Everyone needs to accept the electoral process and move on and turn lemons into lemonade. To continue with any grudges would have us continue to look like fools to the rest of the modern world and, more so, at odds with the progress we have made.

As a nation of less than three centuries, America has done more in that time than former hegemonic states.

So, let’s put aside “divide” and unite as the Bible and the Constitution encourage. United we stand, divided we fall.

Han Song

Kaneohe

Badly run countries can disintegrate

The historical and archaeological records reveal many cases of societies that endured for centuries or even millennia. Likewise, there are many cases of societies that disintegrated or became extinct because of environmental degradation, resource depletion, internal strife and/or external enemies.

As a case in point, Venezuela deteriorated from a flourishing economy and effective democracy to the opposite within recent decades because of the decline in oil revenues and especially government incompetence and corruption. It seems unlikely, but not impossible, that the United States might disintegrate, especially if the government and citizenry cannot find ways to transcend differences and negotiate effective solutions to common problems.

Among other things, the recent presidential campaign revealed that most citizens in all political parties are thoroughly disgusted with the obstructionism and paralysis in Congress and demand more responsible and effective government. If not, many things might get far worse, like in Venezuela.

Leslie E. Sponsel

Hawaii Kai

Vote for the good, not just our interests

The media created Donald Trump. He was supposed to be Dr. Frankenstein’s monster, sewn together to destroy the other Republican candidates and then easily destroyed when they revealed his ugliness. But, the “monster” proved too strong.

The reason we had only two “bad” candidates for president is because we no longer vote for the “good” candidate. For decades, we have stopped being Americans. Instead, we vote for our specific special interests over our country. So a “good” candidate cannot survive all the way.

Most of the most-publicized polls and experts were wrong simply because sometimes polls and experts tell you what they want you to believe.

President-elect Donald Trump may grow into a good president if he learns humility. He will excel at the behind-closed-door deals that a president engages in.

Leighton Loo

Mililani

National anthem a pledge to each other

The national anthem, along with the Pledge of Allegiance, is a ritual worth practicing in that it reminds us that we, as Americans, owe deference to those who fought and died resisting tyranny (“Singing anthem an outdated ritual,” Star-Advertiser, Letters, Nov. 9).

When we salute our flag and pledge fealty to its precepts, we are commemorating those who shed blood and gave their lives so that we could speak freely, without the iron hand of government suppressing dissent.

Moreover, it is a pledge to each other; that each individual vows to promote and defend the rights of all persons, and that we, as a people, will defend the rights of everyone (including the unborn).

To not stand and give deference to our forebears and our fellows is the height of hubris and an affront to those who came before.

Blood has been spilled on the altar of liberty. God bless America.

Michael Rodrigues

Waipahu

Christmas wreaths honor the fallen

Around six years ago, there was a letter to our local newspaper about an organization called Wreaths Across America. They place wreaths on veterans’ graves across the country each December.

In honor of the 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, wouldn’t it be great to see these wreaths placed on the graves at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl?

Each wreath costs $15 (see wreathsacrossamerica.org).

In December of the following year, while I was on a visit to Punchbowl, the middle section of the cemetery was filled with wreaths. It was a beautiful sight to behold.

Darlene Wong

Ala Wai

Harbors must show need to raise fees

Gary North of the Hawaii Harbors Users Group defended a significant increase in Hawaii wharfage rates (“State harbors need to be upgraded,” Star-Advertiser, Letters, Nov. 11).

North made several misstatements. He said Hawaii is the only state not connected to other states by highways and rail. Alaska also is not connected.

He said incorrectly that no money has been spent on development or redevelopment of harbors “for more than 30 years.” And in describing Sand Island container yard congestion, he didn’t note a new reliever terminal is under construction in Kapalama.

Wharfage is a charge against cargo, the largest source of revenue for the state Harbors Division. It is by cargo owners (shippers), collected by the shipping companies (ocean carriers) as a separate charge, similar to retailers collecting the general excise tax.

North represents ocean carriers, which collect and remit wharfage to Harbors.

The primary issue is Harbors has not publicly released financial information to justify the increase.

Michael N. Hansen

Hawaii Shippers Council