The holidays are a time for thanksgiving and spending time with friends, family and loved ones. For too many of our kupuna and ohana in our island communities, this is not the case. Many families are struggling each day to make ends meet, and many of them are alone or homeless.
Let’s join our neighbors in the spirit of lokahi this holiday season to help those who are less fortunate and most vulnerable to make sure they are not alone. Although we have already made a difference in the lives of many, there are still individuals and families who are facing overwhelming challenges. They rely on a little helping hand to get back to work and back on their feet. Let’s show them that someone cares.
With our collective kokua, we need to ensure every effort possible is done to provide families with the essentials and a better quality of life. To quote John Rockefeller, “Think of giving not as a duty, but as a privilege.”
William Anonsen
Kakaako
Living in Hawaii inspires gratitude
I am grateful to live in a blue state.
Grateful to live in a state whose official motto honors the environment and whose unofficial slogan proclaims, “No Hate in the 808.”
Grateful to live in a state that respects the right of a woman to make deeply personal and difficult reproductive choices without intrusive governmental interference.
Grateful to live in a state with sensible gun laws.
Grateful to live in a state where diversity is our lived and shared experience.
Grateful to live in a state where social justice, human dignity, and compassion matter.
Grateful to be here, Hawaii.
Hazel Beh
Kailua
Trump better choice to lead country
Although I did not vote for either, I believe Donald Trump’s victory is the better result. Both would, if elected, deviate sharply from their campaign rhetoric.
Hillary Clinton would return to her rightist ideological agenda which she altered slightly on her meaningless platform to appease Bernie Sanders voters. Trump will act according to his true ideology, which is very different in many respects from his campaign promises that catered to the voter base he tried to attract.
Most important is that he will not risk war, and will end the current policy of considering every country as either ally or enemy.
Clinton’s loss should result in the Democratic Party abandoning its liberal neocon ideology and selecting a Sanders-type candidate next time.
Bob Karman
Hawaii Kai
Keep an open mind about next president
It’s unfortunate that many people become so quickly offended when they encounter an opinion that differs from theirs. It’s especially concerning when we consider that, by definition, opinions are not a matter of right and wrong, black and white. Different doesn’t necessarily mean wrong. Hearing both sides of an issue can help you validate and continually develop your own opinions.
Some people seem to be under the impression that we are not adaptable creatures, that we must form an opinion and stick to it firmly. Altering an opinion or worldview doesn’t necessarily make you weak or impressionable; it can mean you’re a critical thinker capable of processing and considering multiple perspectives. In other words, you have an open mind.
We could all do well to keep an open mind these next few years. Donald Trump defied expectation by becoming president. Here’s to hoping he’ll defy negative expectations again and do some good.
Sarah Turgeon
Waipahu
DOE can’t neglect students with needs
The call for action by the state Board of Education on the teacher shortage brings to light a deeply disturbing issue in our public school system (“Help Wanted,” Star-Advertiser, Nov. 20).
Students with disabilities are denied access to free and appropriate public education because their teachers are untrained, unqualified and uncertified.
Reporter Nanea Kalani quotes board member Hubert Minn: “When I see non-certified staff sitting down with special-ed kids and having them watch television, that’s a crime. Things like that cannot happen in our schools.”
Quite frankly, I do not understand it either. More importantly, I agree with Minn’s viewpoint that it is a crime to have students with special needs sit down with non-certified staff.
I challenge the DOE to address discriminatory practices in public education and look forward to the day when all children receive a free and appropriate public education by qualified teachers as afforded to them by law.
Therese Ricks
Hawaii Kai
Galiher a champion for asbestos victims
“Fishhooks in the lungs” was the galvanizing phrase a young attorney named Gary Galiher used to describe the asbestos fibers lodged inside Tristan Nobriga, one of thousands of Hawaii shipyard employes who had stripped insulation from Navy ships at Pearl Harbor, working inside a deadly snowstorm that would cripple and kill so many of them decades later.
Nobriga’s case was the first; he died before the verdict was rendered, but not before his damning testimony was videotaped by Galiher so the jury could see the dying man himself, struggling to breathe as he told his story.
As a reporter covering those cases, I thought Galiher was perfect to fight for Nobriga and the others against the giant asbestos companies that concealed the risks their products posed.
He was an ordinary guy who understood other ordinary folks (including jurors) and had that necessary “low threshold of indignation” that turned him into a passionate and skilled fighter, a David against a brigade of greedy Goliaths.
Walter Wright
Kaneohe
