Bills would require abortion promotion

Two bills, House Bill 663 and Senate Bill 501, are going through the Legislature right now. If passed, they would force Hawaii crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs) to provide information regarding an abortion option. What’s interesting is these bills do not require abortion clinics to provide CPC information.

These donation-based CPCs, which serve women selflessly with love and respect at no cost, would be forced to promote state-assisted abortion or pay exorbitant fines if they don’t submit. What’s more, these bills go against their religious freedoms that the First Amendment of the U. S. Constitution clearly support.

If the pro-abortion crowd is truly “pro-choice,” why not support pregnancy-care centers that give women other options? One venue should not be forced to support the other. Women are more than capable of making their own choice.

Barbara J. Ferraro

State director, Concerned Women for America of Hawaii

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Citizenship story targeted Trump

Timothy Hurley’s article on 62 individuals who became citizens in February names “Trump” a total of eight times, including in bold print next to a picture of one of the new citizens (“Isles’ newest citizens especially grateful,” Star-Advertiser, Feb. 16).

What does any ban have to do with these 62 folks who have been living here legally for years? No one wants to stop people from becoming legal contributing citizens.

Hurley provides not one quote from these individuals about how or why they made their choice for citizenship. How about some straight factual reporting without imposing the bias?

Congratulations to all the new citizens.

Pat Williams

Waipahu

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President’s behavior needs to be reined in

The president’s recent press conference shocked me into realizing an important (non-alternative) fact: Donald Trump clearly is in over his head at the White House, where he actually has to work with other people instead of acting like an egotistical dictator (“Trump tears into press and defends wild first month,” Star-Advertiser, Feb. 17).

His ranting at the press for reporting everything (for example, his own petulant tweets, the ultimate fake news), his repetitious campaign sloganizing, and his rambling, disoriented behavior should make everyone who saw it seriously concerned, especially when he kept insisting that his new team is running as smoothly as “a fine-tuned machine,” when the opposite is obviously true.

It’s in chaos.

We should embrace poor Donald, stroke his ruffled feathers, and gently guide him off the stage.

David Chappell

Kaneohe

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Kaena Point needs closer supervision

I’ve been hiking to Kaena Point biweekly for six years.

For the past three years, I have witnessed how the numbers of hikers and visitors have increased from 20 visitors per day to 120 per day during the week, and more than 250 daily at weekends and holidays.

There are no restrooms or trash cans, which means litter and nasty smells. There are few, if any, park personnel to enforce rules and provide outreach. The very few existing informative signs are too small, hidden in naupaka or burnt out by the sun. Drones are flown, endangering Laysan albatross and shearwaters. The critically endangered Hawaiian monk seals are continuously disturbed when trying to sleep on the shore.

I’m an advocate for everyone to enjoy the beauty of Kaena Point.

However, it’s of crucial importance that the responsible authorities carry out daily oversight if we’re to preserve the delicate balance between humans and wildlife.

Zeenat Mian

Hawaii Kai

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Do migrants prefer death to Mexico?

I do not understand how we are to look at Mexico.

If one reads the most recent article by Connie Schultz, Mexico appears to be a country full of crime where one chooses death over living there (“Behind the deportation threat lies death, suffering families,” Star-Advertiser, Feb. 23).

Is Mexico’s president a despot from whom people flee for their lives? Is Mexico a war-torn country? Or does it have gangs like we do, except they are not kept in check by law enforcement as ours are?

I would think President Enrique Peña Nieto does not want us to think of his country as such a horrible place to live.

Cynthia Lebowitz

Waikiki

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Get tougher on red-light runners

The “Our View” section is finally behind a good cause (“Give green light to red-light cams,” Star-Advertiser, Feb. 19).

One sentence in the editorial says it all: “These accidents produce the most fatalities and serious injuries.”

Law-abiding citizen should be behind this initiative 100 percent. Senate Bill 221 needs to include deterrents other than a simple monetary fine. For example: The first violation results in loss of driving privileges for at least six months; the second violation, 12 months; and any subsequent violation would be a permanent loss of driving privileges.

If death results, a one-year sentence for taking a life would be grossly insufficient. Prosecutors and judges seem to have a built-in fixation on one-year sentences, regardless of just how despicable the incident.

It’s time to change this thinking. A driver who snuffs out a human life because of gross negligence must suffer the consequences of his or her actions. The minimum sentence should be 10 years.

James Robinson

Aiea

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Housing near rail won’t be desirable

Ah yes, let’s build cheap housing near the rail stations because the low-income groups are the ones that are going to use the rail the most (“Mayor couples housing and rail,” Star-Advertiser, Feb. 17).

They will tolerate the congestion, the noise and the unsightliness of the structure that trammels their views, plus people coming and going at all hours of the day and night.

Thank you for keeping it out of my backyard.

Tom Baca

Mililani