God knows suicide stems from illness

As a lifelong Protestant Christian and recently retired psychiatrist, I read Bishop Larry Silva’s perspective on “death with dignity” with more than casual interest (“‘Death with dignity’ is still suicide,” Star-Advertiser, Island Voices, March 28).

The issue of physician-assisted suicide is one that I have struggled with given my Lutheran upbringing, but also having witnessed great suffering in some dying individuals through the course of my career.

I decided that although I may not choose assisted “death with dignity” for myself, I should not impose my religious beliefs on others.

Where I strongly differ with Bishop Silva is his expressing his church’s doctrine that suicide victims risk the wrath of God for their autonomous choice to kill themselves.

Everything that I learned in my career is that suicide is an unfortunate and permanent sequela of severe mental illness and not a choice. The Bible teaches us of the love of God, who is fully capable of understanding the ravages of any illness, including mental.

Michael V. McCanless, M.D.

Kailua

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Assault weapons only for military

Seize this moment and pass legislation to ban assault weapons. It is not complicated, not hard to figure out.

No one needs to have an assault weapon outside of a military operation. No one. Give current owners a month to turn them in for a cash rebate, and another month grace period for those who didn’t turn them in on time for cash. Then make it a federal offense to own, sell or be in possession of an assault weapon after that. Simple.

Jane Chu

Hawaii Kai

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Youth have every right to speak out

Some argue that because students have taken the lead in the movement for sensible gun regulations we should not take it seriously.

Those who make this claim clearly underestimate our youth. How can it be claimed that students who survived a massacre, who witnessed the brutal death of friends and caring adults, be considered without experience? Where in the Bill of Rights does it say there is an age limit on the right to speak out and be heard?

Let these students know that they are not alone. They can count on solid support from adults. The turnout in the demonstrations here and abroad demonstrated that. Let us hope that this time the issue of gun violence, now charged with youthful energy, will finally get results.

Arthur Mersereau

Manoa

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Students motivated by their experience

It is troubling that some people try to discredit the organizers of the recent “March for Our Lives” by questioning who paid for the march. They suggest these students were pawns manipulated by others, instead of young people passionately standing up for what they believe in (“Marching students had some guidance,” Star-Advertiser, Letters, March 27).

In truth, the organizers of the march were motivated not by a cabal of partisans but by the horrors they themselves experienced, which included having their own lives threatened, and seeing classmates and close friends shot and killed. Whether some like-minded individuals may have helped with the logistics of the march is utterly beside the point.

Questioning who paid for the march is merely an attempt to deflect from the real issue: whether American society should adopt reasonable regulation of firearms.

Wray Jose

Manoa

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Rename Honolulu airport for Obama

As usual, the Legislature has it backwards (“Senate committee calls for Obama statue in islands,” Star-Advertiser, Top News, March 27).

If it wants to honor former President Barack Obama, it should rename Daniel K. Inouye International Airport to Obama International Airport. Then perhaps a statue of Inouye could be erected somewhere on the Capitol grounds, since he started his legislative career in the Territorial House of Representatives.

Obama returned to his birth place every year while in office. The iconic symbol of the United States of America, Air Force One, could be seen waiting for its commander-in-chief at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.

Renaming the airport after him is in keeping with other airports named after presidents, like John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport serving Washington, D.C., and George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas.

Moses K. Akana

Aiea

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Hawaii residents flee tax burden

Hawaii’s Zippy’s restaurant chain will open its first mainland outlet in Las Vegas, where thousands of former Hawaii residents have escaped the high cost of living in Hawaii.

The exodus to the mainland will continue, as there will be no relief for the overtaxed citizens of this state. Despite a record collection of tax money into their coffers, the Democrats have proposals in this year’s Legislature to raise taxes on cigarettes and other fees.

The bottom line: Democrats are running out of our tax dollars, and we taxpayers have no more money to give.

Melvin Partido Sr.

Pearl City

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‘Ugly American’ shows up again

“The Ugly American,” the political novel about the failures of America in understanding a complex new world, served as an inspiration for young Americans to take a look at how our nation interacts with the rest of the globe.

John F. Kennedy shared it with his staff and gave it credit when he formed the Peace Corps. Sixty years later, it could describe President Donald Trump, John Bolton and the nationalists who respect only America. It is the scariest version of the Ugly American possible.

America first means America alone, not only to our adversaries, but also to our friends and those who depend on our help. It’s going to take all of us to turn this ship around.

Ernie Saxton

Wahiawa