Students, teachers rally for education

Recently, students nationally and internationally participated in marches around the world to protest gun violence. I commended them for being citizens and using their First Amendment rights.

Today, I’m humbled because I learned of teachers from Oklahoma who, through nonviolent protest rallies, are standing tall for their students’ education in the public sector. They are not satisfied with a substantial wage offer but want more money spent for their students because of the local government cuts over the last 10 years or more.

It started at West Virginia and has spread to Oklahoma, also Kentucky and Arizona. These are anti-union, “right to work” states.

The nation’s greatest assets are our youth. Their education is so important. Most families cannot afford private schooling or college, even at state institutions where tuition is cheaper than private colleges.

What parents don’t want their kids to have the best opportunities for their lives? Without proper education that would not happen.

Lance Miyake

Pearl City

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Why are there so many chickens?

Your article on feral chickens was quite timely, especially for any resident waking up at 4 a.m. to the repeated sounds of an island rooster (“Wanted: Feral chicken,” Star-Advertiser, April 3).

Unlike Kauai, Oahu was mostly spared from Hurricane Iniki and the resultant population boom of feral animals. Now with the increase in wild chickens disturbing the peaceful slumbers of kamaaina, and with the City Council debating budget constraints, there should be some discussion on how this situation came about.

I hope that some people are not raising roosters and releasing them. If this is the case, the Council should discuss measures to prevent this.

Stuart Ueda

Kakaako

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Microgrids can help isles weather storms

Failing to prepare, is preparing to fail.

If Hawaii were to be hit by a hurricane in the same category as Irma or Harvey, it would find itself in a situation similar to Puerto Rico’s.

For the past six months, Puerto Rico has been mostly without power because its power grid was taken out by the hurricane that devastated the island in 2017. Hawaii currently operates on vulnerable power grids susceptible to the same damage.

House Bills 2460 and 2110 would help encourage the Public Utilities Commission to establish a microgrid system that would operate independent of the current power grids. These micro- grids would safeguard Hawaii from statewide power outages as well as operate using sustainable energy sources.

Please support HB 2460 and HB 2110.

Maxim Poudrier-Tudan

Sierra Student Coalition at the University of Hawaii at Manoa

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Thomas attacks logic and truth

In Cal Thomas’s attack on the reproductive rights of California citizens, he said there are two main buzzwords used by the left — fairness and equality (“California’s FACT Act would present only half the story,” Star-Advertiser, March 20).

Fairness and equality were American values when I grew up, but Thomas has bought into the current right-wing attack on logic and truth. I worry for democracy.

I wish the Star-Advertiser would stop participating in the process by including articles such as those by Thomas.

Sara Marshall

Aiea

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Test mental health of President Trump

About a year ago, Dr. John D. Gartner, a psychologist who served at Johns Hopkins University, said President Donald Trump exhibits the elements of malignant narcissism, which include anti-social behavior, sadism, aggressiveness, paranoia and grandiosity.

Since no one can tell a narcissist he is wrong, the disorder is untreatable. Anyone who debates the narcissist’s judgment is attacked or dismissed as a fool. Trump supporters say this is fake news.

Well, a year has passed. Since then, have you noticed the president calling people who don’t agree with him names, or lying and taking actions to financially hurt them?

Many mental health professionals have asked that Trump’s mental health be tested. White House physician Dr. Ronny Jackson apparently skipped that part, and declared Trump to be in good health.

Smoky Guerrero

Mililani

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Be vigilant about medical aid in dying

I find it very disappointing that even legislators were so easily swayed on the medically assisted death bill (“Bill on medically assisted death OK’d,” Star-Advertiser, March 30).

They justified their positions by mirroring the oft-repeated catch-phrases of Compassion & Choices regarding alleged safeguards against undue influence and abuse, without any independent analysis.

I hope your readers take the time to educate themselves and do their own homework and not buy the rhetoric. The Oregon model did not and does not have any enforcement powers to compel compliance with any cited safeguards and was purposely touted by supporters of the bill to deny any abuse.

The safeguards reported in the Hawaii bill as being the “strongest of any state in the nation” also should include the truth that the law is unenforceable and therefore there are no real consequences for any abuse. It’s time for Hawaii residents to wake up and be vigilant.

Rita Kama-Kimura

Mililani