Noel Kent was right on when he pointed out that North Korea is less dangerous to the security of Hawaii than the aggressive military posturing and provocative bombast emanating from the war hawks in Washington (“We don’t need new Kaena Point radar,” Star-Advertiser, June 7).
It is regrettable that the United States, the most powerful nation in the world, chooses to lead with the sword rather than the plowshare. Together with the European Union, China, and Russia, we control most of the world’s military, industrial, agricultural and population resources.
Cooperating would produce a golden age the like of which this world has never seen. Instead, we spend vast sums preparing to kill each other. And we call ourselves civilized?
Richard McMahon
Kahuku
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Military spending dwarfs lava relief
Hawaii County Mayor Harry Kim has said due to the Kilauea eruption, the “needs are greater than we’ve ever seen.”
The U.S. military budget is now $686 billion annually. Just $100 million, or .14 percent of it, would go a long way in helping people displaced from their homes and farms.
What are we defending?
Jim Albertini
Malu ‘Aina Center for Non-violent Education and Action
Kurtistown, Hawaii island
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Hawaii must protect declining reef fish
When will Hawaii enact reasonable reef fishing regulations? I have been coming to Hawaii regularly for 35 years and just returned from my most recent trip.
Reef life is less diverse and the fish are both smaller and less numerous, indications of overfishing. People like me come to Hawaii to scuba dive and snorkel in healthy ocean communities, something Hawaii is losing. It would be nice to see an upward trend, not a consistently lower one.
Rick Derevan
Atascadero, Calif.
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Pardoning Manafort could hurt Trump
Obviously, President Donald Trump’s recent and expected future pardons suggest he intends to pardon Paul Manafort and others who are willing to be convicted of crimes associated with the Russian investigation.
The question is, why would he? Trump knows that pardoning Manafort and others may very well result in charges of obstruction of justice, thus leading to impeachment proceedings against him. Therefore, it stands to reason that if these defendants are convicted, Trump will let them rot in prison because he is always only looking out for No. 1.
Ginny Ching Edmunds
Niu Valley
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President has many accomplishments
Jean Toyama asks if anything really positive can be said about this president (“Pardon one good thing Trump did,” Star-Advertiser, Letters, June 10).
How about the resurgence of the U.S. economy and of the American spirit? How about crushing of the ISIS caliphate? Then there’s tax reform. Oh, and let’s not forget more than 80 signed pieces of legislation.
If Trump deniers would take off their blinders for about 10 seconds, they would see that the short answer to Toyama’s question is a profound “yes.”
Stephen Hinton
Waialua
