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So the fireworks show in Waikiki is canceled. No problem, just have the tourists go to any neighborhood on the island; the fireworks show will be better and last all night long, not just 15 minutes, and bombs are included.
Why make a law that won’t be enforced? With these fireworks being used as if they were sold at the neighborhood store, and it being a felony to possess or use them, the sight or sounds coming from a private residence should provide probable cause to search the residence.
Excuses about how hard it is to enforce the law, instead of providing solutions, are questionable. The distribution and import of these fireworks appear to be connected: They obviously are coming in from shipping containers.
If these large fireworks can make it through, there must be all kinds of other contraband coming in and no enforcement to stop them.
Lloyd Yamashiro
Ewa
Trump saved many lives with COVID-19 response
President Donald Trump receives a lot of criticism over the handling of COVID-19. Everyone must remember that this was a novel virus with no treatment, no cure and no vaccine.
The president formed a task force and adhered to its recommendations, including evolving responses from the World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birx. He even added a travel ban from infected areas of the world.
Early projections showed U.S. deaths could be over 2 million. Personal protective equipment needed to be secured. Ventilators needed to be manufactured. Hospital beds came out of nowhere. Testing, testing, testing. Now we have a vaccine in record time.
It is sad that Trump could not save the thousands of Americans who died, but I would like to thank him for saving the rest of us.
John Tokunaga
Kapahulu
Trump must be held to account for actions
When asked whether President Donald Trump should be investigated and prosecuted after he leaves office for the atrocities he committed against the Constitution, President-elect Joe Biden said, “I would rather move on.” According to people close to Biden, the president-elect does not want any distraction to interfere with his efforts to unite the country.
Holding Trump accountable for his inexcusable behavior, which includes using his presidential powers for corrupt and self-serving purposes and his flagrant and relentless subversion of the rule of law, is not a distraction.
In fact, it is an obligation for every American to protect and preserve the values enshrined in the Constitution from a corrupt demagogue like Trump.
Others have suggested that for the sake of unity, looking forward and letting bygones be bygones would be a better approach.
I disagree. Letting Trump get off scot-free is akin to telling future presidents that it is OK to abuse your powers because there are no criminal consequences.
Rod B. Catiggay
Mililani
Stricter enforcement to save beaches needed
Thank you for your informative but disturbing article, “How wealthy homeowners are endangering Hawaii’s beaches” (Star-Advertiser, Dec. 5).
Both the city and state have poor records regarding managing this important resource, Hawaii’s beaches.
Immediate care and stricter enforcement of regulations must take precedence, or our state will lose a treasure that can never be restored.
It is also disturbing to read of how recent sellers, who knew about the declining beachfront and flooding, are selling these properties without informing the buyers.
Truly unethical — shame on them.
As a keiki o ka aina, I pray that our beaches will be saved.
Ernesta Masagatani
Kailua
School club advisers deserve great respect
As a student, club advisers have my greatest respect. They gather together a bunch of overly dramatic children, come up with fun activities, and devote hours after school, all while being underappreciated and underpaid. Once the pandemic hit, I’m sure their jobs got (in short) a lot harder. I don’t know how my advisers managed. But they did.
So this is a thank you to them. To my two drama club advisers: Theater has never exactly been a socially distant kind of activity, but they kept the whole club (metaphorically) close and pulled together a fully virtual play that the entire school enjoyed. And to my two Anime Club advisers: A serious situation almost tore the club apart — but they kept everyone together.
Clubs are founded through mutual interests and respect and fun, but advisers are the heart of it all and I can’t thank them enough for that.
Vivian Rosenlee
Ewa Beach
Document and plan after COVID experience
Hard lessons should be learned from Hawaii’s total unpreparedness to adequately cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. Hopefully the lessons have been documented in contingency operations planning documents and not just put away forever as historical documents.
I am reminded of military OPLANs researched and prepared by military planners in the Pentagon. Each OPLAN details warning signs that predict each contingency, and all possible or probable events that should occur during the course of the contingency or event as it occurs, complete with every possible action to be conducted to minimize or even preclude the negative action described in the OPLAN.
Hawaii, and even the federal government with all other states, should also have these contingency plans developed and updated on a strict planned timeline and contingency actions rehearsed on a strict timetable (just as the U.S. military rehearses each OPLAN through recurring military war games).
Ed Takeya
McCully-Moiliili
EXPRESS YOURSELF
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