Billy Kenoi a mayor with true aloha spirit

Billy Kenoi did a lot during his tenure as mayor of Hawaii County (“Praise pours in for former Hawaii County Mayor Billy Kenoi,” Star-Advertiser, Jan. 27). He was a doer more than a talker and had a mind of a super genius.

Prior to the late, great Kenoi’s tenure, there was almost a warlike attitude between West Hawaii and East Hawaii. The Kona side of the island produced a bigger chunk of the county’s revenues, but didn’t have the county government support systems that Hilo has.

Kenoi magically healed this wound with government services, as witnessed in the West Hawai‘i Civic Center.

Kenoi also was a man of true aloha. He transcended racial barriers with his super aloha, making the Big Island a true melting pot. Kenoi was a friend of mine and a positive individual who cared for the community.

Billy Kenoi will be truly missed by the state of Hawaii, and he is a legend in my heart.

Dean Nagasako

Honokaa, Hawaii island

Hawaii GOP must expel insurrection supporters

As members of Indivisible Hawaii, an organization that has consistently worked within and supported the democratic process, we are appalled at the recent public statements of the Hawaii GOP. Long before Jan. 6, Proud Boy and former Republican candidate Nick Ochs, and others like him, should have had no place in any mainstream political party.

The since-deleted tweets calling conspiracy theorists and traitors “patriots” and elevating the voice of a Holocaust denier, as well as the now-deleted non-apology, are a disgrace. The resignation of Edwin Boyette is meaningless without decisive action.

We call on the Hawaii GOP immediately to expel any party members who were involved in or supportive of the Jan. 6 insurrection, which attempted to undermine our nation’s fundamental democratic principles.

We further call on the Hawaii GOP to unequivocally condemn white supremacy and to explicitly disavow QAnon and all other harmful conspiracy theories.

Maya Maxym

Leadership Council, Indivisible Hawaii

Shake off ignorance, confront our problems

As we enter the third decade of this century, we are facing challenges we have never faced in more than two centuries. Mostly we had well-defined issues. With wars we knew the enemy, and in the Dust Bowl years, we knew it was drought and environmental degradation. Today the enemy is not external; it is us.

We are in the midst of a storm with the culmination of many significant issues. These include emboldening of long-entrenched racism with the history of slavery and oppression. There is an ever-deepening economic divide. The government is in severe debt. COVID-19 is taking its toll on life and health. And now the very fabric of our nation, the democracy, is under direct threat.

It is time for honest introspection and to address these problems. We need to shake off ignorance and arrogance, see humanity as family, nurture our environment and get off the consumerism downward spiral. To succeed we all will have to venture into the zone of discomfort.

Birendra Huja

Kuliouou

EXPRESS YOURSELF

The Honolulu Star-Advertiser welcomes all opinions. Want your voice to be heard? Submit a letter to the editor.

>> Write us: We welcome letters up to 150 words, and guest columns of 500-600 words. We reserve the right to edit for clarity and length. Include your name, address and daytime phone number.

>> Mail: Letters to the Editor, Honolulu Star-Advertiser 7 Waterfront Plaza, 500 Ala Moana, Suite 210 Honolulu, HI 96813

>> Contact: 529-4831 (phone), 529-4750 (fax), letters@staradvertiser.com, staradvertiser.com/editorial/submit-letter