Reinstate death penalty to protect the public

The hideous death of toddler Kytana Ancog is a wake-up call for the Legislature to restore the death penalty immediately (“Father of Kytana Ancog admits hitting and shaking toddler, giving body to acquaintance, Honolulu police say,” Star-Advertiser, Feb. 17).

I therefore call upon state Sen. Karl Rhoads, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and state Rep. Mark Nakashima, chairman of the House Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs Committee, to collaborate on a bill to restore the death penalty.

When the courts consistently release repeat offenders back into the community, our legislative leaders must immediately respond to protect the public. Passage of the death penalty will honor the memory of Kytana Ancog, signifying that her passing was not in vain.

Patrick N. Custino

Kaneohe

Kytana Ancog’s death demands punishment

My heart broke when I read what baby Kytana Ancog had endured in her final moments prior to death: sworn at, slapped, beaten, kicked and squeezed until what little life was left after sustaining all that trauma was savagely snuffed out of her. I have cried every time thoughts of her come to mind; when I read new articles about her or hear of the horrific event on the evening news.

Her killer is a monster who deserves the death penalty, but that would be too merciful.

Sharon N. Miyashita

Salt Lake

Work toward a more equitable America

As the nation watched in horror on Jan. 6, supporters of President Trump broke into the U.S. Capitol, overpowering police and threatening legislators, including members of our congressional delegation. This brazen and deadly attack on our democratic institutions, focused on halting congressional certification of a duly elected president, provided the public a glimpse of the violent and ugly undercurrent of white supremacy in American culture and its accompanying anti-government sentiment.

Quakers believe in every person’s right to peace and equality under the law. We have stood up against bigotry and injustice throughout the United States’ long history of violence and voter suppression against people of color. Yet again we feel compelled to speak out. We believe that each person’s vote counts equally, and demagoguery and disinformation designed to exploit the anxieties of a shrinking white majority must be recognized for what they are.

We join with others in praying for peace and urge all to take an active role in bringing about a more peaceful and equitable democratic society.

John P. Whalen

Honolulu Friends Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends

Hard work, education will help a person thrive

February is Black History Month, where African Americans are honored for their accomplishments and contributions to our country’s heritage.

Americans should watch the movie, “Hidden Figures.” This is a story primarily about a Black woman named Katherine Johnson, a brilliant mathematician who helped launch the NASA space program into world dominance. Johnson endured discrimination from her fellow employees and overcame adversity with her strong character and perseverance.

After watching the film, I thought about other African Americans who excelled in their professions, like Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and pediatric brain surgeon Ben Carson. This is why our country is the greatest nation in the world: We offer to all Americans the opportunity to succeed in life through education and hard work.

Robert Hatakeyama

Salt Lake

Football too dangerous a game for children

Why build a new stadium when mothers and fathers will not allow their children to play games that risk brain damage (“Aloha Stadium district redevelopment plan gets divided in 2,” Star-Advertiser, Feb. 18)?

Save tax dollars. Encourage track and field, swimming and basketball. Save your child’s intelligent brain.

Discourage hitting, bashing, sacking. It’s so simple: End football. Tear down the Rust Palace. Save dollars. Keep your IQ. Just do it!

Beverly Kai

Kakaako

Trump’s populism beats ordinary conservatism

Speaking for liberals and far-left Marxists, Kathleen Parker took a reasonable approach by advocating the GOP return to pure conservatism instead of populism a la Donald Trump (“Republicans need to move past Trump and Trumpism,” Star-Advertiser, Feb. 14).

Trump went beyond being just conservative and captured the support of people who felt the Democratic Party had left them for a more leftist, socialist, Marxist position.

Like other leftist politicians and columnists, Parker is afraid that Trump will be back. But, unlike other anti-Trumpists who feel they need to destroy Trump in every way possible, Parker wants the GOP tent to be downsized to only conservatism, which would be easier for the Democratic Party to overcome than Trump’s populism.

As a third-party candidate, Trump can be assured of 100% support from his party, including the Democrats that President Joe Biden has dissed with his radical policies.

Russel Noguchi

Pearl City

Self-pity leads people to destructive behavior

The storming of the U.S. Capitol put me in mind of an old “Twilight Zone” episode called “He’s Alive,” starring Dennis Hopper as a recruit of a neo-Nazi organization. Writer Rod Serling put his finger on a key attribute of this personality type: self-pity.

Sure, bullies are cowards, groupies seek safety and power in numbers, and society’s discontents are angry and afraid. But self-pity is what leads to blaming others for your own failures. Or maybe it is the inability to take responsibility for your own actions that leads to both.

Many criminals think of themselves as the victims of an unfair society. That’s right: Criminals often see their victims as deserving to be hurt.

Unfortunately, this self-pitying is becoming a feature of American culture all over the place. We must stop this self-destructive and embarrassing behavior. We don’t want to become a nation of whiners and blamers.

Lloyd Lim

Makiki

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