Letters: Ease travel rules for Hawaii’s vaccinated; Waialua bridge needs to be repaired at once; J. Kalani English shows honor, integrity

The Hawaii Safe Travels website is not user-friendly. It is the website and smartphone app that indicate whether you have performed travel-related testing, providing proof that returning residents have a negative COVID-19 result. Millennials can successfully navigate the website, but the elderly have almost impossible odds against achieving success.

The problem is twofold: Locals who vaccinate will not have the travel-related benefit from vaccination, and those who have not yet been vaccinated but who want to travel will lose the incentive to vaccinate.

Until travel rules are relaxed, don’t expect a big increase in mainland travel by Hawaii residents.

The obvious solution is to allow all vaccinated residents to travel to the mainland without having to do testing when they return to Hawaii.

Gov. David Ige must acknowledge the efficacy of the vaccinations and allow all vaccinated Hawaii residents to travel without testing restrictions.

Stuart Shimazu

Kapahulu

Olympic surfing should be held off Waikiki

Waikiki is the birthplace of surfing. With surfing making its debut at the Tokyo Summer Olympics, let’s call upon the new mayor, Rick Blangiardi, to offer Waikiki as a healthier/safer alternative site for the Olympic surf competition.

Tokyo will proceed with events but no audiences. With a holding period there will be much better waves here than in Chiba. Hawaii offers guaranteed waves and a now mask-free audience on the beach, making for great TV ratings in the U.S. and around the world.

What better way to promote tourism to Hawaii than with cultural and aloha?

Kimo Kekahuna

Waikiki

Expand focus of BLM beyond police actions

I really do applaud the efforts of the Black Lives Matter movement to help reduce or even eliminate the unwarranted and unnecessary killings of Black and brown individuals by the police in our country. You have to wonder where we would be on this issue without body cams and phone videos. You have to believe there wouldn’t be much change in police behavior and the chances for reform without them.

However, what I would like to see now is the Black Lives Matter movement become the All Black Lives Matter movement, focusing attention on the other Black men, women and children who are victims of gun violence. It seems that all the attention and concern is given to those killed by the police.

Other Black lives lost due to gun violence are seemingly less valuable and less important. It almost seems like these deaths have become acceptable. Doesn’t this problem deserve our attention and commitment as well? Or is it considered a problem at all?

Roman Leverenz

Aliamanu

Waialua bridge needs to be repaired at once

A recent story was helpful in addressing a long-term problem that we face here in Waialua and Haleiwa (“Homeowners want protection from flooding,” Star-Advertiser, May 10).

However, the very serious immediate problem presented by the closure of the Waialua Beach Road Bridge 605 was only briefly mentioned. Why? It is an urgent now issue.

This bridge shutdown has created a clear and present danger to hundreds, or even thousands, of people who try to drive, bike or walk into or out of Waialua every day.

There is now only one indirect road to access anywhere west of Bridge 605 for Waialua and all of Mokuleia, for emergency medical vehicles, fire trucks or surf rescue, or for citizens who just want to get from Point A to Point B in a reasonable time frame.

Fix this bridge now.

James Erickson

Waialua

AVR would help get young people to polls

Hawaii needs automatic voter registration. Gov. David Ige should sign Senate Bill 159 into law.

The pandemic has shown the life-and-death difference local and national elected officials can have on our lives. But on average, the young people I meet as a community college instructor are completely alienated from electoral politics. Even (sometimes especially) politically conscious millennials and Gen-Zers don’t vote.

The historically high turnout for the 2020 election must be maintained and increased.

People under 40 don’t seem to think voting counts. A quarter of millennial respondents to a 2017 study agreed that “choosing leaders through free elections is unimportant.” Forty-six percent of 18-29-year olds would rather be governed by unelected experts than elected officials.

SB 159 improves Hawaii’s civic health by easing barriers to voter registration for people, including the young, and updates our voter rolls, increasing election integrity, ensuring our vote-by-mail ballots will get to young people for them to vote.

Lance Uyeda

Windward Community College instructor

J. Kalani English shows honor, integrity

I feel compelled to express good thoughts during this COVID-19 period, rather than all the struggles, crime and hate surrounding us. It certainly is a trying time in our lives!

My praises to J. Kalani English, who recently resigned his state Senate seat (representing Hana, East Maui, Molokai, Lanai and Kahoolawe) because of a longstanding COVID-19 condition (“Hawaii state Sen. Kalani English stepping down due to long-term COVID-19 symptoms,” Star-Advertiser, April 28). Most of us would just remain silent, cruise by, collect our paycheck and hope that no one would notice our shortcomings.

But Sen. English is a man of honor and integrity, as he resigned his prestigious seat for the welfare of his constituents. He is truly a great man and we should all sing his praises. My very best wishes to him and his family while hoping for a full and speedy recovery. Let’s all cheer for a return to public life for Sen. English.

Karen Shishido

Nuuanu

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