Local hospitals may soon reach a “crisis standard of care,” in which rationing of ICU (intensive care unit) beds becomes necessary. Rather than use the proposed dual criteria of likelihood of recovery and length of remaining life, hospitals should place value on whether the patient was vaccinated.

The unvaccinated, through their own negligence, stupidity and social irresponsibility, are contributing to their own illness and the overcrowding of hospitals. Why should hospitals reward with care the unvaccinated over those who responsibly vaccinated, or those non-COVID-19 patients afflicted with injuries, heart attacks or strokes?

The unvaccinated should be lowered in priority when rationing is necessary.

Paul Mizue

Aiea

HPD officer wrong about vaccine stance

I am grateful to Cpl. Mark Kutsy’s service to our nation as a Marine, and his service to our state as a Honolulu police officer.

His choice of job termination over getting a life-saving vaccine, however, is breathtaking in its willful ignorance, selfishness and denial of basic science (“Honolulu police officer is facing termination for refusing vaccination,” Star-Advertiser, Sept. 9).

He is quoted: “The risk of getting the vaccine is greater than not getting it at all, at this time, based on my personal health and judgment.”

This false narrative, shared by a minority of Americans, has held the majority of America hostage in a pandemic that killed more than half a million people in this country, and sickened millions with long-term effects. We have elevated the personal judgment of Kutsy and others like him to a false equivalency with public health experts, virologists and scientists who have spent careers studying and preparing for a pandemic.

It’s his choice to not be vaccinated and, unfortunately, I don’t think he and others like him understand that this choice has far greater consequence than simply losing his job.

Mary S. Megyesi

Kaneohe

Health Card app may be hard for seniors to get

Oh boy. Now we have a Health Card app to download to our phones (“State launches Hawaii SMART Health Card program as businesses prepare to implement new requirements,” Star-Advertiser, Sept. 9). Attention: Some of us are senior citizens — the ones who are “older than dirt” — who have seen and lived through some of life’s major challenges, like World War II and Vietnam.

We don’t do Facebook or Twitter, and we don’t have our face in a phone from four to six hours a day. So we don’t fit into the Great Reset all of you are diving into.

Deane Gonzalez

Hawaii Kai

Religious exemptions should not be allowed

When it comes to an exemption to taking the vaccine based on religion, things get fuzzy. Should a personal belief give people the right to risk the health of others?

Why should religion get a pass on this? And those claiming that state mandates are a violation of the Constitution should take another look. Point to where the Constitution says the right to freely practice one’s religion gives one the right to harm another.

The religious exemption should not be part of the mandate. It is not needed to protect the freedom of religion. What is needed to protect people’s right to continue to practice religion without fear is to end the curse of COVID-19. The sooner this is done, the sooner places of worship can fill up again.

Removing unnecessary exemptions from the mandate will facilitate achieving this goal.

Arthur Mersereau

Manoa

Hawaii strong in health, safety, environment

Among the many things Hawaii’s people can be proud of:

>> Our cooperation and high vaccination rate have saved lives.

>> Our stricter gun laws (that we can truly enforce as the only island state) make us safer.

>> Our growing use of cleaner energy protects our life-sustaining environment.

We must continue our progress forward and never give in to zealous extremists who want to reverse our achievements and turn Hawaii toward a life that is much more “nasty, brutish and short.”

Daniel Laraway

Kapahulu

All of Afghanistan now a base for terrorism

In watching the coverage of the events of Sept. 11, 2001, I came to realize that now is not the time to sit back and believe it won’t happen again.

Our recent surrender in Afghanistan, leaving behind an arsenal of weapons and equipment, makes it even more likely that we will be attacked again.

The vacuum of our hasty withdrawal has already been filled by the Taliban and al-Qaida. What has now been created is an entire country for terrorists to gather to plot and plan attacks all over the world. I only hope that we will truly “never forget.”

God Bless America!

Earl Arakaki

Ewa Beach

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