Hawaii’s leaders follow the science

Many criticisms of efforts by Gov. David Ige and Lt. Gov. Dr. Josh Green in mitigating the health emergency of COVID-19 are problematic. Critics lack the full information and array of advisers that these leaders have. They do not face the challenges of making very complex and difficult decisions for the sake of public health.

Hawaii is most fortunate to have genuine leaders who base public health policy on the expertise of scientific, medical and public health authorities who know the real facts.

This state ranks second-best among states for handling the pandemic. For example, according to Statista, the COVID-19 death rates per 100,000 are Florida, 264; Texas, 231; Hawaii, 59; and Vermont, 54.

Hawaii is most fortunate to not have governors like those in Florida and Texas who dangerously prioritize their personal political ambitions and thereby facilitate virus transmission, hospitalizations and deaths. Now if only everyone would get real.

Leslie E. Sponsel

Hawaii Kai

Freedom of speech is not absolute

Things that are said and done in the name of free speech are appalling and sometimes dangerous.

The lies being spread by anti- vaxxers and the self-righteous indignation being voiced by opponents of vaccine mandates are detrimental to the physical and mental health both of individuals and society at large.

The underlying assumption is that an individual’s opinions are more important than the health of others, that one person’s freedom of speech is more important than the well-being of the society in which they live.

Is it OK in the name of free speech to organize a group advocating hate for people of different religions or different ethnicities? Is it OK in the name of free speech if a group marched to promote the use of opioids?

Freedom doesn’t mean the freedom to do whatever you wish. With freedom comes responsibility, not only for yourself, but for everyone around you. There is a line that is all too often crossed. Your right to freedom of speech ends where my right to live in health and well-being begins.

Shalane Sambor

Punahou

Biden, Dems aren’t pushing socialism

Robert Hatakeyama’s letter waving the red flag of socialism in order to scare Americans out of supporting President Joe Biden’s infrastructure plan (“Socialism is dangerous to America’s future,” Star-Advertiser, Oct. 13), is just another example of the Republican right wing blatantly lying to the public.

Socialism is defined as a theory or system of social organization that advocates the ownership and control of the means of production and distribution, capital, land, etc., by the community as a whole, usually through a centralized government.

Neither Biden nor the Democratic Party has ever advocated such a system. It is time to call the Robert Hatakeyamas in this country out for equating liberalism to socialism. They have no more in common than apples and aardvarks.

Before someone uses a word like socialism, they should look up its meaning.

Earle A. Partington

Nuuanu

Defense spending protects our nation

It seems more often that I read letters advocating we cut the defense budget in order to create and pay for more socialist programs and Democratic spending (“Invest more to make America great again,” Star-Advertiser, Oct. 10).

Are our memories of current events so misguided that we don’t remember what defense is for? It wasn’t that long ago that Hawaii was terrified that North Korea had developed missiles capable of hitting our islands. China is rapidly building the world’s largest navy and army capable of successfully invading Taiwan, while also controlling the South China Sea with island bases. Russia threatens Europe and took control of Crimea to give it winter access to the sea.

The world is a dangerous place. Taking spending away from defense is like defunding the police.

Earl Arakaki

Ewa Beach

Learn to distinguish the truth from lies

Education must be the key in our struggle against all the forces that threaten peace and progress in our daily lives, including violence, terrorism, poverty and ignorance, even corruption and malfeasance in government.

Teaching young minds how to recognize the techniques, ruses and emotional baiting employed by demagogues for their personal gain — through critical, informed judgment and scientific, methodological fact-checking — will make it all the more difficult for demagogues and liars to exploit the public and achieve their selfish goals.

A simple test such as asking, “Who benefits from the dissemination of this information?,” or starting with the basic assumption that the more deviant the facts, the more improbable, is always a good place to begin the hunt for veracity.

It is said that education can both radicalize and de-radicalize young developing minds. But as Georges Braque said,”Truth exists, only lies are invented,” and both only exist in the human mind.

James T. Nakata

Kaneohe

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