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Michael Broderick’s reason for leaving the Honolulu Police Commission is excellent and commendable (“Michael Broderick to leave police commission, asks mayor to consider diversity in choosing next member,” Star-Advertiser, Nov. 7).
Hopefully, Mayor Rick Blangiardi will not only consider Broderick’s request but actually have it fulfilled.
Bill Null
Kapaa, Kauai
More shots needed for herd immunity
Dexter Yuen argued that Hawaii has reached herd immunity and should not still be pushing vaccination (“Herd immunity means stop pushing vaccines,” Star-Advertiser, Letters, Nov. 8).
Unfortunately, he does not appear to understand what a herd is. While more than 70% of the adult and teen population may be vaccinated, those under 12 have not been. The vaccination rate of elementary and high school populations (students plus staff) is well below that needed for overall immunity.
Where there is little mixing with the rest of the population, small herds cannot reap the benefits of herd immunity. When more than 70% of each sub-population is vaccinated, we can all breathe easier. Keep pushing vaccinations.
Steven Buchthal
Downtown Honolulu
Most medical personnel choose vaccination
Gordon Fowler failed to see the illogicality of his reasoning (“First responders put careers at risk; why?,” Star- Advertiser, Letters, Oct. 31).
He claimed, “First responders and health care workers by any estimation are better educated in medical matters than most of us.”
Why, then, does he only look to the small minority of those people as knowing something that we don’t? What about the vast majority of those workers who have decided that whatever the risks posed by vaccines, they are outweighed by the risk of contracting COVID-19, and have gotten vaccinated? (Not to mention the vast majority of physicians, who “by any estimation” are even better educated than first responders.)
Remind me not to go to Las Vegas with Fowler if the opportunity ever arises.
Paul Campbell
Waipahu
DOE substitute teachers don’t get enough respect
Regarding the lack of substitute teachers, my late cousin was a substitute teacher for the state Department of Education (“Teacher vacancies ease in Hawaii, but substitutes are hard to find,” Star-Advertiser, Nov. 1).
I once asked her what this was like. She said that substitute teachers are on the lowest rung of the DOE.
Most of their calls are for Fridays and Mondays, and Thursdays and Tuesdays before holidays.
When hired as long-term temporary subs, they do not get paid for holidays or school breaks, and often are shifted around even when hired to teach a specific class.
Subs have no benefits, rights, ways to express grievances, nor any union representation.
They get little support and encouragement from anyone at the schools they sub at and no advanced training. They are often looked down upon by the clerical staff.
It’s easy to blame COVID-19 for a lack of substitute teachers, but perhaps the DOE needs to look deeper into this issue. Our students have a right to have the best-qualified substitute teachers who are appreciated by their schools and well-supported by the DOE.
Dina Brown
Wahiawa
Local residents also survived Dec. 7 attack
Somewhere along the way, the local residents who died or survived the Dec. 7 attack on Pearl Harbor are not remembered during remembrance ceremonies.
I realize we witnessed the attack and did not bear arms, but are we not survivors? Children in Kunia came close to low-flying airplanes and were frightened, not knowing what was going on. Some climbed rooftops and were injured.
As children, we didn’t know what war was all about, but we found out in a hurry. The effects of what happened to our Japanese families in the aftermath also are firmly embedded in our memories.
I thank the late Gov. John Burns and all those who helped the local Japanese to remain in Hawaii and not be incarcerated as they were on the mainland.
Also, kudos to the late Eleanor Roosevelt for her effort to stop Executive Order 9066.
Elaine Ileina Funakoshi
Pearl City
Navy lacks transparency on Red Hill fuel tanks
The leaky Red Hill bulk fuel storage tanks on Oahu sit above the southern Oahu basal aquifer, which contains three-quarters of Oahu’s drinking water supply.
This problem needs immediate permanently corrective action, and given more respect than a simple dirty story.
Thus far, the Navy refuses to be transparent as to how it intends to rectify this long-standing storage tank leakage. It appears that the Navy has declared war on all of Oahu’s surrounding ocean and fresh aquifer waters.
Will the Navy not rest until these waters become as untransparent as it is?
The Navy’s assurances that “everything is fine, so don’t worry” is akin to someone running over your dog and telling you, “Not to worry about your dog because my car is fine.”
With climate change, the prospect that the fuel spill will be shortly diluted and washed away by the rising ocean waters caused by melting glaciers and ice fields may be a good enough solution for the Navy, but not for me.
How about you?
Stann W. Reiziss
Kailua
EXPRESS YOUR THANKS THIS THANKSGIVING
It’s been a year of uncertainty, adaptation and recovery — and now it’s time to reflect on things with hope and gratitude.
Today through Nov. 23, send in your thoughts about the things you’re thankful for (letters at 150 words max, or essays at 500-600 words). A collection of these “Be thankful” submissions will run on Nov. 28, Thanksgiving weekend.
Email to letters@staradvertiser.com; or send to 7-500 Ala Moana Blvd. #7-210, Honolulu 96813, care of Letters.
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
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