Is there a rogue pig militia training on Tantalus that I’m not aware of?

I don’t understand why the state’s Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) even has an armory, but to learn from Peter Boylan’s story that this armory included AR-15 military-style assault rifles was quite a surprise (“Firearms, equipment stolen from DLNR storage yard,” Star-Advertiser, March 11).

DNLR is a public agency. We own it, and it works for us. Who paid for these guns? We did. Why did we pay for them? Who knows?

The best the unnamed DNLR spokesman could offer was that the guns were “of various caliber and models” and that they were used to “reduce numbers of invasive, feral ungulates.”

The Star-Advertiser instead needs to name the “spokesman,” who also is a public employee, with a salary paid by us, and DNLR needs to explain why it is arming itself with military-style weapons.

Brett Oppegaard

Manoa

Stand your ground laws promote deadly force

Stand your ground laws were originally called “make my day” laws, reflecting the swagger and vigilantism these laws promote.

They are often misrepresented as minor adjustments to common law. That is far from true: They dramatically alter criminal procedure in a way that makes it difficult for a person who invokes the law to be arrested, prosecuted or convicted for using deadly force, even when that person is the aggressor.

During an argument with another driver, an unarmed 22-year-old in Arizona was shot sitting in his car. A couple driving to a mosque was in a fender bender. When the man got out of his car to talk to the other driver, he was shot and killed. Both shooters got off, citing stand your ground.

This law makes a mockery of the idea we are a civilized community and not bit actors in a macho Clint Eastwood western. To stay one of the safest states, we should stand our ground against such laws.

Susan Hornik

Waikiki

U.S. won’t challenge countries with nukes

Are we encouraging the next nuclear arms race? Ukraine gave up its nuclear weapons through the Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances.

Ukraine, Russia, the U.S. and the United Kingdom signed a treaty in 1994 that assured Ukraine it would be safe from attack as long as it gave up its massive stockpile of nuclear arms.

Ukraine gave up its nukes in 1994. Russia attacked in 2022. Thousands have died. If not stopped soon, this number will soar. The U.S. won’t intervene militarily because Russia has nukes.

This sends the unmistakable message that your nation only matters to the U.S. if it has nukes.

Jo-Ann Adams

Waikiki

Cycle groups, car clubs make Waikiki noisier

I have been coming to Waikiki for the winter for the past 20-plus years and have seen how the noise has increased year by year. It seems that no one cares about how disturbing this is to the tourists.

We don’t see the police doing anything about the motorcycle groups that cruise through Waikiki all weekend, revving their engines until people can’t hear to talk to each other. And they aren’t alone. There are the car clubs cruising the streets, making as much if not more noise than the motorcycles.

When I complained to the police, I was told, “We have to catch them doing it and they stop when we show up.”

Well, it shouldn’t be that difficult to catch them, as you can hear the groups coming for three or four blocks before they get to your location. Just sit and wait for them.

I have heard many tourists say that Honolulu is one of the noisiest cities they have visited. As for my wife and me, we pray for rain on the weekends to keep the motorcycle groups and car clubs home.

Russell Gust

Big Bay, Mich.

Clean energy transition needs to happen now

Where is the leadership from our elected officials on ending Hawaii’s addiction to electricity produced by burning fossil fuels? I seem to remember reading that wholesale, utility- scale solar electricity with battery backup now costs about 9 cents per kilowatt hour (kwh) to produce.

We currently pay about 33 cents per kwh retail and Hawaiian Electric is warning of a 20% increase on the neighbor islands because of increased fuel costs.

It is time to kick our dependence on horse-and-buggy technology.

Our legislators should do whatever it takes to get Hawaiian Electric to transition to 100% non-polluting, renewable energy right now, and not in 10 years.

Can Hawaiian Electric be allowed a new stock offering to build this badly needed infrastructure? Or perhaps we can allow another competing or cooperating solar utility to also supply electricity.

There must be a way to get this done.

Ron Schoenherr

Wailuku

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