A tragedy is unfolding in paradise. Hiking trails are being stolen in broad daylight. Examples are found throughout the Hawaiian islands, but things seem particularly concerning on Windward Oahu, where we are in danger of losing several hikes including Mauna- wili Falls, the Lanikai pillboxes (Kaiwa Ridge) trail and the Haiku Stairs.

All this is occurring despite substantial support from local residents to keep these trails open. We want our children and grandchildren to enjoy these magical experiences and have precious lifelong memories, like we do.

It appears that important political decisions are being made based on an inadequate understanding of the issues and remarkable apathy when it comes to making the effort to develop workable solutions in partnership with the community.

Remind our Windward legislators to listen to you and the will of the people. Call or email Mayor Rick Blangiardi, Councilwoman Esther Kiaaina, state Sens. Jarrett Keohokalole and Chris Lee, and state Rep. Scot Matayoshi. Let’s save our public hikes for public use.

Vernon Ansdell

Kaneohe

Replacement theory doesn’t work in Hawaii

Would all the haoles in Hawaii who believe they have been replaced by our Asian, Hawaiian and Pacific Islander population, which makes up about 80% of our population, please raise their hand? Funny; I don’t see any hands. Be thankful we all live in Hawaii.

Harold Senter

Aina Haina

Law-abiding citizens have right to bear arms

The Founding Fathers were no strangers to massacres and criminal behavior. Because they recognized the need to defend themselves from criminals, they saw it as a right of effective self-defense.

In the Constitution, a political and governing document, they phrased it as a right of the people to defend liberty, “necessary to secure a free state.” When written, “a well regulated militia” meant a properly functioning militia in which the militia consisted of able- bodied men.

In the 2008 Heller decision, the Supreme Court recognized an individual right to keep and bear arms. The Second Amendment does not confer a right; it recognizes a preexisting right and prohibits the infringement of those rights. There are restrictions on felons, adjudicated mentally defectives, fugitives, illegal drug users, straw purchasers, noncitizen and illegal aliens, from buying firearms. There are background checks.

As to the efforts to take guns away from law-abiding citizens because of the criminal use of guns, that’s like trying to stop drunken driving by taking cars away from sober people. After all, nobody needs a fast car. That’s their logic.

Michael Lee

Maunalani Heights

We can’t control people, but we can control guns

We can control guns, but we cannot control people. The pro-gun society need look no further than Donald Trump to see that.

We can control guns, but we cannot control the disinformation being funneled into vulnerable minds of all ages by social media. The Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection proves that.

We can control guns, but we cannot control the impulses of millions of people who have bad judgment, inferiority complexes or other psychological issues.

IF you want to stop the killing of the innocent, you have to control the guns.

Ilima Morrison

Kailua

Homeless don’t have right to abuse others

Regarding the letter from Joel Fischer (“Don’t be cruel toward unfortunate homeless,” Star-Advertiser, June 1): Who says “free food, free health care, free free free …” is a right? Is it manna from heaven?

No. It is paid for by hardworking people who are sometimes attacked by the homeless when they try to use the public facilities they helped pay for. Besides the freebies, the homeless cost society a lot more, like when they cut the wires from our freeway lights to sell the copper, when they urinate and defecate in front of the Children’s Discovery Center, when they burn a man’s clothes and cause serious injury, when they rob and steal from numerous merchants (Chinatown merchants experience this daily).

Who gave them the right to do that? God helps those who help themselves. They have the right to help themselves. Period.

Carol Tsai

Kakaako

BWS should plan now to build desalination plants

The current Board of Water Supply master plan says that desalination plants are planned for the future. When? Mandatory restrictions were almost issued.

It will take years to get a desalination plant built.

BWS says rainwater takes 20 years to get into the aquifer. If we are using a million gallons a day, are our wells getting replenished at the same rate by rain that is 20 years old? Our weather is getting hotter and rainfall numbers are below normal. Our water usage is increasing.

Why aren’t there plans to build desalination projects now?

Peter Lee

Nuuanu

Flavored-tobacco bill doesn’t ban all products

As an American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network volunteer, I’m opposed to the flawed flavored tobacco legislation passed this session. The bill only removes some flavored tobacco products, leaving thousands of other products like menthol cigarettes on store shelves, making it too easy for youth to simply switch from one product to another.

Research shows that flavors drive the huge increase in overall youth tobacco use and is the reason why most youths say they use tobacco. More than 80% of youths who use tobacco start with a flavored product, and almost 78% of Native Hawaiians who smoke use menthol cigarettes. We must end the sale of all flavored tobacco products, including menthol cigarettes, to protect our keiki.

I urge Gov. David Ige to veto House Bill 1570 to help stop the tobacco industry from causing more death and destruction in our state.

Jenny Hausler

Pearl City

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