Letters: Second Amendment rights aren’t unlimited; Association should have had gubernatorial forum; Solar power projects better than biomass

If you think it is reasonable not to allow guns on airplanes, you support gun control.

If you believe that the Secret Service is correct to not allow the public to carry guns around the president, you support gun control.

If you think it is appropriate to keep guns out of the hands of children, you support gun control.

If you believe violent felons shouldn’t be allowed to have guns, you support gun control.

If you agree that the general public should not be able to purchase bazookas, grenade launchers or other military hardware, you support gun control.

Just as it makes sense to put reasonable limits on the First Amendment (e.g., yelling “fire” in a crowded theater, publishing slander), it makes sense to have limits on the Second.

Alika Campbell

Kailua

Amend Constitution for the modern world

In 1787, when the U.S. Army consisted of one regiment and there were no organized state National Guards, and when “arms” meant flintlocks, the Second Amendment to the Constitution made sense.

In an age of a strong military that can protect the nation from any foreign enemy and state National Guard units that can maintain domestic peace if required, and rifles that can shoot 600 rounds per minute, the Second Amendment as interpreted by gun advocates makes no sense.

Americans were wise enough to rescind the 1919 18th Amendment on Prohibition with the 21st Amendment in 1933.

We have amended the Constitution 27 times. It’s time to either amend or rescind the Second Amendment and pass reasonable gun laws that allow hunters to hunt and homeowners to protect their homes, but not allow the unrestricted proliferation throughout society of killing machines designed for war.

Peter C. Oleson

Kailua

Association should have had gubernatorial forum

It’s my understanding that the Hawaii Lodging and Tourism Association (HLTA) recently held a general membership meeting with an agenda that included candidate forums for lieutenant governor and Maui mayor, but no candidate forum for governor.

Also, a candidate for governor was endorsed by the HLTA without meeting the candidates or asking them for their positions on key issues.

I think both of these points are a great disservice to HLTA members and a shameful reflection on HLTA leadership.

Jennifer Chiwa

Makiki

Reimpose regulations on poor-performing airlines

Recent events unfolding at airports across America are a disgrace: long lines, flight cancellations, overworked employees, too many aircraft jammed at the gates and, most importantly, insufficient numbers of flight crews.

However, the audacity of United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby asking for help from the federal government is incomprehensible and laughable. He suggested that the federal government step in and control the influx of aircraft at airports and ensure that the traffic control towers are fully manned.

Reality check: Here is a typical airline CEO crying to the federal government for help (not a financial bailout) to assist in helping them make money. This individual makes hundreds of times more than the highest salaried worker at United and he can’t problem- solve on his own.

The airline CEOs, shareholders and/or stockholders caused this whole fiasco in the industry. What the federal government should do is reimplement tougher regulations on airlines now.

Jackie L. Grambusch Jr.

Kapolei

Solar power projects better than biomass

Legislators passed Senate Bill 2510, which would require each island to produce “firm renewable” energy and islands such as Lanai and Molokai — which do not have sufficient geothermal or the means to produce and process biomass — to depend on wood pellets or similar imports from other islands or, more likely, from overseas.

This would drive up island residents’ energy bills and result in land and water pollution, potentially impacting the subsistence resources they rely upon. Even worse, it would be more climate-harming than burning coal, pushing us closer to climate collapse.

Recent large-scale and community- based solar projects have the potential to power our islands at a much cheaper rate and without the clear environmental costs of fossil fuels or biomass. SB 2510 would destroy that progress, and recently approved solar projects would be artificially, and unnecessarily, suppressed by this bill.

SB 2510 should be vetoed.

Sherry Pollack

Co-founder, 350Hawaii

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