David Shapiro has done the community a great service by pulling back the covers on how unions, one in particular, have bought and paid for the politicians in Hawaii (“Hawaii Carpenters Union wields oversize political hammer,” Star-Advertiser, Volcanic Ash, July 24).

Hawaii ranks No. 1 in the country in terms of the rate of union membership — and that isn’t a good thing. Hawaii will remain a one-party state controlled by the Democrats until the unions are expunged from our political process.

Since there is no viable Republican Party to take on this challenge, it must be done by the Democrats. Since the Democrats are owned and operated by the unions, there is little chance of that happening in my lifetime.

Bert Oshiro

Hawaii Kai

Coverage lacking in gubernatorial debates

Why do we read and support a local newspaper, if not to keep us informed of important local news? Why was there no reporting on the Democratic governor’s debate (“BJ Penn’s political stance comes into clearer focus,” Star-Advertiser, July 22)?

Thankfully, I personally watched the debate live on TV but for those who did not, you will be uninformed because the Star-Advertiser chose only to cover the Republican governor’s debate.

Why? Shame on you.

Bambi D’Olier

Niu

On long plane flights, get up and walk around

Hawaii is dependent on people arriving by plane to fill our beaches and our hotels. This letter to the editor is extremely important to people who are flying here and back home.

Recently I flew home from a vacation in Alaska. The trip lasted six hours. I sat with my grandsons James and Matthew. Very few people got up and moved as the aisles were tiny and it was hard to pass other passengers.

When I got home I discovered I had a blood clot in my leg. This can be deadly. It occurs on planes when people do not get up and move around. I confirmed this with several doctors and my daughters who are nurses. Sitting in one place for hours is dangerous for your heath and if you get a blood clot, its bye-bye to life.

Get up and move around every 45 minutes to an hour. God bless.

James Delmonte

Koko Kai

Human rights or oil corporations’ needs?

The latest U.S. diplomatic visit by President Joe Biden to the kingdom of Saudia Arabia had been disgusting in its rationale and purpose. First, Biden has decided to override the human rights controversy with Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman in regard to the murdered Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Biden has undermined our own national intelligence investigations and conclusions that MBS had ordered the death of Khashoggi.

Secondly, the president went there for more oil, it seems. Public beheadings, apprehension of dissidents — the list goes on and on. Is this the kind of democratic society that Saudia Arabia is displaying to America and throughout the world? Fists bumping notwithstanding, that won’t do it.

Jackie L. Grambusch Jr.

Kapolei

Cal Thomas ignored basic abortion issue

Cal Thomas wrote a column ostensibly about the rape, pregnancy and abortion problems of a 10-year-old child, but started out by defending the disbelievers and then continued to ignore the basic issue by spending most of the article on the abuser (“Case of 10-year-old girl leaves many questions unanswered,” Star-Advertiser, July 19).

How did this morph into a story about the rapist? Why does it matter if he immigrated illegally or how he got to Ohio?

Thomas threw some blame at the mother, wondering if she failed to “exercise parental oversight.”

Along the way, Thomas brooded about vandalized churches and pregnancy centers and anti-Catholicism. Almost at the end, he remembered there’s a little girl at the heart of this mess and briefly agreed her rape was a bad thing, but didn’t mention any issues in obtaining an abortion.

Thomas did present one interesting idea: Those convicted of being rapists should be “surgically altered.” Hey, if women have no say over their bodies, why shouldn’t men face the same fate? How about if states dictate vasectomies? Maybe then the pregnancy and abortion problems would be solved.

Phyllis Hanson

Kailua-Kona

Waikiki noise creating nightly disturbances

Your July poll listed nine important issues (Hawaii Poll, Star-Advertiser, July 24).

Your poll missed my issue: noise. There is a small number of souped-up mopeds, mufflerless cars and trucks, blaring radios stopping at the traffic light below my home as they dash along Ala Wai Boulevard at all hours of the day and night. Even essential services like fire, police and ambulances make consistent, blaring runs without consideration.

Though the number is small, they combine to disturb home life, conversations and TV. They awaken babies and most importantly disrupt the sleep of the Waikiki residents and hotel guests along the Ala Wai.

The first step might be to give the police a decibel gadget along the Ala Wai roadside just like the ones showing speed. Emergency vehicles might have more flashing lights and a system to have traffic lights show such vehicles approaching, thus keeping their speed but letting people rest.

John Wollstein

Waikiki

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