I just finished reading the commentary by Chelsea Lyons Kent and am having trouble picking my jaw up off the ground after I read the last sentence: “I objected in the only effective way I could” (“There is no aloha in being silent in the face of wrongdoing,” Star-Advertiser, Island Voices, Aug. 4).

How is acting, on a national stage, in a crass, lowbrow manner in any way effective? Childish behavior such as this should not ever again be allowed to represent Hawaii.

Let’s hope that everyone representing their states at the Democratic and Republican national conventions can act like adults and use conversation (i.e. your words) to achieve their agendas.

The article stated, “Simple journalistic curiosity would likely have uncovered the truth.” Perhaps voicing her concerns to the media would have been far more effective in spreading her message. Flipping the bird is not effective; it took attention away from what she was trying to communicate and put it all on her crude act and made her look immature and classless.

Jane Fee

Hawaii Kai

Kent leaves odd example for kids

Regarding Chelsea Lyons Kent’s commentary and her attempt to justify her middle-finger gesture during the roll call of the Hawaii delegation during the Democratic convention, she ended her commentary by claiming, “What I saw was wrong. I objected in the only effective way I could.”

I suggest she immortalize the moment with a photo of her happy face with her middle finger extended behind our two U.S. senators. Then she can offer it to her three young children as a present and a parental legacy of values and direction for when they start their life’s journey.

She can also engrave on the bottom of the frame the following: “When you children see something wrong, this is the only effective way you can object.”

George Vozikis

Waikiki

Shift paradigm away from greed

In the Aug. 2 mayoral debate on Hawaii News Now, moderator Mileka Lincoln accurately linked the cyclic issues of affordable housing and homelessness. My response:

>> Societally, we can’t afford luxury developments while there is a deficit of affordable housing;

>> The “affordable” definition should better reflect income levels;

>> The required number of affordable units should be a majority (compared to the current 10-30 percent) and remain permanently classified as such;

>> Developers should pay for sewage infrastructure improvements to ensure adequate capacity.

Because Hawaii’s housing market is defined by finite supply and unceasing demand, I don’t think we’ll scare off builders. Rather, we would foster a needed paradigm shift away from greed to developers who are vested in our community and a business climate where moral and civic responsibilities are the main motivators.

Only when we prioritize housing for those in need, not “in want,” will we address homelessness and affordable housing success- fully and perpetually.

Melody Heidel

Kailua

Greed to blame for ‘pushed out’

Regarding the people mentioned in the article, “Pushed out” (Star-Advertiser, July 31), these are some of the people who in many cases were born here, or raised here, but in most instances worked hard all their lives with hope that in their old age they would at least be able to afford a decent place to live out their lives.

It is sad indeed and a shame that our local government chooses to cater to greed rather than need.

Ron Baptista

Mountain View, Hawaii island

Face homeless, rail tax realities

It’s time we accepted some hard realities about our most pressing local issues — rail and homelessness.

First, the funding solution for rail is staring us in the face. The half-cent general excise tax increase needs to be permanently extended. The focus should be on containing costs — construction and operations — to ensure that funding will be sufficient without any other tax increases.

Second, we need to accept that the vast majority of homeless people creating quality-of-life problems will need to be institutionalized in some form. The focus should be finding the most compassionate, lowest-cost means to that end.

It only causes resentment to see police issuing minor citations to working people when only a few feet away are rows of stolen shopping carts, drug tents and illegal camping.

Ideas such as homeless courts to quickly adjudicate these infractions need to be pursued.

Joseph Perez

Hawaii Kai