I applaud former Maui Mayor Alan Arakawa’s triumphant accomplishment of building the Danial K. Inouye Solar Telescope atop Haleakala on Maui (“Officials should follow Maui’s example, former mayor says,” Star-Advertiser, Aug. 19). Despite the group of protesters blocking the roadway to the summit, the Maui police were instructed to carry the protesters out of the way.

Today the same group of protesters is blocking the roadway to the summit of Mauna Kea to build the Thirty Meter Telescope. It would behoove Gov. David Ige to do a copycat solution of the Haleakala situation. No need to be ashamed to do a copycat. After World War II, Japan was called the copycat nation. Today it manufactures top-selling cars and television sets worldwide.

There are copycats everywhere; it is one of the means of progress.

James Kataoka

Mililani Mauka

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