RIMPAC poses threats to environment
This year, when we all are on guard for natural disasters, the U.S. military has decided to host the largest ever RIMPAC games, just off shore of Kauai/Hawaiian Islands. Activities like practicing blowing up ships, with guest military from Japan, New Zealand, to name a couple within miles of our beautiful aina.
This is a call to all our citizens, surfers, biologists, volunteers, fisherman, boaters, we all have a voice! Instead of grumbling about the few (comparable) fish the monk seal might or might not take from the net, let’s get involved in downsizing at the least, the RIMPAC games (potentially killing 10,000 fish, if not more).
If you still aren’t motivated, consider attending a viewing of “Sonic Seas”: a film about these military type activities going on.
Schedule: June 29 at the Koloa Neighborhood Center
July 13 Kapaa Library
July 20 Princeville Community Center
July 21 Hanapepe Storybook Theater
On Sunday July 1 at 1 p.m. there is a “teach-in” about Navy Sonar and our coral reefs.
Remember, we don’t know if global warming can be reversed. The time is now to get involved.
Jacquelynn Lott, Kalaheo
Don’t separate children from parents
Families belong together! From Family Court in Honolulu and child welfare services in Hawaii and California, I spent over 30 years of my career working to keep children with their families. As director of the Department of Family and Children Services in Santa Clara County (Silicon Valley), one of my first priorities was to close a beautiful multi-million dollar Children’s Shelter where children had been kept for months at a time.
Research showed that keeping children in these types of facilities, no matter how beautiful, is not best practice and not in the best interest of children because of the trauma experienced by the children.
I am very concerned about the increasing separations of thousands of immigrant children from their parents for long periods under President Trump’s administration’s immigration policies. This separation is inhumane and should not continue! In fact, statistics of the last six weeks have shown that 91 percent of the parents referred for prosecution and whose children were torn from them were only charged with misdemeanors because this was their first illegal entrance into the United States and there was no question of child abuse.
Let’s make compassion a priority and help to protect these children! Please email our Congressional members and urge them to fight and reduce the pain caused to children by this practice that is hurtful to families.
Norma Doctor Sparks, M.S.W., J.D., Koloa
When someone breaks the law and is arrested, it is normal practice to separate them from their children. This is the way it has been done for decades. There are many pictures of children kept behind fences during the Obama administration.
If someone starts talking about children, but then tries to pretend that Trump invented the separation practice, it is clear that they are just pretending to care for children in order to score political points. If they criticize the Obama administration as well, then we know they are more honest.
The left has pushed to keep children from being held with their parents, as well. Therefore, the only conclusion for the left is that as long as you have a child with you, you can break any law you want.
Beeksma can tell you that Jesus would have said: “Lock ’em up, make ’em cry, look how it’s bugging the Libs!”
That is a good message. But the election is a different matter. I think throughout history since 1970, Richard Nixon, the voters have voted on a figure of those who project a combat or commanding figure. Military or police officer. Someone like a Randy White, he played for the Dallas Cowboys in the late 1970s and early 1980s. History has shown these types of candidates get elected because the kids of parents are interested in sports or watching the NFL. It has become a family thing at the voting polls.
Norma, you must be so proud of our President! He just signed an order protecting all families of illegal aliens, flooding our country for free everything, to stay together permanently! Something Obama and Bush did not do as they also separated families! You have seen the video of Obama saying that “if illegal immigrants wanted to keep their families together they shouldn’t illegally enter the United States”, right? Thank you President Trump!
Except that nobody in the administration is showing any knowledge as to what happens now and how do they turn the boat around. Theusual incompetence and chaos is shining through. GO MAGA!
Yes incarcerating these children is inhumane and there is nothing beautiful about being locked up.
RIMPAC: 26 nations causing unlimited damage to our ocean and marine life. It would bad enough if was just our military but we invite all these countries to come help us damage our marine environment.
RIMPAC turned into a global diplomatic issue the moment trump disinvited China. PauloT, or three thousand PauloTs, are not going to stop it, slow it, or even be noticed!
Well we hope you are wrong “Just Sayin” 1, The pristine waters of Hawaii na should not be subject to this games of pollution nor should we invite any other countries to join us. It is the sense of entitlement on land and sea by our military, they don’t do ANY clean up. Ask Guam or the Marshall Islands how things are after military practices!!
Reality Bites!
Aloha Kakou, and Ms Sparks,
The occurrence of illegal aliens’ children being separated from their parents, while, it is tragic and cruel, if not macabre, it pales in volume to the amount of women allowed to take their children away from the blood father of their children and move to other islands or the mainland or from state to state or foreign country where it is impossible for the father and children to enjoy reasonable and important bonding time over the growth and many developmental phases in the child’s life…and the father is still required to pay child support? when he may be in Hanalei and the mother chooses to live in Maine almost 6,000 miles away or even a 100 miles?
I can hear the child saying to their Father on the phone, “I cry to you Daddy”. Is there a reasonable response to that child from the distraught Father. None..there is only one reply…” come home”.
When the Father is a loving caring hard working provider, no crimes, violence, drugs or heavy alcohol, a mother should not be allowed to move away more than a 1/2 hour drive or give up all Child Support.; and she should be not allowed to move more than an hour away ever or to anywhere.
There are too many children with only one parent…a mother can not raise a Man…that son will be stunted as to manhood not having an in home Father, and any daughter will suffer similar.
A child’s life is too important to waste. Stop the non sense. And they call themselves Christians?
Mahalo,
Charles
Yeah, maybe a male, who is about to make yet another selfish choice leading to a divorce, will read this and change his selfish mind!
And yet over 70% of divorces are initiated by females. 95% of the time, the female is awarded the children, while the male is on the hook for financial support. The female will not go to jail if she does not provide financially for her children. The female is awarded Government subsidizing to the tune of of almost $60K per year in this state (Section 8 vouchers, healthcare, SNAP, etc.).
Like that part about “selfish choice” of the male.
Hey Jake, there’s a hot babe over there looking your way. Maybe a selfish choice of your’s will push it up to 71%. Or, “Surf’s UP, Man!” Forget about that nice brunch you promised her. All bets are off when the surf’s up. Or, “The guys are watching the game, watching the kids is your job even when your mother is sick and needs you!” Or, “That bonus is going to new chrome pipes for my bike, your dental work will just have to wait!” Or any similar “MANLY” choices Jake would NEVER make! No, not Jake!
Yeah! If something has been done for years why change it! We wouldn’t want to upset the way things are.
It would be interesting to know if there is a clear majority of either the fathers or the mothers who go for a divorce and leave their children without a father by an intolerable visitation distance.
Assuming the children go with the mother in most cases, as the father must continue to work to continue the children’s, and perhaps the mother’s, support.
Whining about poor illegal alien children who by newscasts all appear to have new clothes and sanitary conditions, and 3 meals a day, perhaps for the first time in their lives, while US Courts separate American children from their fathers by the hundreds of thousands, over time, is ludicrous and a Fake Christianity.
US Courts and lawyers should demand children are kept in close contact with both of their parents. That is the honorable and Godly thing to do by all Religions, and we would think Mother Nature prefers children raised by both parents.
Mahalo,
Charles
If you look up the word “ludicrous” in the dictionary, the example given will be you saying kids in cages without their parents or knowledge of their parents or any knowledge of their immediate future are somehow “better off” than they were, as part of an argument about keeping other kinds of families together deserving more attention and empathy. In fact, I think it’s also in DSM IV under “imbecilic!”