• More about Nader • Irresponsible driver killed the peacock More about Nader The article by Claire Mortimer (“Debunking the old Nader spoiler myth”, Forum, 8/20/03) was quite good, but there were two errors that she apparently accepts from the
• More about Nader
• Irresponsible driver killed the peacock
More about Nader
The article by Claire Mortimer (“Debunking the old Nader spoiler myth”, Forum, 8/20/03) was quite good, but there were two errors that she apparently accepts from the same sources that made the false arguments against Nader — the liberal Democrats.
Her item 3, that Gore would have won a recount in Florida was disproven long ago when several news organizations did a recount and every one of them found that Bush would have won a statewide recount. Not one of them was Republican-friendly.
Her item 5, that “a biased US Supreme Court [USSC] allowed election manipulation by Florida Republicans.” is also completely unsupported by fact. The Florida Supreme Court, all appointed by previous Democrat governors, voted to change electoral procedures that followed clear statutory laws passed by previous Democrat legislators, and the changes were specifically geared to give the election to Gore, not just general changes.
Essentially, they wanted to change the rules after the election was over. The USSC essentially said, “No. You can’t do that.
You have to follow the rules set up by the legislature long before the election. Judges cannot make changes in the rules after the votes have been cast.” The USSC did not allow Republican manipulation, they prevented Democrat manipulation.
Jim Hamilton
Newport Beach CA
Irresponsible driver killed the peacock
This is in response to Kay Obloy’s letter (The Garden Island, Aug. 16, 2003) regarding peacocks. She is right on two counts. 1. The flock’s prime peacock is dead because of an irresponsible driver. 2. He was beautiful. It ends there. First, when you find a hurt or injured animal, you call the vet they are qualified to help. 2. Peafowl sleep in trees. 3. The mating season lasts for eight to nine weeks in the spring. They call at dawn, sunset and various times during the day. 4. Only the prime peacock can mate and if the calling bothers you, get the hose and spray him after a couple of times, he will stay away. 5. A hen ground nests for 28 days, and at that time the peacock will call once every two hours during the night to let her know all is well. We who understand that know all is well and go back to sleep. For this short time, ear plugs work well. 6. This is a rural residential neighborhood, and it is well marked with signs, letting people know there are peafowl, crowing chickens, barking dogs, escaped pits, feral cats, rats and yelling parrots. 7. When you move to a new area don’t believe the real estate agent. Research the neighborhood yourself for two block in each direction. 8. Last year at this time there were four peacocks, two hens and one chick. It takes three years for a peacock to mature. This year there are two immature peacocks, two hens and three chicks. Five eggs were removed from a nest to contain the size of the flock. So much for the population explosion.
Good points: Peafowl eat bugs, centipedes being a favorite, along with salad trimmings, cooked rice, bird seed, cat food and most fruits, some blossoms and grass sprouts. If you don’t want peafowl, don’t leave these things out, and take down your bird feeders. Peacocks are used in India and the Far East as watch dogs, minus the rabies. They carry no diseases, but succumb to the dove’s virus, which kills them in three days. They are gentle and loyal pets and have been domesticated for 2,000 years. They don’t dig holes or tear up your garden. Princess Ka‘iulani fed them from her hands, and so loved them that she named the pikake perfume for them.
All of the above named animals have been killed on Kuamo‘o Road because of uncaring and irresponsible drivers who do not obey the speed limit of 25 mph. I would ask that you please observe the law and drive responsibly.
Joan Mills,
Kapa‘a
