Letters for Saturday, February 3, 2007

• It’s about time

• Unsolved mysteries

• U-N-I-T-Y

• Cruel intentions toward the ‘Great Satan’

•The Aloha Spirit, alive and well

It’s about time

You either have empathy or you do not. You either care about the life around you, or you do not.

Want to test yourself? Try to imagine how that dog in Anahola felt as it died of starvation at the end of a chain.

Does that make you feel sad? Then yes, you have empathy.

You are not a good person simply because you like to think so; you are a good person if you do good things.

We are starting to see some of the negative impacts we have on our planet lately, with burning a hole in our ozone layer and global warming.

We all like to think that we can abuse everything on this planet, with no repercussions.

Humanity is constantly at war with other.

We put ourselves above every other life form on this planet, even as we go about destroying anything that will profit us.

God bless us? Are you kidding?

Every single one of us has the power to change everything for the better.

We all think we are powerless, but power and strength comes in numbers, as we say during the mid-term elections.

Let’s not be the last state to enact a felony law for animal cruelty.

Let’s do it now. Yes, there are probably hundreds of people on Kaua‘i who have no empathy and love to torture and kill animals like we have seen the past week.

But there are tens of thousands of good kind people with aloha on Kaua‘i who could help get this passed. If they cared about being good people.

Let’s join the other 42 states in America and pass the felony law for animal cruelty.

Kapa‘a

Unsolved mysteries

Several months ago we had to close down our Kaua‘i office. When we went there to empty it out we found our computer, printer, desk and file cabinet were gone. We asked the landlord about it; he said he saw two of our employees taking the stuff out.

We filed a police report, gave them our employees information and thought that would be the easiest case the police ever had.

Uh, guess again.

Months have passed and the local police force still haven’t “solved” the crime. And that’s what our taxes are paying for.

Lihu‘e/Maui

U-N-I-T-Y

Gov. Lingle is proposing tax relief that will benefit everyone in Hawai‘i. Among these proposals are a refund, a credit, lifting the general excise tax on basic foods, restructuring the tax brackets to better reflect inflation and raising the standard deduction.

The governor’s budget gives back to the taxpayers, while still providing funding for schools, road repairs and other necessary expenses.

The Democrat-controlled legislature continues to take the position that it will not agree with whatever the governor proposes, despite the benefit to the people — people these legislators are supposed to represent. It is time for the Democrats to work with Gov. Lingle and pass her meaningful initiatives.

Kane‘ohe

Cruel intentions toward the ‘Great Satan’

I have read with interest and some dismay all the articles and of the demonstrators who demand peace.

Unfortunately most of those people have a foresight that stops at the end of their nose. Every American wants peace and the end to wars.

We had not attacked anyone when suddenly 9/11 happened — not an embassy overseas but in our home country. So far there have been no other attacks but there is no guarantee. All the terrorism experts say it is only a matter of time. They would like to destroy the U.S. and all its people. When they say that we are the Great Satan and want us all dead, why do we not believe them? They showed their intent on 9/11. Their intent is to put the whole world under Islamic law; we must prevent that. That is not something to look forward to.

Anyone who thinks we could just pull out of Iraq and leave them alone and things will be fine just isn’t thinking. If Hamas and or al-Qaida take over Iraq they will have a breeding ground for large-scale attacks against the U.S. and the oil money to finance it. If you have enough money you can buy nuclear weapons on the black market. If you think they would not wipe out one of our large cities if they could, you are not thinking rationally.

When you see the children of the Islama-fascists wearing suicide belts you must surely know these are very evil people. The environmentalists who demand we not drill for oil in ANWAR or the Gulf of Mexico are unwittingly helping the terrorists because we must continue to send oil money to those who want to destroy us.

I am sickened by the Hollywood people who have suddenly become experts in foreign affairs and demand we pull out of Iraq immediately. Those who demand peace should stop and think about the long-term effects of such a strategy. It could possibly end our way of life and I am sure no one really wants that.

Kalaheo

The Aloha Spirit, alive and well

If there’s an award for “Best Aloha Spirit” on Kaua‘i, I hereby nominate Ati Mervin on Weke Road in Hanalei.

My son’s wedding was held on Hanalei Beach. Concerned about his bride having to drag her wedding gown train along one of the public access trails to the beach, the couple approached Ati, whose residence is on the beach and has a lovely expanse of lawn leading to the beach with palm trees framing the private beach access.

As soon as my son and his bride-to-be introduced themselves and told Ati they were getting married, she hugged them just like they were her close family. She immediately agreed to their request to access the beach via her property.

This was the crowning touch to a beautiful sunset wedding. But more important, it was a wonderful example of the true Aloha Spirit that brings my wife and I back to Kaua‘i nearly every year for the past 28 years.

Mahalo, Ati!

Also, mahalo to Jerry, a superb musician provided by Kauai Musical Arts; Larry, the photographer from Profile Productions (I think); Bob Cox of Video Lynx for the gorgeous wedding video; Lucy Kawaihalau of Kauai Vacation Rentals who have been handling our rentals since 1980; and the Brick Oven Pizza for the best pizza on the planet and a great rehearsal dinner. Mahalo and aloha until next time!

Des Moines, Wash.