• An open letter to the House • Perspective on civil union bill • Buy local An open letter to the House The refusal of the House of Representatives to vote on a civil union bill Friday is very disheartening for those of
• An open letter to the House • Perspective on civil union bill • Buy local
An open letter to the House
The refusal of the House of Representatives to vote on a civil union bill Friday is very disheartening for those of us who believe in representative democracy.
In essence, the members of the House have established that we are, in fact, a Biblical democracy based on the Judeo-Christian Bible. This is not unlike the Islamic Republic of Iran, which some in this country so readily like to condemn. I do not believe that the founding members of this country intended for us to be governed by religious principles. Your actions today are a disgrace to the concept of separation of church and state.
Even more discouraging is the members’ fear of voting because they are facing re-election. This is nothing more than cowardice. We are a representative democracy. The members of the House have a responsibility to vote for that which they think is in the best interest of our general welfare. They are not entitled to vote for anything because of personal emotions, personal beliefs or personal gain (it would seem that they think being re-elected is gainful). And we worry about terrorism. This causes terror in me for the well-being of our democracy.
Today’s refusal to act was a disgraceful display of cowardice on the part of the House of Representatives. Is it any wonder we are afraid?
William Perri, Kilauea
Perspective on civil union bill
The essential problem with the debate regarding such matters as same sex marriage and other “alternate lifestyle” issues is the fact that while both the liberal and conservative positions are valid and essential, neither is the answer. When unable to grasp the implications of this puzzling fact, one side tries to devalue or defeat the other, the two become combatants, and nothing gets resolved.
Throughout the Universe these two forces are always working in tandem to provide a context within which a third force of emergence can do its work. Without the conservative forces of compression and restraint all creations would dissipate and explode; without the liberal forces of expansion and revision all creations would stagnate and implode. Together they are designed to sustain the conditions that allow New Creations to emerge and be sustained. Only the three working together in mutual respect will allow for the emergence of workable answers. And only in the human domain has this mutual respect been lost, and must be regained.
A most obvious example is the contentiousness concerning the subject of sexuality and alternate lifestyles; a false issue has been created that can never be resolved by focusing on it. The battle lines have been drawn between the conservative position of affirming traditional while opposing alternative lifestyles, and the liberal position of affirming the right to an alternative while opposing the exclusivity of traditional lifestyles.
Both the conservative and the liberal positions in this debate fail to identify and address the real questions and the real answers. The issue to be addressed is not one of choosing between approving or disapproving, accepting or rejecting, condoning or condemning one or the other lifestyle. Focusing on this issue diverts attention from the real questions of identity and fulfillment, i.e., “What determines my true identity — Who am I, apart from the roles I play in life?” and “What will truly fulfill me — What will make my life complete?”
The answer to the first is not, “I am my sexual orientation”; the answer to the second is not, “I can find fulfillment when I find the right relationship.” The real challenge is to develop effective ways to assist individuals in moving from the real questions, through the process of discovering the real answers. Simply telling or imposing the “right answers” creates barriers to the discovery of them.
A starting point is to affirm everyone’s right to be where they are, wherever that might be. Where they are, not Who they are, must be affirmed as only a temporary answer — a sort of campground — to the two timeless questions. The starting point is only a base camp, not a permanent campground. A base camp serves to equip us and support us on our adventure up the awe-filled wilderness mountain of amazing discoveries.
Robert Merkle, Koloa
Buy local
As a frequent visitor, I seek out and enjoy the local products that Kaua‘i has to offer — fresh produce at the Sunshine Markets, local grass-fed beef, and most recently, Kaua‘i farm-raised shrimp.
These products are not always the cheapest but I’m astonished by their quality. To strengthen the local economy, it is important that Kaua‘i’s leaders, local businesses, and consumers nurture these efforts and encourage new ones. Local products are one of the many facets of Kaua‘i that make my visits special.
Bob Bush, Princeville
