• Keep them coming • What a waste • The magic of Christmas • The solution Keep them coming What an outstanding editorial in The Garden Island on Dec. 26 entitled “Unite against crime.” The article was basically about a
• Keep them coming • What a waste • The magic of Christmas • The
solution
Keep them coming
What an outstanding editorial in The Garden Island on Dec. 26 entitled “Unite against crime.” The article was basically about a habitual criminal with a record of crime long enough to have put him behind bars for life but was still amongst us. He finally shot and killed another man who, as the GI reported, should have been in jail for drug and robbery charges over the past few years.
As the article asked, how many second chances do you give someone before realizing that they are beyond rehabilitation?
The point is that there is something radically wrong with our judicial system when criminals like this are left free to steal, injure, kill and carry on their major practice in life of drug dealing.
Our brave men and women in KPD risk their lives to put these incorrigibles behind bars only to see some “quirk” of the law violated and the judge ruling that this criminal must be set free.
And yes, these judges are bound by written law in their decision making but they do have discretionary powers to see that these hardened criminals are not let loose in society. Or, if these laws are so favorable to the criminal then get our legislature to change them so that the safety of the public is the main concern and not the rights of the criminal.
Not only do these “infractions” of the law endanger our police force but our fine prosecuting attorney along with her deputy prosecutors efforts are wasted and compromised — think of the frustration and disgust within these two departments!
Along with the fine editorials that Walter Lewis writes we members of the public need representation by our press and encourage you to keep them coming.
Glenn Mickens, Kapa‘a
What a waste
Christmas Day brought the completion of another seasonal race we annually run at the U.S Postal Service. Clerks and carriers work against volume and time to get cards, letters, and packages to and from the island to make their destination by Dec. 25.
I am a Lihu‘e clerk who worked Christmas morning unloading over 18,000 pounds of mail that had made the final trip to Kaua‘i. Though that size load was expected and required plenty of work, the morning effort almost felt like a waste.
The Postal Service decided not to have any type of delivery on the island this year. The one day, when delivery can become a gift in itself, was treated as just another day off.
The oddity of this was made worse after unloading a much smaller load the morning after Christmas. The four assigned mail carriers came in to deliver on Sunday. The Postal personnel I spoke with agreed that this was ridiculous and took away from all the hard work leading up to Christmas.
We felt as if we ran a race only to stop at the finish line and quit. This was not right and as a Postal employee I apologize. I hope that next year will be as it has been and we will be able to finish the job.
Daniel Kushner, Lihu‘e
The magic of Christmas
It’s the most wonderful time of the year. When I was a child, I was caught up in the magic of the Christmas season. Now, at age 50, my eyes see and my heart feels even more magic in this season than I felt as a child.
Above the highway near Lawa‘i, a home lights up the night with abundant Christmas lights and decorations all over the yard. A high school girl I know from Kalaheo was so impressed by their lights this year that she baked cookies and brought them over to these people that she didn’t even know. This kind of love and celebration has been happening all over our island.
We see loved ones again, sing joyful music, decorate our homes and trees, give gifts, and enjoy feasts together. We attend a candlelight service and hear again the wonderful story about the long-awaited Savior of the world. It is a story about the Son of God and King of Kings who was born in a humble stable, welcomed by humble shepherds, and destined to lay his life down on a painful cross to save anyone who is willing to receive His gift of eternal life.
What a beautiful season, a beautiful story, and a wonderful time to respond by showing love to everyone we can.
C.S. Lewis told a story of a land of Narnia which was once under a curse where “it was always winter, but never Christmas.” With the Aloha spirit here, it seems that Kaua‘i can be a blessed place where it is never winter, but always Christmas.
Thanks for sharing the love and joy of the season.
Mark Beeksma, Koloa
The solution
Mr. Tamm’s quest (“Society,” Letters, Dec. 22) for an answer that would solve the woes of human society is really quite simple — the elimination of greed!
Eduardo Valenciana, Lihu‘e
