• A toast to Taste • Entitled visitors mistreat seals • Media needs to expose corruption • My problem with GMOs • Monk seals are Hawaiian A toast to Taste Congratulations to the Rotary Club of Kapaa for another wonderful
• A toast to Taste • Entitled visitors mistreat seals • Media needs to expose corruption • My problem with GMOs • Monk seals are Hawaiian
A toast to Taste
Congratulations to the Rotary Club of Kapaa for another wonderful Taste of Hawaii, the 25th anniversary of this celebration of fine food, drink, music and friends.
As customers who enjoyed ourselves thoroughly, we say a hearty mahalo to the Rotarians, chefs, beverage providers, musicians and other volunteers — all of whom donate their time — for making this community party possible, while raising tens of thousands of dollars to support Kauai’s children and the community through scholarships and other programs.
Special mahalo to the Smith family for having allowed Taste of Hawaii to take place on your lovely property for so many years.
Pamela Brown & Lincoln Gill
Kapaa
Entitled visitors mistreat seals
Recently, I had the opportunity to volunteer with the monk seal program. A tourist who crossed in front of a resting seal monk decided it would be harmless to splash water at the resting seal.
When the tourist was politely told it was a federal offense to disturb or harass the seal, the tourist tried to justify by stating they had the right to do whatever they wanted because they spent a lot of money to come to Poipu Beach.
My politest response is: you pay very little compared to those who make Kauai their home. You do not pay the taxes 365 days a year, or all the other high yearly fees like DMV taxes, gas taxes, food prices, property, and the list goes on.
How can a tourist justify a mere couple of thousand dollars spent in a vacation, compared to what Kauai residents pay for?
So, this entitles a visitor to deface, defame and insult those who live here? I don’t think so.
You choose to come to Kauai, you choose to pay for it.
Mistreatment, abuse and entitlement cannot be purchased here. Vacation where they don’t care, please. But don’t insult me by saying you paid for it!
Suzzannemarie Bushaw
Koloa
Media needs to expose corruption
Now that the Benghazi, IRS and AP wire-tapping scandals are all in the media at the same time, I wonder if this will be the smelling salts needed to wake up a comatose country!
Those that laughed when they heard the IRS was targeting conservative groups are dangerously naive. This administration has started with a group that touts the blessings of our Constitution — a document, by the way, that is the only thing standing between us and tyranny.
But only the comatose or incredibly naive cannot see the writing on the wall. The number of groups or individuals being targeted will only increase until a very small core group of people is left with all the power and control!
The mainstream media is doing a huge disservice to the people of this country by their blatant lack of coverage as Obama and his administration conducts one treasonous abuse of power after another.
Where is the integrity of our journalists today? Are they so biased in their liberal agenda that they are willing to give Obama, yet another, get out of jail free card instead of reporting the facts and insisting on integrity from the office of the president? Or are they scared as they witness other brave journalists reporting the truth and consequently losing their jobs?
The mainstream media used to expose corruption to protect the people. Now they are covering up corruption to protect a tyrant! It is they, and those who vote unconsciously, who are allowing this tyrant to piece-by-piece destroy the foundation of this country and enslave its people. The more we depend on government for our well being the more enslaved we become. It is time we grab our boot straps, vote these socialists out of office and take back our country!
Kelly Sato
Kilauea
My problem with GMOs
This letter is a response to Mr. Alfred Laureta. I will do my best to try to take a bite out of this apple. We all have a lot of questions regarding GMOs. How can we know which products have them in them if they don’t have to label them?
Our political representatives have most likely been paid off by these companies so they don’t have to tell us these things. From my own understanding conventional, (not certified organic), corn, soy, wheat, canola and probably more is genetically modified. What does being produced by GMO mean?
For one, these crops have been sprayed with toxic pesticides and herbicides. Atrazine is one of the herbicides used by these companies. This is not a new herbicide. It has been used since the sugar cane days.
After I describe it you should see why it’s time to stop using it. According to the article in The Garden Island titled “Experts: Atrazine a real threat to Westside residents,” it states the scientific studies have shown atrazine reduces testosterone and increases estrogen in males.
In other words it has the ability to chemically castrate males. By your name I’m assuming you are a male. Does this concern you at all? Once inside our bodies, this herbicide can be passed down to future generations. Not a good thing right?
This one major problem is just the tip of the poisonous iceberg. These GMO companies experiment with DNA splicing of plants and animals. I am not a scientist but this is a fairly new technology. So we don’t know if future generations are going to thrive on these kinds of foods. They are experimenting and using us as guinea pigs. Are you OK with this?
Let’s continue to try and expose what the heck is going on right here on our beautiful island. Some of the local farmers are having trouble germinating second generation GMO seeds.
This would mean you would have to buy your seed every year from one company. Mr. GMO has now just cornered the seed market.
One last thing. These companies have a hard time telling the truth. Like the lies they told the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) to get their products approved. They told the EPA that their goal was to reduce pesticides and herbicides. Do you see a problem with this? I hope you do some research so you will understand why we are protesting GMO and come to our next rally.
Linda Bothe
Kalaheo
Monk seals are Hawaiian
A recent The New York Times magazine cover story was “Who Would Kill a Monk Seal?”
There are only a few hundred seals left on our planet. The Times article covered the story of local fishermen murdering these beautiful beings. In my opinion, the article made Kauai look like a backward, unenlightened place.
I was embarrassed.
Tuesday’s The Garden Island guest editorial exposed us to another person who would gladly kill an endangered monk seal.
The reason I am writing this letter is for visitors who read his opinion not to misunderstand our island.
The overwhelming majority of people who live here, love these sentient beings and are thrilled when they see one.
I know plenty fishermen and I know even more folks with Polynesian ancestry, and I can tell you that the majority of fishermen and the majority of folks with Hawaiian background do not share the views of our Westside letter writers.
Perhaps they are entitled to be angry because they have to share the ocean with others, but the Hawaiian monk seals have been on this island long before the Polynesian occupation.
The early Polynesians probably chased them away to the safer Northwest Hawaiian Islands. Monk seals are “pure Hawaiian.”
It is a felony to kill a seal.
Most fishermen and most Hawaiians love the ocean and are full of compassion, don’t be confused by one or two fearful and angry letters.
Gordon LaBedz
Kekaha
