• Pit bulls are friendly • Beach cleanup Saturday • Don’t wait, get tested • A great leap backwards • GMO bill would put people out of work Pit bulls are friendly For those who are not aware of the history of
• Pit bulls are friendly • Beach cleanup Saturday • Don’t wait, get tested • A great leap backwards • GMO bill would put people out of work
Pit bulls are friendly
For those who are not aware of the history of the American Pit Bull Terrier, he was not originally developed for dog fighting. He is neither American nor a terrier, but was developed in the Middle Ages in Europe for hunting and is actually a “bulldog” that later in time man used for gripping and controlling cattle.
Later still, due to their strength, courage and athletic abilities, man used them in the senseless sport of dog fighting.
However, many more continued to be used by pioneers for the hard work on farms, pulling cart loads of wood, cattle control, hunting and as guardians. “Jack” the brindle Bulldog in Laura Ingalls Wilder’s “Little House on the Prairie” was such a dog. “Old Yeller” was another example.
Now, this breed is still an active working breed, dominating weight-pulling contests, police dog trials, obedience and tracking contests, search and rescue, cattle herding trials, etc.
In addition, he is still a fine-working dog and one of the finest family pets. The breed is extremely outgoing and friendly, playful, brave, gentle with humans yet ready to test their mettle against any aggressive animal. The notion that these dogs are vicious predators is misguided and wrong.
To Mr. Parisii (Forum, June 19), my dog is not as you describe him, a fighting dog trained to kill. I will continue to bring him, on a leash, into public areas, yet beware to any irresponsible owner whose loose dog may attack us; rightly he will defend us.
Greg Strickland
Kapaa
Beach cleanup Saturday
“For Love Of The Ocean” was the theme of Kauai Surfrider’s friend-raiser at Nawiliwili Yacht Club June 21. It was very successful and lots of fun. Many of the guests became new members, bid on 70 silent auction items, danced to the music of Goats With Headlamps and enjoyed healthy food and drinks.
For an event this successful, there needs to be many mahalos. Surfrider thanks everyone who attended.
Kauai Surfrider is an environmentally-based organization concerned with clean and healthy oceans and streams and free and easy access to them. We meet at Cafe Coco in Wailua on the second Tuesday of each month at 5:30 p.m. and the public is welcome. Our website is www.kauai.surfrider.org.
The next beach cleanup and net patrol is July 6, at 9 a.m. at Kamalani Bridge, south of Lydgate. For information, please call Barbara, 635-2593, or go to our website. Look for weekly beach cleanups starting in August as the Japan tsunami debris continues to arrive.
Robert Zelkovsky
Kapaa
Kauai Surfrider Chair
Don’t wait, get tested
Malama Pono has been associated with HIV/AIDS prevention for decades. Many people also know that we are vigorously trying to prevent harm to our Kauai community from the viruses that cause hepatitis. We are concerned about hepatitis B and hepatitis C. We REALLY wish they had different names because the viruses are very different, yet often confused.
On Kauai, there are about 950 people infected with hepatitis B. Most are Pacific Islanders and most got it at birth. It appears we have 1,450 people with hepatitis C. It’s passed by blood, as is hepatitis B, and 75 percent of them are “baby boomers” meaning they were born between 1945 and 1965.
Hawaii has the highest rate of liver cancer in the U.S. because of our high infection rates of hepatitis B and C. The majority of infected persons don’t know it as they have seen no symptoms yet.
Malama Pono’s program to eliminate hepatitis B as a transmissible disease from the island will take three years, so we ask your help to control both of these viruses. At your next medical appointment, help your doctor by asking if you’ve been screened. Please don’t just assume. If you have no doctor or medical insurance, then Malama Pono will provide the tests free.
We’ve brought HIV/AIDS to the lowest level in Hawaii and intend to do the same for viral hepatitis.
Together, we can prevent scores of cases of liver cancer and liver failure. See hepfreehawaii.org or call Malama Pono at 246-9577.
D.Q. Jackson
Malama Pono,
executive director
Lihue
A great leap backwards
As a past Kauai resident and member of the seed industry in Hawaii, I found myself at the recent hearing on proposal Bill 2491. Turn out was impressive for this controversial bill.
However, as it’s presented, this bill represents a great leap backwards in terms of the world agricultural industry. This proposal asks that agriculture step back and utilize farming practices our great-grandfathers employed.
Think about it. Would we tell Ford Motor Company to go back to making Model Ts? Would we trade in our cell phones for rotary phones and switch board operators?
Don’t be fooled by this measure. Ultimately, the anti-GMO group and Gary Hooser want to go backward to the old days. The seed industry based on Kauai has been on the island for more than 40 years.
We are members of this community and give back generously to the island. With an ever-increasing world population to feed — we’re not going to get there by stepping backwards. This proposal refutes scientific achievements that have been made these past 100 years, and makes a mockery of sound scientific research.
Norman Borlaug must be rolling over in his grave. There’s really no aloha (nor sense) in this proposal.
Mike Austin
Honolulu
GMO bill would put people out of work
The bill introduced by Councilman Gary Hooser is nonsensical. He plays to the nut cases that ended our dream of a Hawaii Superferry. We do nothing in/on Kauai for agriculture that is not done by any farming community in 50 states and an untold number of cities/communities.
So, why would we create a bureaucracy that we could absolutely not afford and would probably put hundreds, if not thousands, of Kauai ohana out of work?
Does his buddy Neil Abercrombie have unlimited funds for our unemployed? I want my fellow Kauai folks to have jobs rather than be on unemployment.
John Glover
Kalaheo
