• Removing money from politics • Learn from history, be an informed voter • Soil has long had chemicals in it Removing money from politics Luckily, the early leaders of our country put a safeguard into our government to protect us during times
• Removing money from politics • Learn from history, be an informed voter • Soil has long had chemicals in it
Removing money from politics
Luckily, the early leaders of our country put a safeguard into our government to protect us during times of dysfunction and corruption. This safeguard is called an Article V Convention. This gives states the power to draft a new Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Thirty-four state legislatures need to send an official notice to our federal government saying they are “calling for an Article V Convention.” Vermont and California have made this official “call” to draft a new amendment regarding campaign finance reform on all levels of government. There is active legislation in 20 other states in an effort to make their official “call.” Hawaii is not one of those states, but it can be.
Call your state representatives and tell them fair and free elections should be a possibility for every U.S. citizen. For more information, research “Wolf-PAC” to find out how you can make a difference.
Alex Haller
Haiku
Learn from history, be an informed voter
The letters to the editor debating Hawaiian statehood have been interesting. They motivated me to read a bit on how nations and states are created. One of the most interesting facts was that a mere 35 percent of eligible voters participated in Hawaii’s election for statehood. However, 94 percent of those who did vote embraced statehood.
I am not particularly opposed to Hawaiian independence (ignoring the many important questions including how viable an independent Hawaii might be), but given the results of the statehood election, it is difficult for me to believe that all that went on before matters any longer. I could not find any nation-state where all participants agreed that it was “legally created.” Someone always lost. Even the American Revolution was “illegal.”
When two-thirds of voters do not care enough to exercise their rights — they lose. Excuses to not vote, such as, “All politicians are the same,” are tantamount to surrender.
The 2016 elections are coming. If you do not yet have a clue about which politicians you are going to support; if you are not, right now, actively supporting them; if you are not dialoguing with your friends, including those in other states; your future will be lost — just as the Hawaiian Kingdom was lost.
John Zwiebel
Kalaheo
Soil has long had chemicals in it
Kilea was once a sister sugar plantation to Olokele Sugar in Kaumakani. They too, used a lot of DDT and other pesticides and fertilizers to grow their sugarcanes and to control weeds. Some of the workers there used to grow vegetables in the fields and near the ditches. As did the workers, too, in Kaumakani.
Growing up in Kamakani, we swam in the ditches and ate the vegetables. I’m sure the people in the community there did the same.
My point is that organic farmers there (in Kilea) are farming on the very land that the sugar plantation used. And as they say, DDT and other pesticides take many years to breakdown or remain in the soil. What did these organic farmers do to clean the soil to rid it from these chemicals mentioned above? I would say, nothing! They just plowed over the field and mixed in some manure. They called it good, then planted their crops.
Howard Tolbe
Eleele
