• ‘No child’ waiver • ‘Blind faith’ • Traffic safety • New Data on GMOs ‘No child’ waiver I just read the article, “Hawaii gets ‘No child’ Waiver.” Here is another example of the sickening waste coming out of Washington
• ‘No child’ waiver • ‘Blind faith’ • Traffic safety • New Data on GMOs
‘No child’ waiver
I just read the article, “Hawaii gets ‘No child’ Waiver.” Here is another example of the sickening waste coming out of Washington D.C.
In order to get the $75 million to the state of Hawaii how many millions will have been spent and continue to be spent in order to re-write standards that the schools can’t comply with?
Just give the state the money and forget the endless million dollar rewrites and evaluations that go into the pockets of the state and federal employees.
The federal government is not going to deny the President’s home state any money. It’s just a very expensive game of drawing a new line in the sand to justify the end result.
In closing, I have an education evaluation suggestion. When the student graduates, can he/she fill out a job application form? I waive my fee.
Dick Smith
Hanalei
‘Blind faith’
What an interesting response from Mr. Antonson (TGI May 24) on this current dialogue on faith and belief. His reaction to Tanner’s letter of May 19 fairly bristled with his anger. How sad to feel one must defend one’s faith by belittling another. His comment on “the thinking of an overwhelming majority of the nation’s millions” being obviously superior to the individual’s thinking, put me in mind of the millions enthralled by Adolf Hitler’s preaching.
Faith, in its purest form, is a quality of mind that includes trust, clarity, and confidence. It starts with an inspiration: music, a symbol, a sunset, or a quiet moment. That inspiration fills the mind with love, brightness, and devotion.
However, if such devotion arises without wisdom and discernment, it rapidly becomes “blind faith,” a divisive and destructive force.
When we use our intelligence and discrimination to investigate the subject of our “faith,” a deep confidence is born. Then, faith is no longer dependent on any external object, teaching or situation for reinforcement. It becomes a part of us, a knowledge that is unshakable and as such, does not need to be defended or argued.
Marcia Favaloro
Kapaa
Traffic safety
It’s common knowledge that joggers and power walkers use the shoulder of the oncoming traffic to exercise.
It’s common knowledge also that cyclist use the same shoulder to ride their bicycles to travel with the flow of traffic.
In short, when walking or jogging and a cyclist is approaching you. Use common sense and take a few seconds to move to the side and walk/jog on the grassy area until the cyclist pass you.
This way it’s safe for the cyclist and you from colliding into one another. And he/she(the cyclist) don’t have to make sudden cuts on oncoming vehicle on the roadway.
We (walkers, joggers, and cyclist) all share the same shoulders of the roads. Let’s remember safety first and share it without incidents.
Howard Tolbe
Eleele
New Data on GMOs
Controversies and mischaracterizations are central to the recent contentious and emotional presentations surrounding the advantages of GMO foods.
Now economic data has added another prospective to the biological impact that gene manipulation of plant seeds has on the living world.
The Wall Street Journal reported (Wednesday, May 22, page B1, Google WSJ/pesticides) that the big pesticide makers (American Vanguard and Syngenta) have greatly increased sales because the lack of chemical control of GMO crops is unraveling. The case in point is the corn rootworm, which has been shown by two University laboratories to become resistant to Monsanto’s Bt corn. As a result, corn crop yields with GMO seeds are falling and farmers are now forced to apply more toxic chemicals to maintain their crops. Syngenta, a company with a presence on Kauai, has reported that its sales for corn pesticides have doubled just in the past year.
When the Environmental Protection Agency approved the GMO approach they said that one of the “significant benefits” was reduced pesticide use which increased safety to growers and occupational workers, reduced pesticide contamination of ground and ocean water and protected birds and other organisms. With increased pesticide use all of these advantages are lost.
The increased resistance of microorganisms to GMO crops was long predicted and is similar to the emergence of resistance bacteria in hospitals due to the overuse of antibiotics. To minimize pesticide exposure in the food we consume shop and buy only organic products. Support efforts to label GMO foods. Finally work to keep toxic products such as those associated with GMO plants and foods off of our lovely island.
Douglas Wilmore, M.D.
Kilauea
