• More Superferry sense • I believe in ‘Oreo’ • Environmentalism is awareness • Lessons for our children (and some of us too) More Superferry sense I was waiting for a letter like this to come (“Deeper Superferry sense,” Letters,
• More Superferry sense
• I believe in ‘Oreo’
• Environmentalism is awareness
• Lessons for our children (and some of us too)
More Superferry sense
I was waiting for a letter like this to come (“Deeper Superferry sense,” Letters, April 28).
Sure enough, I was not disappointed. This writer thinks all I want to do is shop. Citing my “myopic attitude” regarding the Superferry (“I want on board the Superferry,” Letters, April 27).
Au contraire, I feel the writer is the myopic one. This writer failed to consider the whole story and instead zeroed in on the “hauling home more stuff ” because it was the easiest point to attack.
I want to readdress that one point I made among many.
Is there something wrong with people buying consumer goods? Would you have us all dumpster diving to furnish our homes? Perhaps I should go by one of the many homes I see with 10 cars and ask if I could take one of those cars off their hands to be more eco-friendly. Would that make me worthy in your eyes as being a more eco-friendly consumer?
How do you think goods get to the islands? They come by boat and they use fuel and they create their own environmental issues.
So do planes. Would you like people to stop going between the islands to buy consumer goods because we consumers should not want to buy “stuff”?
You assume I am a very shallow individual and not educated. I resent your assumptions about my intelligence and that I have nothing but shopping on my mind. You failed to see other valid points I made for having a ferry service. You don’t know me. You don’t know I have a college degree. You don’t know how many animal organizations I support each and every month. You don’t know I work on average a 60-hour workweek. You don’t know how “green” I try to live my life.
I just so happen to think that the protesters’ views on why we shouldn’t have a ferry are full of holes and unsubstansiated fallacies. Past letter writers have written about the flaws. I don’t feel the need to reiterate those; but, I sure as heck can.
Carrie Lavigne
Kapa‘a
I believe in ‘Oreo’
I am writing in regards to the letter from ‘Oreo’s’ owner in his defense (“In defense of ‘Oreo,’ Letters, May 5).
Oreo graduated from the same novice obedience training class that my dog Patches and I were in. For the past 10 Saturdays, there have been at least 15 to 20 dogs of all shapes and sizes in attendance. Of the pitbulls that came to class (Oreo included), I have not seen any of them show any aggression toward each other or any other dog.
They were always calm, sweet, maybe strong-willed at times, but very well-mannered amongst some of the other not too quiet, excitable and frisky dogs (like mine).
I commend, applaud and support these owners for being responsible in bringing their dogs up to be good citizens as they will often bear the brunt of unfair stereotypes caused by the ones that are not. I’ve learned that any breed has good and bad dogs — it all comes down to the owner.
Paula Alquiza
Hanapepe
Environmentalism is awareness
I would like to respond to the letter by Dave Fletcher, “Environmentalists are changing,” Letters, May 4:
He makes some very good points and I think the reason that some people think that “the term environmentalist means an angry, trouble-making, self-righteous, self-anointed expert, pushing an agenda on everyone,” is because being selfish has been “in” for a long time in America. Like the popular term “look out for No. 1,” instead of looking out for your neighbor or the people you work with or meet every day.
It has never been fashionable for too many people to care about anything that does not benefit them personally since the dawn of mankind.
And this is in the best interest of many irresponsible large corporations.
The writer talks about recycling and our landfill. Why everything is not recycled is short-term thinking at best. And at worst it is a problem for our grandchildren to solve, since we can’t be bothered to do a little extra work in order to do the right thing.
The writer talks about growth here on Kaua‘i. Considering the worsening traffic on the island, obviously the growth is irresponsible. And when you see the divide between what is affordable for residents and what is being built, one day soon you will have to wonder exactly what is going on here.
The writer talks about how environmentalists are seen by the general populace as hippies, burnouts, etc.
The reality is that the people who actually think about the things around them, the people who think about tomorrow, the people who want to help keep animals and other living things alive are actually just people with empathy.
People with the ability to think about something other than themselves, people who are able to look and think beyond today.
And it seems like that is the biggest difference between environmentalists and a majority of the population of America.
You do not need to call yourself any term in order to care about what is happening around yourself. You can leave the name calling to those who have petty and self-serving agendas in life.
Take the Superferry fiasco; just because you want the Superferry Corporation to abide by Hawaii state law does not mean you are against it. But those who do not care about Hawai‘i will brand you with an easy contemptible term in order to feel better about themselves and their obvious lack of foresight and empathy.
Life is short, what will you leave behind as your personal legacy?
Dennis Chaquette
Kapa‘a
Lessons for our children (and some of us too)
Three men lose their careers and receive punishments (“Officers convicted, receive punishment,” A1, May 6). We are a community whose behavior is judged by laws rather than men. We do have corruption in our wonderful community. When it is exposed, our great justice system protects the innocent while pursuing the wrong-doing wherever it may lead.
I have personal sympathy for the men convicted, their families and friends. I wish them well as they live their lives. To those involved in big or little corruption today: take heed.
Henry Mandel
Lihu‘e
