Letters for June 2, 2015

Letters for June 2, 2015

Assessment seems necessary at humane society

Kauaians of all stripes love animals and those at risk have a special place in our hearts. For many of us, just knowing the Kauai Humane Society is doing right by these at-risk animals is a relief. So the stories of late indicating manipulated euthanasia stats are disturbing at best. But what is more disturbing is the board and management’s reaction to the internal concerns expressed by nearly the entire senior staff. News coverage indicates 12 of 36 employees expressed in writing their concerns to the board and these concerns have been met with a virtual stonewall.

In my experience of working here in Hawaii with for profit and nonprofit boards, there is clarity for most that governance standards today apply equally to both types of boards. Being on a board of a nonprofit is not an honorific pat on the back. Nor do nonprofit boards function well without equality of voice, however strong a chairperson might be. Why has the board not called for an independent assessment of what is going on that is so bad, one-third of the staff is brave enough to express its concerns. This is just basic to such a crisis in confidence of leadership. To ignore transparency courts even greater dispiriting and dysfunction; dollars wasted, animals harmed.

KHS functions because of our tax dollars and the generosity of private donors. Our mayor and county council worked incredibly hard to develop a budget that requires every precious dollar that is spent be used effectively. Should not these authorities demand accountability from KHS against the charges that have been made, and insist on an independent assessment? Don’t we as pet and animal lovers, and taxpayers deserve this.

Where there is smoke, usually there is fire.

Jim Jennings

Kilauea

Prayer should unite, not separate

What kind of a National Day of Prayer is it when different organizations representing organized religions cannot agree on how to pray? Do these groups intend to follow the Garland, Texas example and sponsor a cartoon contest in the hope of getting someone shot? Which supports invading Iraq; sponsoring torture; overthrowing democratically elected governments; excusing “murder by cop” because “they” are black, or Muslim, or even Hawaiian, and on and on.

America is not a “Christian Nation.” The founders were mostly Deists. A Deist looks at the miracle of life that surrounds him and he knows that it couldn’t just be chance. But that doesn’t mean he is a Jew or a Muslim or a Hindu or a Christian or whatever. Rather, a Deist does his best to make life better. A Deist knows that “we are all in this together” and that if we are to survive we must work together. Read what Thomas Jefferson had to say.

Religion in America now emphasizes the differences between us. It provides many with a reason to hate someone he doesn’t know just because some preacher told him to.

That Kauai Island Ministries and the Interfaith Roundtable of Kauai could not agree on how to show unity in faith during a “National Day of Prayer” causes me to say, “A plague on both their houses.”

Shame. That the county allows these two groups to have public buildings in which they could preach their hatred for one another is not the government I want representing me.

John Zwiebel

Kalaheo