Mahalo for forum opportunities

I appreciated the efforts of the community organizations and individuals of Kohala (Hawaii Farmers United Union, Toni Whittington, Maureen Gary of KMN, Waimea (Waimea Community Association Patti Cook) and Waikoloa CDP/SKCDP, FL-WR Senior Center, CERT, SK Traffic Circulation, Waikoloa Village Association and John Mueller and Lisa Yee, who conducted political forums prior to the primary election.

The forums featured hotly contested races for the House, council and mayor race and were well organized with professional moderators. I cannot speak for other Big Island districts but the people of Kohala, Waimea and Waikoloa were motivated to put a lot of their time, energy and resources into providing forums to educate the voter as they have been doing for a number of years.

Unfortunately, not all districts were able to provide this same volunteer effort for candidates running for various Big Island offices. Perhaps, WHT could do a feature article on the contested races for the general election.

Jeff Coakley

Kapaau

Using Hawaiians — again

The people who support swimming with the dolphins have shown how desperate they are to continue doing what they want no matter the cost. During the first public hearing at Konawaena High School I was the third person to turn in my request to provide oral testimony. The facilitator told us that we would be called in the order of which our requests were received. As the testimonies started my name was not called after the eighth person was allowed to read from one document that the members of “dolphinville” printed from their website.

During that reading one of the ville people spoke about how the haoles came to Hawaii and mistreated the Hawaiians and considered them savages. They likened this to what NOAA is trying to do in proposing the new regulations, which will stop people from swimming with, grabbing dorsal fins, trying to ride on the naia, taking pictures of them having sex and bring hundreds of people every week into their resting place just to make a buck.

I protested to the facilitator and was allowed to speak. I told the members of dolphinville to not use the Hawaiians as a way to justify what they want but a few days later, when I visited their website, I was discouraged to see that my advice had fallen upon deaf ears. The document they read from is posted there and has not been changed. Worst of all there is a letter posted on the website written by the proposed king of Hawaii stating how kanaka maoli have been interacting with the dolphin since ancient times. They advertise to tourists that they will show them the sacred Hawaiian places and talk about Pele. This attitude is very disrespectful and reveals what they think of the Hawaiian people.

The supporters of swim with the dolphins have been asking for us to hooponopono with them in the spirit of aloha but hooponopono will only work if both sides are truthful and they have shown themselves to be untrustworthy and deceitful.

Damien Kenison

Hookena Beach

Shame on all involved in kneeling story

When I sat down to read the paper and found the picture of the team and the player on this knee on the front page, I could not believe what he was doing, until I read the story. I have lived in Hawaii for 30 years and have always respected the beliefs, customs and culture.

To protest for what you believe is everyone’s right. To insult and disrespect anyone’s country is not. Young man, the education that you have just received was funded in part by the taxes from the United States of America. How dare you insult my country (and yours) in this way.

To the school that allowed this, to the coach that set it up, to the reporter who helped, shame on all of you! I love the country I was born in, too bad you do not.

As for you, West Hawaii Today, you gave us all proof that the only thing that paper was good for was to be put on the bottom of a bird cage.

Bev Lovejoy

Kailua-Kona