Don’t get worked up over hoax problem
Really, people are dropping dead from global warming? There seems to be a direct correlation between the increase of climate change zealotry and the number of people not buying it anymore.
Dean Nagasako is sure worked up. His statement “people are dying here due to hotter temperatures” seems a little over the top. Coastal erosion is replacing the rising ocean hyperbole since the oceans haven’t risen (and don’t come back with the tired “the sea level is rising, you just can’t see it” or “Hawaii is in a low zone but other oceans are rising”).
I’ve lived in California and Hawaii my whole life and folks, the oceans aren’t rising. Trade winds come and go, it’s always been that way. Mr. Nagasako wants to eliminate the use of fossil fuels. I wonder how much that would cost? A trillion, $10 trillion? Actually, I think Hawaii’s economy and its health look rather good at the moment. The trade winds will return as they always do. California’s drought is ending as it always does. As for climate change already being a reality, it’s always been a reality, a natural occurring reality that has always been part of this planet’s history.
Hawaii is no hotter than it’s ever been. People are not dropping dead in the streets from heat. I for one am quite pleased our current administration isn’t hell-bent on spending untold trillions on a problem that doesn’t actually exist.
Dave Chrisman
Kailua-Kona
We don’t need to teach Bible in school
WHT has selected a few local writers to publish monthly columns on their specialty. One of these is Mikie Kerr who writes on the Constitution. Mikie is very knowledgeable on the Constitution but she is also a died-in-the-wool conservative and her political opinions usually show up in her columns.
Her most recent column is titled, “The fallacy of separation of church and state” (WHT Feb 18). In this column she makes her partisanship very clear by suggesting that the country has become immoral because to the separation of religion from civic affairs. She implies that two of the founders (Franklin and Jefferson who were not Christians) did not intend that religion should be removed from civic affairs, which is utter nonsense. Jefferson was the father of the phrase “separation of church and state.” She even implies that the Bible should be taught in schools as it was long ago to encourage morality.
Her political views are apparent in the following quote from her column:
“We see the result of the lack of moral teachings in our public schools and in our culture, violence etc. … are rampant and teachers are no longer respected but are disciplinarians and dispensers of liberal group think (code phrase for Democrats) While critical thinking and the basics etc … have fallen by the wayside.”
Most of us know that the Bible is an important historical and cultural document but not a literal history of humanity. While I agree the schools have many problems today, I don’t think Mikie has the answer that somehow the separation of church and state is the cause. She seems to have forgotten or doesn’t understand the problems that would occur in a free society if religions were ordained by the state. Our founders were well aware of those issues and were careful to prevent the formation of a religious state.
For Mikie, who may be expert on the Constitution, she is obviously deficient in human history, I suggest she read a couple of new books which will help bring her up to date. They are the “The Gene” and “Sapiens.” She should also take another look at Jefferson’s and Franklin’s view on the separation of church and state.
Jerry Smith
North Kohala
Beautifying Big Island so important
I recently traveled in Mazatlan, Mexico. It was truly disheartening to see so much trash everywhere! At one point I saw a bus driver throw a candy wrapper out of his window! It was such a beautiful country with so much history but the trash is what you notice everywhere. Also the smell of exhaust from the cars. Such pollution is another example of why it is important to keep our vehicle inspections.
Hawaii is a beautiful island and quite a contrast to Mazatlan. It is so important to continue keeping it clean. This is what tourists see and take away with them.
A big thank you to all the volunteers who spend their time and energy cleaning our countryside, roads, and beaches!
Annette Kittleson
Anchorage, Alaska