History on present-day stage
In medieval England, small troops of actors would travel from village to village performing short, simple plays with a moral point, which were called “miracle plays.” For example, a king who cared nothing for his people might be portrayed in his selfishness and arrogance, with his ignominious downfall at the end of the play, the point being that pride went before a fall.
For many months now, the public has viewed the behavior of a man in the highest public office who is immensely untruthful, arrogant, self-centered to the degree of egomania, and who rides roughshod over ordinary standards of decency in dealing with others. At the same time, various factors are combining to undermine this man, such as the probing of a special investigator into the actions of members of his campaign, the imminent additional probing of investigating committees, and the recent arrest by the FBI of a man who may have served as a channel between the campaign and the Russia-connected Wikileaks.
So here is a mammoth morality play being performed for the fascination of us all. How will it end, and what will the point be when the curtain comes down?
Mike Keller
Kailua-Kona
Article captures homeless issue well
Congrats to WHT for its excellent, in-depth article on the homeless situation in Kona. Problems of homelessness are worldwide. It is doubtful that a 100 percent solution will ever be found. But it is critical that something be done to stop the bad publicity that has been emerging here in Kona.
If the homeless were removed all along downtown Kona, on both sides of the street, this would go a long way to stop the bad pub. I was always under the impression that loitering and trespassing were against the law. Doesn’t seem to me that it would be very hard to patrol and control the three- to four-block strip that is so vital to tourism here. I’m surprised that the business leaders on Alii and the Kona Rotary are not up in arms over this. And how ridiculous is this that our county leadership(?) can’t get permission from the state to clear out the camp at the Palani Road and Queen Kaahumanu Highway intersection. Come on!
Jim Lomonaco
Kailua-Kona
Fake president has foolish orders
Let us not forget the eight states, or part of the eight, that used to be Mexico. Texas, California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Wyoming. It was businessmen and Republicans who stole those states just as they illegally took over the Kingdom of Hawaii and banned Native Americans to reservations after murdering many.
It’s the same who stole black Africans from their tribes and brought them to the New Land to slavery and sold and beat and hung those who resisted. Generations later, African Americans are still treated by some as inferior to other humans. Our fake president embraces white nationalism and Nazism and you’ll see lots of racial comments from the party of the fake president revealing it’s OK to do so. He stole the presidency by illegal means. I’m sure if not proven yet, it will be in time.
The wall doesn’t work. Recently hundreds tunneled under the wall as they’ve done for many years. The $5.7 billion could be better spent on real national security threats as the Pentagon recently confirmed climate change. The people trying desperately to seek asylum are facing murder, extreme hardships, poverty and all other horrible situations that you and I would also desperately seek to escape.
The USA interfered in politics south of the border to help countries install a dictatorship and squash democracy. These folks are hard working. They help reduce the cost of food by diligently working for farmers. They pay taxes in their earnings that they can never recover. Would the fake president’s inside circle ever do that? Of course not. Too busy being mean and fighting to enrich themselves.
I have Republican friends and don’t engage in politics with them but frankly they’re not rich enough to be Republicans. Bless them, though. Bless the folks also south of the border and all peoples who have been marginalized (many minorities) and just cannot get a fair shake. The president’s party was in total power for two years and did not ask for $5.7 billion for a useless wall. Peace be to all.
JoAnne Martinez
Kailua-Kona