Turn cameras away from protest
A suggestion for solving the crisis at the Maunakea Access Road. If the newspapers and all of the television stations would remove their people from the site, the dissidents will no longer have an audience.
The media is the fuel feeding the fire and if the fuel is removed the fire goes out, and all that’s left are the dissidents with no audience. We wont be seeing them on television or the front page of our newspapers.
It is time for the Maunakea Access Road to be open to all who have a reason to be there, be they TMT personnel, Visitor Center employees or personnel who work in the observatories on the summit. It’s time for the present and the future to be able to travel safely and undisturbed. I believe this to be a safe and logical solution.
Marjorie Nahl
Kailua-Kona
Negotiate way through TMT roadblock
I read the My Turn, “Why TMT is a human rights issue,” by Chase Benbow dated July 18. The author claims TMT is a human rights issue. I agree.
I believe the quest for humanity and its justice is an existential truth. TMT project sponsors have argued their quest is for scientific truth in the long run. In addition to that universal good, they also argued that the project would benefit Hawaii’s economy.
The TMT project sponsors have been authorized to proceed. The TMT opponents are protesting through civil disobedience. Such conflicts, if prolonged, are not good.
Adjudication in this dispute led to a favorable result for one adversary while the other suffers loss of dignity.
In amelioration, the project sponsors could negotiate mitigation. The opponents could open up to discuss ways to restore dignity. Otherwise, more hurt could happen unnecessarily.
Harold Murata
Kealakekua
Say no to telescope and tourism
I recently heard that the Russians are sending a telescope into space. So why doesn’t TMT spend their billions of dollars on sending a telescope into space instead of desecration of Maunakea who the Hawaiian people hold sacred.
I’m not of Hawaiian ancestry, but I know a little about the history of the illegal overthrow, the stealing of the lands, and the destruction of the Hawaiian culture. The state of Hawaii does not represent the Hawaiian people, the represent the big dollars and the tourist industry.
The lack of affordable housing and the minimum wage are a joke. Local people have to work multiple jobs just to survive, and then when they want to relax down the beach or hiking in the mountains they are overrun with tourists.
They aren’t able to enjoy the beauty of Hawaii anymore, because we are all slaves to the tourist industry, which is choking us to death and we cannot escape it.
What made Hawaii so special, the beauty of the islands and the aloha of the people, is slowly disappearing. More road rage, domestic violence is all a product of too many people.
I am grateful to have moved to the Big Island. No high rises to look at, but changing fast, we have to be careful that we are not headed towards another island that is solely dependent of the tourist. Like I said, I am not of Hawaiian ancestry but being born and raised in Hawaii, I understand and respect the culture of the Hawaiian people. I think they should take their telescope and shove it into space! Just my opinion.
Blake Nitta
Kailua-Kona