Republicans have become liberal
The Republican Party has become very liberal about accepting that there’s no need to actually demonstrate moral behavior; making the excuse that God will forgive. They endorse a man for president who has been divorced twice, charged with bank and tax fraud and who attends church for photo opportunities. He associates with convicted pedophiles, porn stars, exposed hypocritical evangelical leader Jerry Falwell Jr. and corrupt lawyers. Our First Lady can be viewed in a nude spread in the January 2000 issue of British GQ magazine.
The RNC has become liberal about overlooking dishonesty and corruption. The Washington Post has fact-checked over 20,000 statements by Trump that have turned out to be untrue, exaggerated or misleading. Trump has filled the White House with unqualified donor friends; many of whom have been indicted. He uses taxpayer money to hold his popularity rallies and Republicans grant him immunity.
The RNC has become liberal in interpreting the constitutional right to Freedom of Speech. It now means that you can ridicule the handicapped, name-call anyone you don’t like, yell obscenities and scare vulnerable, gullible people with ridiculous exaggerations about how all Democrats are radicals or socialists. Their idea of freedom of speech eliminates the need to exercise any personal responsibility or respect for others.
The RNC has become very liberal about legitimizing groups in America registered as hate crime groups by the Southern Poverty Law Center and the FBI. The Party defends the armed right-wing vigilante groups that show up at peaceful rallies and Republicans have no guilt about taking campaign money from gun manufacturers even though the NRA spreads self-serving false propaganda that the Second Amendment is in danger of being repealed.
It’s shocking how liberal and accepting Republicans have become about lowering standards for the honest and respectful decorum that once defined the party.
Martha Hodges
Kailua-Kona
TMT should go to Spain
TMT has come out with yet another survey attempting to persuade readers that Hawaii needs TMT.
I find it inexpressibly sad that TMT is still trying to force its way into Hawaii. The whole incident caused great trauma to the entire island community. As a result, the positive image of the observatories already here has suffered, and in response they have reduced their community profile. Example: University of Hawaii Hilo use to feature astronomy as its flagship program in is TV ads. Now it’s barely mentioned in favor of ocean and botanical sciences and cultural studies.
I won’t repeat Einstein’s famous and overused quote about insanity. But in this case, why would TMT think that fewer Hawaiians would be in opposition if they try to resume construction? The only difference if they start construction again is that the thousands of kupunas and protectors will be wearing face masks on the mauna. And taking advantage of COVID-19’s impact on our island economy is opportunistically callous. TMT won’t solve our economic problems with its minimal local employment and drop in the bucket education donation.
TMT has continued the tired calumny of science vs. superstition, grotesquely making all of science seem to depend on TMT
But privately they say it’s science vs. welfare cheats and troublemakers in a discussion that skews inevitably ethnic. It’s as false a characterization as Trump’s freedom vs. socialism campaign strategy. In fact, everything about TMT’s approach has been Trumpian: Corporations over people, lip service only to cultural issues, racist innuendos, use of militarized police troops against unarmed peaceful demonstrators.
The community of astronomers didn’t listen to me a year ago and they probably won’t now. But TMT will continue to bring all of Big Island astronomy down with it. Count on it. They should go to Spain. Now.
Jon Lomberg
Honaunau
Letters policy
Letters to the editor should be 300 words or less and will be edited for style and grammar. Longer viewpoint guest columns may not exceed 800 words. Submit online at www.westhawaiitoday.com/?p=118321, via email to letters@westhawaiitoday.com or address them to:
Editor | West Hawaii Today
PO Box 789
Kailua-Kona, HI 96745