Do unto others
In the old days, my dad would say that someone accusing a person of doing exactly what they did themselves was “calling the kettle black.” In psychology speak it’s called “projecting.”
In 2020, it’s called “Republicans placing illegal ballot boxes in California” while screaming “Stop voter fraud!”
Janice Palma-Glennie
Kailua-Kona
A little support, please
It takes a pandemic to fully demonstrate how terribly Hawaii has managed its economic welfare. That we are so dependent upon letting in people from the continental United States with known COVID-19 surges is beyond the pale.
Our state government has freely chosen to prioritize the freedom of malahini over welfare of kamaaina. The state has so many rules and restrictions on doing business here that often corporations and individuals cannot reach a point of economic feasibility. The end result is a migration of local people out of state, and dependence on tourism, and influx of retirees who do not understand or care about Hawaiian values.
And now, because so much of our economy is dependent upon tourism, the burden of staying safe is becoming much harder. I am happy to accept my kuleana of wearing masks and social distancing, but I would appreciate some active support of my state government right now and in preparing for a future crisis.
Pamela Hinch
Napoopoo
Three-day-old results are useless
Accepting coronavirus test results from three days ago is useless. It takes five to 10 days for the virus to multiply in the body and antibodies to be produced, thus producing a positive test. This is also assuming that the person doesn’t go out and get infected in those three days after the test (celebrating going on vacation, sitting in an airport, sitting on an airplane?).
A more rational approach, though not nearly perfect, would be to require the 72-hour test, quarantine the visitor upon arrival for seven days, test again, and re-evaluate.
Many people take good care of their health, but find themselves in a high risk group, like me. I do not want to get COVID-19 from a person I don’t even know, who has no regard for my island and thinks it is appropriate to come here during this pandemic.
Carol Williams, MD
Napoopoo
Simply refreshing
What a wonderful presidential debate Thursday. Joe Biden was able to give us his wonderful accurate idea of how he would run the country without any usual delusional self-centered interruptions from Donald Trump. It was simply refreshing.
Teresa Tagon
Keauhou
Time to get things done
COVID-19 kills mostly, but not exclusively, older adults and already unhealthy adults. The lockdown of much of the world is going to kill mostly those below the poverty line. This general lockdown is not savings lives. It is making the poor, poorer. It is making the richest much richer. It is killing poor and weak people.
Please pay attention to what the Swedes have been doing and the result of their approach to COVID-19. Their death rate per million is lower than ours in the U.S. And yet, they did not lockdown their nation. They segregated the most vulnerable from the rest of society and protected those and let the working people, younger people, go about their lives. They are living proof that their approach is better than ours. They used their brains and did not panic. Gee, what a concept.
Our island and our nation need to get back to work. Badly.
Old folks, like me, need to be extremely vigilant and realize that we must socially distance ourselves from our friends and family until there is herd immunity and/or a dependable and safe vaccine.
I do not agree with Donald Trump and his people about masks and not social distancing. They is just plain foolish and will cause more outbreaks and surges and deaths. Darwin is laughing.
Listen, we have to be smarter than the virus. We need to get the wheels of industry rolling again. We need to get Americans back to work.
Sure, we still need to do testing (free and fast). We need to do all the rest that has been drummed into our heads daily. But most of all, we need to restart production and supply lines. If we do not, more people will die of poverty and despair than of COVID-19.
Come on Hawaii and America, get out of panic mode and into creating and building mode.
It is time to get up and do the work that needs to be done. We can do this.
Tom Beach
Waimea
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