Letters to the Editor: February 22, 2021

Settle it now

For the last five years, I’ve watched the TMT issue bubble, simmer and finally come to a raging boil. Fortunately, I missed the preceding five years. Ten years total and pretty much nothing to show for it.

You (both sides) have succeeded only in insulting and angering each other and, in the process, looking both stubborn and foolish to those of us who still have open minds. We are running out of patience with you continuing to embarrass our community. Time to grow up, both of you.

How many more confrontations will it take before violence results, cutting off all hope of compromise? Has the pandemic taught us nothing? After reading State House Speaker Scott Saiki’s comments concerning University of Hawaii mismanagement of the mountain, I urge you both (sides) to pay attention. I salute his comments and the underlying logic it suggests.

In a situation such as this, when 10 years of jockeying comes to a stalemate, you don’t fire the secretaries; you fire the leaders. Restart talks if you wish but assign rational timetables and if they fail, shut down the project once and for all and walk away. Above all, it’s time to be reasonable. If the TMT advocates cannot accept any solution that does not include the construction of the new observatory or if the TMT opponents cannot accept any solution that does include construction of the new observatory … go home and don’t waste any more of our time.

You have offended us all with your intransigence. Settle it now, before the trucks roll and tempers flare. Again.

Richard Apothaker

Waikoloa

Deaths from despair

As a doctor, one of the few remaining, I am more and more concerned about this irrational, unscientific lockdown. In Hawaii and globally, the overall death rates are the same — no excess deaths from a virus for years. In fact, no deaths from influenza, fewer cancer deaths, and fewer cardiac deaths this year.

Dying with COVID means nothing when you have multiple medical conditions. Dying from COVID is only 6% of the reported “cases,” according to the CDC.

Another severe casualty is the loss of services for our handicapped children and adults. The day programs have been canceled. Lack of caregivers. My handicapped daughter cannot navigate the online mental health options. The only crisis service for a handicapped person in our state is in Oahu. Thus, I have lost my child to Oahu and we cannot easily visit with all these irrational travel “rules.”

Please, Gov. David Ige meet with your citizens and find ways to stop the lockdown, which is destroying our hearts and souls.

Jade P. McGaff, MD

Waimea

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 or via email to letters@westhawaiitoday.com.