A life saved
Last week, my husband and I were enjoying our last full day in Hawaii at the beautiful Kua Bay. My husband took a bodysurfing wave close to shore and badly dislocated his shoulder. He came out of the water and I immediately knew he has hurt and started to help him to the lifeguard tower.
A lifeguard saw him and came right down to help him up. We discussed ambulance verses me driving him to the hospital and I decided I could take him. Many people from the beach came forward to help me pack up all of our beach gear. As I turned, he apparently passed out and lifeguards could not find a pulse and started CPR. It was terrifying.
After several scary minutes, he was back and an ambulance was called. I am so thankful for the extraordinary care his received from the lifeguards, medics with the ambulance and care he received at Kona Community Hospital. Also, the many people on the beach that packed up all of our gear, carried it up to the car, gave me bottles of cold water and let me cry on their shoulders. He was released a few hours later and we came home the next day. I understand this lifeguard station is new and shudder to think about the consequences if there were no lifeguards on that beach.
Cindy Lea
Park City, Utah
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No fear of retribution?
Amazon is selling a blue lives murder T-shirt. Our country must be in a poor state of reality if Amazon is so certain that they will not face retribution for doing this. I am not embarrassed to say that I’m crying as I type this. For my country and for the police who have helped and cared for the hundreds of millions people over the years. It is disgusting that such a thing could happen, that Amazon could feel secure in doing it.
Sandra Gray
Kapaau
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Shameful
So, U.S. Senate Republicans blocked the Congressional effort to create a fact-finding commission regarding the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol building. Does this surprise anyone? Why would you — if you were a Republican — try to shed any light on an insurrection that was supported, aided and abetted by former President Donald Trump and fellow Republican enablers up and down the line? There was no serious effort made by our government to prevent the riot from happening nor to stop it when it actually took place. This was completely obvious at the time to anyone who cared to see it. Were a commission to have been created, Trump and his cronies would have had to be charged and found guilty of treason, every single one of them. Shameful.
John Kitchen
Kona
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More info please
I read last Sunday’s article “Jail outbreak worsens” with dismay and concern. However, the COVID-19 outbreak was not surprising considering the similar ones earlier last year at an Oahu prison and Honolulu’s jail. What was most concerning to me was the lack of reporting regarding vaccination of staff and inmates. Except for a reminder from our Mayor Mitch Roth encouraging all to get vaccinated to protect ourselves and our community, nothing was said as to whether the staff and inmates have been offered vaccinations.
Being incarcerated and at high risk for exposure, I would hope that inmates were previously offered the opportunity to be vaccinated. Likewise, as first line workers, the staff should have been eligible earlier this year when vaccinations became available. West Hawaii Today keeps me up to date on Hawaii County’s safety response. So far we have been blessed on the Big Island by our low infection rate and low deaths compared to the other islands and states. While reassuring that the Department of Public Safety has quickly implemented its pandemic plan, it would be interesting to know to what extent vaccination is a part of that plan.
Peter In, MD
Waikoloa
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Divisive speech
Why does the WHT continue to print George F. Will’s opinion column? He spews hate toward Democrats saying they are blocking the constitutional rights of states. Well, the voters did not get to vote on changes made by Republican vote blockers. The majority of voters do not agree with the right-wing tactics to block voting. These are Republican-mandated laws that only benefit the Republican Party with unconstitutional wording blocking votes by minorities and poor. Most would block military votes traditionally by mail. A full column of unproven words do not mean freedom of speech. Only divisive speech.
David Macdonald
Captain Cook
Can I get
my money back?
The only thing more boring than watching paint dry is listening to people talk about leftover paint.
Yes, Dadaism is still alive and well in the Hawaii County Department of Environmental Management. Unfortunately, the dadaists are on the county payroll. This theater of the absurd was broadcast live at their commission meeting.
After many yawns, the new director finally came up to the microphone. Again, the dog ate his homework — no business report. He mumbled his way around the Naalehu sewer boondoggle, and I left the room before the show was over.
My ticket stub is my property tax bill. Can I get my money back?
Jerry Warren
Naalehu
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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:
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Kailua-Kona, HI 96745
