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Letters to the Editor

Letter: We have fireworks laws, nothing is done about it?

Daily explosions and aerial fireworks are being set off throughout the island, exponentially worse on holidays, and with zero accountability. These are at least felonies, but when was the last time anyone was prosecuted, much less arrested for this daily occurrence? We have a statewide task force set up by department of law enforcement, for what? How much money is wasted on this useless project? What is being done to stop the import of these things? You know it’s coming in via large shipping containers, right? There is no way they are being smuggled in on planes. Those ...

Letter: America finds new depths of regression

In 1969, the U.S. landed on the moon. Our nation was transfixed on televisions and retail windows. We came together for a monumental moment. Progress. Our motivation was an arms race with Russia, yet we ultimately gained a greater understanding of science and our universe. Flash forward to 2024: Progress is now equated to woke, or for 49 percent of us, understanding and forward evolution. This president-elect and his crony-newscasters incessantly remind the 51 percent that the remaining crowd is an “enemy from within.” This leader-elect is obstructing anything-environmental, ...

IEDs and other illegal fireworks in Central Maui

Silent Night, Holy Night? Not in Maui. It feels and sounds like a war zone or terrorist attack in Central Maui. Maui residents and visitors are experiencing nightly (and occasionally during afternoon hours) jarring booms from improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and other illegal fireworks. An IED is a homemade bomb or destructive device used to cause damage, injury, or death. The majority of these IED explosions have been known to occur in the Central Maui area. This started early in November, although they have escalated since December. It is not unusual to hear 15 of these ...

Letter: Memory still viscerally recalled in an instant

A long time ago, when I was unemployed and sitting on a cold bench in Washington Square Park, I overheard a conversation between two men. Obviously acquaintances, they spoke loud enough for others to listen. This “bench of the unemployed, disabled, infirm and impoverished” sat more than a dozen motley men and women. It was a cold December afternoon, not cold enough for white vapor trails to accompany breaths and speech, but we all had red noses and wore ridiculously looking woolen hats and caps. The two men were speaking of Christmas pasts. One had been counting the number of ...

Letter: Masquerading as news article annoying, deceptive

I would like to voice a complaint about an ad that keeps appearing daily.  The ad itself is okay, but the fact that it is masquerading as a news article is annoying, deceptive and dishonest.  The title is “Hawaii Low-Mileage Drivers Pay Less in December.”  Amy Muramatsu Pukalani

Letter: Biden must prioritize closure of pipeline

With just one month left before Donald Trump returns to the White House, we are running out of time to lock in protections for our climate and communities. One critical action President Joe Biden can take right now is to permanently shut down the Dakota Access Pipeline. The pipeline is currently operating illegally, even as the ongoing legal battles surrounding it are reaching a critical point. The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe continues to fight against corporate and state interference to protect their sacred land and the safety of surrounding communities. In 2020, concerned citizens ...