Whether one calls the malady white nationalism, white supremacy, neo-Nazism or any similar label, the resurrection of hate-based politics is a troubling development in society. While the United States is not alone in facing this stain on our humanity, a lot of us hoped that the combination of ...
State and county governments are closed today in observance of Admission Day — the day 60 years ago that Hawaii became the 50th state in the United States. Admission Day, also known as Statehood Day, was established as a holiday to be observed on the third Friday of August. The actual ...
A few years ago, we wrote a piece here about term limits. While our views have changed a bit, we are more firmly convinced that terms limits are a good idea. Whether one is considering election to the Maui County Council, the state Legislature, the Congress of the United States or even the ...
“Let us not despair but act. Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer but the right answer. Let us not seek to fix the blame for the past — let us accept our own responsibility for the future.” — John F. Kennedy John F. Kennedy was not yet president when he ...
Forty-five years ago today, Richard Nixon resigned as president of the United States. On Aug. 9, 1974, Marine One (the presidential helicopter) took Nixon and his wife, Pat, from the White House lawn to Andrews Air Force Base for a long plane ride to their home in San Clemente, ...
Another deadly weekend for the United States thanks to two more mass shootings that — at this writing — took a combined 31 lives and left dozens more injured. Two more people died in El Paso, Texas, Monday from wounds suffered Saturday at a Walmart as parents shopped for back-to-school ...
Behind the wheel of an automobile is a dangerous place to have a wandering mind. All of us are sometimes distracted by problems at work or family pressures that lead to inattention while driving. Then an accident or near-accident snaps one back to reality. About four years ago, we were ...
Twenty-two years ago, Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple Computer, took back the reins of the company as its chief executive officer. The company was, shall we say, in not too good a shape. In fact, at a meeting of technology managers that year, competitor Michael Dell of Dell Computers was ...
In 1971, Saul Alinsky wrote the book “Rules for Radicals,” a guidebook for grassroots organizations to get the better of government and corporations. Known as the “father of modern American radicalism,” Alinsky was not bothered by using any means to attain his end. He referred to people ...
Sunday is the anniversary of the ratification of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution On July 28, 1868, the Amendment became part of the Constitution when it was ratified by three-quarters of the states. Congress had passed it in 1866.* The original purpose of the amendment was to ...
As a dog owner, it is a matter of faith that our trusted companion would not hurt a fly. As a resident of Maui County, that matter of faith takes second place to a county ordinance, commonly referred to as a “leash law.” Under Title 6, Chapter 6.04.040 Animal Regulations — General is ...
Well, here comes our broken record again urging our readers to patronize local businesses. It is awfully easy to shop on the internet. Too easy. Heck, if you even express interest in a product, a bot will follow you to almost every website you visit reminding you about it. It’s almost ...
“That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” Fifty years ago — July 20, 1969 — astronaut Neil Armstrong spoke those words as he became the first human being to set foot on the moon. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration fulfilled the challenge a young ...
Four years ago, the Pew Research Center released a report showing a decline in religious affiliation in general — and Christianity, in particular — in the United States. Still, over 70 percent of Americans surveyed in 2014 identified themselves as Christians. But that is down from 78.4 ...
Several years ago, we wrote that boorish behavior is taking over public discourse. Whether it was a member of the House of Representatives shouting “You lie!” at President Obama during an address to a joint session of Congress or an ill-mannered Kanye West ruining an award presentation to ...
A while back, some friends told us about some strong tides they had encountered unexpectedly off Spreckelsville. It reminded us again of something an old colleague wrote about being lured into dangerous situations by forgetting that Maui’s beauty is a force of nature and, as such, can contain ...
People are living longer today — a lot longer. Whether it is because of better medical care or healthier lifestyles, today’s population is living a lot longer than its parents or grandparents. Discussions with friends and a physician prompted us to try to quantify just how much longer we ...
The internet daily offers challenges to people in the business of information. More and more, the public is demanding instantaneous reporting of the news and asserting its right to comment immediately on those stories. In general, that is a good thing. But a real problem with allowing ...
As we evolve to a six-day per week publishing cycle, this is the first edition of our brand-new Weekender. Delivered on Saturdays, it will have all the special features of our Sunday product, including color comics, The Channel Surfer, expanded sports coverage, community news and Pau Hana, as ...
We all tend to think we live in a republic built around democratic principles, with a government, as Abraham Lincoln said, “of the people, by the people, for the people.” We hate to say this, but to some degree, we kid ourselves. It is not hyperbolic to warn against the erosion of our ...