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Most of the people living here who wanted visitors to stay away after our horrible fires have quieted down.
It was understandable to a point, but visitors did not start the fire and do not deserve to be anything but welcome.
They come here because they love it here. They are critical to our economy. There is no going back to growing taro and fishing to survive while having no modern conveniences.
I have several Mainland friends who wanted to help and donated money to the Maui Food Bank and to individuals. I am not going to ask them to stay away while people here grieve.
Let's not forget that we also need to appreciate part-time residents and visitors who have donated millions of dollars to help us recover.
My heart bleeds for people here that lost so much, but a sure way to lose more is to be unappreciative of visitors.
As the late restauranteur Mark Ellman advised, "Practice Aloha."
Jim Killett
Lahaina