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Letter: America following path of history’s great empires

The greatest empires in history, like the Roman, Ottoman, Aztec and Mongol empires, all destroyed themselves from internal conflict. Internal conflicts destroy a lot of great countries. As they say, history repeats itself and America is no different. If America can’t come to an agreement with the different parties in our country which I love, America will be going down the same road. We must realize America is no different, and our greatest enemy is ourselves. Revolution is not far in the distance. We must unite. Terao NakasoneKīhei

Letter: We don’t build arenas like the Romans did

Verona Arena is 2,000 years old in Italy. It was built during the Roman Empire with pink and white limestone which was obtained in the mountains. It was built without any modern-day equipment and went through many renovations starting in the 1500s, and even survived an earthquake. The arena was also used for gladiator contest. It is still used today, with a capacity of 22,000. During the Roman Empire, the capacity was 30,000.  The arena was used for closing winter Olympic ceremony. The arena is still used today mainly for concert venues and also a tourist attraction. The ...

Letter: As DFS departs Honolulu, Kahului Airport is next

While attention is on Honolulu International Airport as DFS prepares to leave, Kahului Airport is next, and possibly others after that. What happens in Honolulu will likely set the pattern. DFS helped build airport retail in Hawaiʻi for decades. Their focus on Asian visitors made sense for many years. But when travel patterns changed, the dollar strengthened, and the pandemic hit, DFS made a business decision to move on rather than adapt. That decision leaves a large gap — and a warning. What many people don’t realize is that DFS relied heavily on local disadvantaged ...

Letter: Non-dairy milk in school lunch long-overdue

A recent move to expand access to non-dairy milk in school lunch programs is a long-overdue step toward healthier, more inclusive nutrition. Millions of students are lactose intolerant, allergic to dairy, or come from families that avoid animal products for ethical or cultural reasons. Offering plant-based milk isn’t radical, it’s practical. These options provide essential nutrients without the saturated fat and cholesterol found in dairy, and they come with a much smaller environmental footprint. School meals shape lifelong habits. When we normalize plant-based choices early, ...

Letter: Support tax credit bill for family caregivers

Please let your representative know you are in strong support of HB 197 HD1, which establishes a nonrefundable tax credit for nonpaid family caregivers. Family caregivers are the backbone of Hawaiʻi’s long-term care system. Every day, unpaid caregivers provide countless hours of essential care that would otherwise fall to already overstretched healthcare and long-term care systems. They do this quietly, out of love and responsibility, often at great personal sacrifice. A modest tax credit, such as the one proposed in H.B. 1972, HD1, would not erase these sacrifices, but it would ...

Letter: Superbowl quarterback Darnold never gave up

Sam Darnold, this year’s Superbowl quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks, never gave up. I myself believed he was a bust, after being drafted in the first-round as the third overall pick. He played for five different teams and he only really had success with one team, the Minnesota Vikings. Minnesota also let him go, despite his success there. The previous teams he played for always came to the conclusion that he was the problem, but the teams he played for were the problem. You have to surround yourself with good people and you don't want to end up being the scapegoat. ...