Letters for Thursday, June 10, 2021

Slow down and move over

The three feet between your vehicle’s mirror and a cyclist is the same distance as required for Police Officers who’s making a traffic stop along the shoulder of the highways/roadways/streets.

The same three feet between your vehicle’s mirror should be given to anyone walking, jogging/running, fixing a flat, fixing to tow a vehicle, riding a moped, etc.

“SLOW DOWN AND MOVE OVER” when approaching any of those situations mentioned above. To include all others not mentioned along side of the highways/roadways/streets.

Howard Tolbe, ‘Ele‘ele

Welcome Back?

Last week I was parked at Nawiliwili Harbor and a tourist Jeep was coming towards me, but not looking at me. I gave a tap on my horn and the young woman in the passenger seat flipped me off!

Every time I see a Jeep now, I’m reminded of that incident.

Not the kind of Aloha we need here, money be damned…

Lulu Pak, Kalaheo

Let’s see the smiles

Why are Kaua‘i’s clerks, cashiers, waiters… still being forced to wear masks? Certainly, the mayor/governor’s emergency powers have long expired. The state reports only a few new covid cases, with no deaths on Kaua‘i. Hardly an “emergency.” Those who wanted the vaccine have already got it. Those who declined are clearly not spreading the virus. We are nearly overrun by tourists—from everywhere. By all appearances, IT’S OVER.

Moreover: the one thing we have learned, or should have learned, during this year-long drama is: ‘masks—the kind we’ve been wearing all this time— do little or nothing to mitigate any air-born virus.’ A rarely-referenced CDC research paper titled: “Nonpharmaceutical Measures for Pandemic Influenza in Nonhealthcare Settings—Personal Protective and Environmental Measures”—which references 50 scientific studies, states emphatically:

“In our systematic review, we identified 10 RCTs that reported estimates of the effectiveness of face masks in reducing laboratory-confirmed influenza virus infections in the community from literature published during 1946–July 27, 2018. In pooled analysis, we found no significant reduction in influenza transmission with the use of face masks.”

And again: “…Our systematic review found no significant effect of face masks on transmission of laboratory-confirmed influenza.”

We’ve been living a fallacy for a year. The report goes on to say: “Proper use of face masks is essential because improper use might increase the risk for transmission.” Tossing our masks on car seats, stuffing them in our pockets, and wearing them over and over again would probably be considered as “improper use.”

So, the question is “Why?” Why are cashiers…or anyone for that matter, still being forced to wear masks? At this point it should be by individual choice—to wear or not to wear. It’s time for governors and mayors to step aside.

Richard Morse, Kilauea
Source: The Garden Island