Letters for Tuesday, October 6, 2020

What I would like

OK, so what policies would create the kind of America I’d like to live in:

1. Continuation of social programs that benefit the most people such as Social Security, Obamacare, Medicare and other programs that work on spreading benefits to all and prevent the rich from getting richer and the poor getting poorer (like a third world country).

2. Important and necessary financial regulations that prevent the regular financial crashes that end up severely hurting and sometimes destroying ordinary citizens. Essential environmental regulations to stop large and small pollution of the air, water and earth to preserve the health of the earth for future generations.

3. Up to date infrastructure to facilitate transportation and connection.

4. Strong, science based national leadership to combat the corona virus

Is it possible to stop the political name calling and sounds bites that attack and confuse these very simple basic issues that actually benefit our citizens? Attacks and name calling such as calling inconvenient things including the news media a hoax, constantly attacking democrats as radical people that should be protected against, stopped, sent to jail or worse? Perhaps just shot?

Is it possible that we ask for and allow government to make our lives better instead of thinking of government as the enemy?

I want to live in an America that believes in what works for all Americans of whatever color, and also that constantly works to make the rule of law applicable across the board to all colors. I don’t want to live in a world that works for: the biggest bullies, the people with the most money only, white people only, the biggest corporations that don’t care about the environment or paying a fair wage to its workers, and the most extreme right or left wing ideologies.

I want to live in a world in which we are able to vote for the politicians who will tell us the truth, stick to fact checking, respect others, and make our lives better and more compassionate.

I want to continue to live in a democracy, in which all people are equal and all votes count.

Sylvia Partridge, Director of the Hospice Choir, Princeville

Time for many mahalos

Thank you for removing 55,000 cars and visitors from our aina.

Thank you for no traffic, no airplanes, helicopters, no green harvest, cleaner air, less noise, less pollution, no sunscreen in our ocean, more space, less gatherings.

Thank you for the local humans becoming more mindful, more kind, and more considerate.

Thank you for more organic gardens and farms. Thank you for no COVID-19 deaths, longer lives, and better health physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

Aloha Nui Loa.

Lama Tashi Dundrup, Kapa‘a and Moloa‘a
Source: The Garden Island