Child abuse
No help available
Yesterday (July 30), at around 11:30 a.m., I witnessed a man in the Kailua- Kona Walmart pick up his approximately 2-year-old son by the top of his hair and throw him in a shopping cart, then slap him, slapping his other children, too, screaming at them.
I asked the clerk, who was ringing up my items, to please call security. She didn’t want to get involved. Neither did the 40 or so other people who were staring at this horrible scene saying, “Oh, my God.”
I had my grandson with me; he was upset to see something like this. The women in back of me kept saying somebody should do something.
The man continued to slap and hit and scream at all his children, while I guess it was the mother of the kids said or did nothing. I followed them out to the parking lot, as I watched him pick up the smaller kids by their hair and throw them in their van. I called 911, told them what I was watching.
I’m crying by now. I waited 20 minutes, no police showed up as I watched them drive off.
I can’t imagine what happens at home if he does this in public.
I called child protective services and told them what happened and gave them the license plate number. They too told me they really can’t do much unless they have a address.
I read if you suspect child abuse, please call for help. So who do you call?
I pray the next time this happens and the right person sees this — maybe a police officer — these children will get a safe place to live.
Gerry Kahulamu
Kailua-Kona
Political mailers
A change is needed
What a waste. In the mail this past week I have daily received campaign flyers from political candidates. In some cases, they are from the same candidate. Actually, I received no less than five flyers from one politician.
Isn’t this overkill?
They go right into my recycle bin. These wasted pieces of paper are from some of the same candidates who are running on a “green” platform and talk about saving our environment.
When I think of the millions of dollars spent on flyers, signs, letters, etc., that would be much better used on actually helping the environment and our communities, it disgusts me.
I would like to see a candidate who would vow to change the campaign laws to limit spending on campaigns, including the number of items produced. I’d also favor a change making it possible to donate to charities some of that campaign money.
How can any candidate justify spending all that money when there are children in America going to bed hungry, living in cars and not receiving needed medical care?
Something needs to change.
Dan Sabo
Kailua-Kona
