Narrow minds need to be opened
When is it time to reopen our country? End the lockdown? Return to our jobs? Get together with friends?
Certain self-serving elements in our society — President Donald Trump’s MAGA supporters — argue that the national lockdown is curtailing their rights and liberties, even though it is been demonstrably shown that, in fact, it is essential for public health, safety and saving lives. But this does not deter the Trump acolytes and ideologues, the 2nd Amendment gun nuts, the Ayn Rand disciples and so on, all folks who typically confuse “liberties” with privileges, and “rights” with their own selfish agendas.
Meanwhile, our president unashamedly encourages them and in so doing foments chaos, division and antipathy, rather than cooperation and healing, and thereby turning the COVID-19 pandemic into a culture war to serve his own political ends.
There will come a time to correctly and sanely open the country; to do so too soon will negate the gains we have made in fighting the virus and simply make matters much worse. The only thing that needs to be opened now are the dangerously narrow minds of those whose petty imagined grievances and misinformed beliefs would put all American society at ever greater risk.
John Kitchen
Kona
Getting back to normal
When our curve of coronavirus is minimal and stabilized as it is in Hawaii, especially on Big Island, it’s time to start relaxing mitigation efforts. Instead of loosening restrictions, I see government issuing further restrictions of our rights. Why?
We’ve done a good job of containing the virus. Testing is used, contact tracing is effective and our hospitalizations are low. It’s time to let folks go to their doctors for other medical needs, go outside to the beaches, etc., and open restaurants to outdoors/table spacing and retailers with limits. Sure we need to maintain some social distance, especially the elderly and those with medical issues and quarantine those who are sick, but let’s focus on getting back to normal.
We have a window of opportunity now that tourism in lower in the summer to figure out how to safely bring them back. Let hotels open and lighten up on vacation rentals Maybe check temperatures at the airport. Tourists are the backbone of our economy, without them we’ll continue to see longer lines at food shelves and more unemployment.
We’ve basically shut down our borders but instead of complaining about the few that still come and putting up more barriers, let’s figure out how to safely accommodate them. They are our livelihood after all.
I’m actually in the higher risk group and supportive of the efforts to contain the virus in March but now we’re doing what we can and it’s time to move on. If not for us then for our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren before we do anymore damage to our economy.
Joanne Johnson
Kailua-Kona
Mahalo, TMT
Although a small fraction of people in Hawaii do not support the TMT project, it’s extremely difficult, even for the protesters, to overlook this pleasant gesture by the folks at TMT.
The $100,000 donation to The Food Basket, Hawaii Island’s food bank, was just what our community needed during this worldwide pandemic.
I must say, it’s a hell-of-a-lot more than what our state and county leaders have offered us.
Thank God, for the federal government too. Even our military who aren’t welcomed here in Hawaii by the protesters have been doing an exceptional job.
For those of you with your head still stuck in the sand. Are you now able to see the difference between transparency and goodwill vs. suspending the Sunshine Law that clearly encroaches on our civil liberties with clever and dishonest intent?
Mahalo nui loa to TMT, and to all the responders battling this pandemic war. Your selfless efforts do not and will not ever go unnoticed by many of us that greatly appreciate you.
Lisa Malakaua
Hilo
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