Time to catch up
Last Friday’s front page article showcased an upcoming Sustainability Summit, which will address food insecurity and ways “our island can become more self-sustainable.” This was followed by a Sunday article on “Covid Cluckers,” which lays (ha ha) out many good reasons for people on this island to have “backyard chickens,” which would seem to address these issues.
But, unless you live on AG land, you will be breaking the law if you have even one egg-layer at your house. This pandemic is illustrating the need for more food self-sufficiency on our island, but it doesn’t matter whether you have a large lot, whether your chickens are “cooped,” or that you don’t own a rooster. To have a chicken lay an egg for your breakfast is forbidden.
That’s this island.
Our neighbor island to the north allows backyard chickens anywhere in Honolulu as long as they are not a nuisance. And, in fact, many (if not most) major cities allow chickens, though with varying restrictions as to the number that are acceptable. Portland, Houston, Los Angeles — even New York City; all permit chickens in urban areas. Seattle, for example, allows up to eight chickens and only requires that coops be placed at a minimum distance from houses. Chicago. Denver. Minneapolis. Dallas. Nashville. Anchorage. The list goes on.
Over the years, various council members have been contacted about this issue and none has been interested in getting this law changed. What a pity — because — what a lost opportunity. Chickens are easy to raise, they require little special food, being quite happy with table scraps, stale bread, old cereal, and are willing to eat bugs and the occasional coqui. They provide fertilizer for gardens, take up little space and seldom roam. Best of all, a happy hen produces an egg every day or two during laying season.
Isn’t it time for the Big Island to catch up with the rest of the country by allowing backyard chickens and thus further promoting this important concept of food security?
P. Hanson
Keauhou
How it’s done
After all that’s happened in the past four years, it’s good that people are asking the question, “How do you get millions of Americans to believe things that aren’t true?” Psychologists, sociologists, neuroscientists, marketers, cult specialists, scammers, political analysts, historians, dictators, conspiracy theory website designers all know the answer to that question.
There are numerous books that explain such techniques; “gaslighting” where doubt is conveyed that what you perceive as truth is actually false, “propaganda” where lies are repeatedly broadcast, “reverse projection” where you accuse others of doing exactly what you’re doing, “subliminal messaging” and “dog whistles” where thinking is influenced with stealthily planted words or ideas.
What’s known is that none of these techniques will be successful unless our thinking brain is derailed by a flood of emotion. The scammer calls with a story about your grandson being in trouble. You send money because you feel fear and concern. The marketer insists you’re smart for buying their product and your ego kicks in. Fox News tells you that immigrants are ruining this country and you’re mad. Trump tells you that Democrats will tax your wealth or that they stole the election and you’re outraged. Trump tells anarchists and racists that he loves them and they feel empowered.
“Gaslighting” was possible after Trump and Republicans first fueled emotions of loyalty and patriotism. Then they could successfully raise suspicion and disdain (feelings) against mainstream media and Democrats. Consequently, their voters would doubt any information (facts) that revealed the lies and psychological subterfuge. What it boils down to is that people will believe lies when emotions that they neither recognize or admit are put in play. Experts on human behavior understand how people can be made to believe lies but getting those believers to grasp that their emotions have been manipulated is a very different story.
Martha Hodges
Kailua Kona
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