Constitutional voting rights
Evidently, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) doesn’t know how to read as he seems to think and currently has said that voting rights aren’t a federal issue as it should “be left to the states” to decide who can and can’t exercise their constitutional right to vote.
I would like to remind him that the 15th Amendment states that “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color or previous condition of servitude” and the 19th Amendment states that “the right of citizens to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.”
It is perfectly clear that the issue of voting rights is both a federal and states issue. In the event states do not protect all citizens right to vote, the federal government is constitutionally commanded to do so.
Lawrence Emery
Kailua-Kona
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Save lives – prevent collateral damage from military operations
A brief article in West Hawaii Today on Jan. 28 noted that the Secretary of Defense, Lloyd J. Austin, ordered the military to step up efforts to prevent civilian harm. While that is a meritorious action, it unfortunately seems to fall well short of addressing the massive collateral damage done to U.S. citizens and the aina from military operations in our own country. Those issues should also be included in the military review.
Hawaii is no stranger to such risk from military operations. The Red Hill fuel leakage into potable ground water is a current case in point. Offshore disposal of toxic waste in rusting barrels, unexploded ordnance at Waikoloa, and depleted uranium with other toxins at Pohakuloa Training Area (PTA) are just some examples of damage already caused and of those yet to come. Reparations are one of the issues considered to resolve guilt or justify iniquitous actions but it would be so much better to avoid the tragedy now than to argue payment later.
The standard practice of the military as recognized at PTA has been to discount the problems by claiming the risks are minimal or by not conducting comprehensive evaluations. There should be no risk at all. Simple cleanup after training operations, modernizing, and addressing the hidden dangers of waste disposal will go a long way in removing citizens from harm’s way. We must hope that the civilian and military officials ordered to prepare an action plan for the Defense Secretary as well as our elected federal representatives will express concern for our own citizens.
Michael Reimer, Ph.D.
Denver, Colorado
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