Letters 3-20

Societal perceptions

It is not OK for men to abandon their families

Has anyone else noticed that girls can’t wait to be women, and many women wish they could be girls again? Boys can’t wait to become men, but after achieving that, they want to be boys again.

Why is this?

Women, like girls, need to feel protected and safe by a prominent male figure (father/husband). Men resent having to take over the responsibilities of the father to protect and safeguard the woman/girl.

Our society promotes that it’s OK for men to abandon their women and/or children. Society also accepts the idea that women can make it “on their own”, and men who have taken “possession” of a woman (by any form — wife, girlfriend, fiancé) have no obligation to the woman who gave herself over, into the trust of her husband/fiancé/boyfriend.

That societal perception is wrong, by both men and women. It’s time for us all to hold men accountable to provide safety and security for all the girls (daughters, sisters, etc) they take “responsibility” for.

Men, step up and act like men: Take care of your girls/women, like you expect them to do the same for you.

Kulia Kamanepatuanoe

Kailua-Kona

Seat belt, cellphone law

Why are there no
signs warning visitors?

My wife and six friends just returned from a two-week stay on your beautiful island. However, on our second day there we were pulled over by a Sgt. Edmoundson. He asked if I knew why we were stopped and I told him I had no idea. He informed me it was because I, a passenger, wasn’t wearing a seat belt.

Are you kidding? This is not illegal in my home state, but I received no warning, just a $92 ticket. I then realized ours was one of dozens of rental cars filled with innocent tourists being fleeced by your local police. No warning tickets were discussed, we had all been “set up.”

I spent the remaining days on the island looking for any signage warning of this “passenger seat belt” or your “no cellphone use while driving” laws, but there is nothing. Apparently, the local police don’t want to jeapordize their cash flow by warning people. Don’t you realize allowing your police to hand out these bogus traffic tickets is a very bad long-term policy. My friends and I won’t be coming back any time soon.

Tom Haggerty

Rapid City, S.D.

Hokulia

Where will the cash come to build the road?

Now that the Hokulia settlement is complete, the county will in two years have an interest in $20 million of land in Hokulia. This in order to pay for the bypass road.

The Hokulia development has been stalled for many years and according to the outgoing CEO, “The bank is prepared to take a major write down” (WHT 3/18). This leaves me with two questions:

How is the county actually going to raise the cash to build the road?

Why are Honolulu developers lining up to contribute to Mayor Kenoi’s re-election fund?

Robert Flatt

Captain Cook

State Senate seats

Current Legislature
not helping residents

I have to comment on the front page article from March 18, “Familiar names seeking state Senate seats.” I think former Sen. Lorraine Inouye’s quote enlightening us that the current state Legislature hasn’t done much for the people of Hawaii was right on. I find it comical Sen. Josh Green would boast about the state’s investment in our roads, schools and hospitals. Interesting as well, unless I’m mistaken, he is probably one of the highest-paid individuals connected with Kona Community Hospital. I’m glad to see at least he has decided to lose that stethoscope around his neck in his most recent political ads. I don’t think our next state senator needs to be locally born. However, the people of West Hawaii deserve a candidate who can cite community involvement outside of this century.

It appears as though the voters on this island will have an opportunity to change the status quo this year. Hopefully, residents who are not registered to vote will do so soon.

John Totten

Kailua-Kona