Letters to the Editor

'I love Kailua Day' leaves many behind

I was born and raised in Kailua. I also am an owner and partner in two businesses in Kailua.

I do love Kailua.

Organizers of the annual "I (Love) Kailua Day" probably love Kailua as well. So why do they single out vendors who sell products that have "Kailua" written on them? Why do they single out vendors who sell T-shirts? Is "I Love Kailua Day" not meant to celebrate and assist the people who live here? Maybe this annual gathering should be called the "I Love the Lani-Kailua Outdoor Circle so Come and Buy only our Products and Forget Everyone Else Day."

If you're going to call this party, celebration or whatever the heck is "I Love Kailua," then cater to the interests of people who live and do business here.

Genetically modified crops need more study

I had the dubious pleasure on April 2 of listening to a dozen industry zealots explain to the Maui County Council why any local review of genetically modified (GM) crop proposals was a terrible, even dangerous, idea.

They presented themselves as proper scientists who know better than the ignorant, emotional, untrained fools who have the audacity to raise questions about technology and would dare to lift the blanket of secrecy that covers local GM open-field experimentation.

This united front, this absolute certainty and dismissal of any questions to the contrary, looked to me like rigid dogma delivered by a well-fed priesthood, or like partisan ideology demanding strict conformance to its authority — but certainly not like science.

How could anyone have much knowledge about side effects of GM foods when they are not even labeled?

Science, as I learned it, is first and foremost about open minds. It does not recognize final answers; there is only the latest and best-fitting approximation to constantly updating information.

Findings that contradict accepted theories are fertile ground for new discoveries, or they may offer support to earlier ideas if found to be in error after careful checking, but to ignore them is to arrogantly court disgrace and disaster.

Genetic splicing is an infant technology that is being rushed into a world where life as we know it developed because it could count on the relative inviolability of species-specific DNA.

Common sense dictates we should tread carefully when entering the garden of creation.

Narrowing of Kuhio should be re-evaluated

The city Transportation Department might have been spared much pilikia if it had "modeled" the narrowing of Kuhio Avenue, the technology for which exists. I am going to speculate, however, that either it was not done or, having been done, the results were ignored because the modeling would likely indicate that Kuhio Avenue should not be narrowed.

The city is wedded to the ancient method of determining traffic by counting the tires that go over cables placed across the road. These counters give frequency and times, but none of the complexities such as habits of pedestrians, delivery vehicles, large vehicle-turning radii, to name a few.

Years ago when Kalakaua was made narrower with bigger sidewalks, Kuhio was then made wider to accommodate the traffic, especially the buses that would no longer be routed onto Kalakaua. I wonder what magic the city expects to use to make it work with no less traffic and no fewer complications?

Vili banishment has hurt volleyball team

Games played by the University of Hawai'i Warrior volleyball team are no longer enjoyable to watch. The excitement and joy are not there anymore because Vili is no longer allowed to do his things on the court. He does not even appear anymore on TV unless he is behind the Warrior server. To those who dislike Vili, shame on you.

Vili was the catalyst to winning games. Now the players and fans are not motivated and aroused because Vili is no longer allowed to shout "Ahhh!" with a wide eye. He is no longer on TV. Wake up, Hawai'i!

Pedaling of seawater might backfire on us

So Gov. Lingle is putting her stamp of approval, and thus the state's as well, on a cockamamie enterprise that sells seawater to the suckers in Japan. I'll wager there isn't a shred of believable data this substance has any health or therapeutic value for its gullible consumers.

Given that Hawai'i doesn't have any snakes (thus far), the entrepreneurs can't manufacture snake oil to sell to the Japanese. Maybe Hawai'i could work out a deal with the state of New York to pedal the Brooklyn Bridge, or shares in it, to the Japanese.

Is this enterprise part of "Live Aloha"? I wonder how long it will take the Japanese to catch on to the fact they are being had and stop coming here.