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Time conquers all

Time conquers all

Time is the great creator, and time also is the great destroyer.

It took some time for all things on our Earth to be created, and it shall again take some time for all things on our Earth to be destroyed.

For all human lives, as with everything else, it took awhile for all of us to be created, and it shall take awhile for of us to be destroyed.

It’s the law of nature that the process of creation and destruction shall continue forever.

At any rate, let’s hope 2016 will be a happier and kinder time than it was in 2015, so we might enjoy a real happy new year!

T. Ono

Hilo

Shut it down

How can we honestly talk about human rights and being the leader of the “Free World” considering the monstrosities we committed since 2002 at the miniature “Hell on Earth” called Guantanamo, which has been and henceforth will be a blessing to dictators across the globe?

Let us have the courage to apply our inalienable, as well as our constitutional, rights to every human being on this planet. I very seriously doubt God almighty recognizes our being “exceptional” by doing whatever the hell we want, and denying the same right to others.

Whoever can close down Guantanamo and fails to do so is an accessory to all the inhumanities that have been committed there and are being committed.

Abraham Sadegh

Hilo

Impact on keiki

Recently, I had the good fortune to attend my granddaughters’ closing ceremony for “Camp ‘IMI-Possible,” a science education camp at the ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center. As the 45 or so children in grades K-3 sat on the floor watching friends and family take their seats in the audience, I could not help but notice the diversity of the smiling faces. Tall, short, brown, black, white and all shades in between, they all had a look of anticipation as they looked for loved ones in the audience. They surely are the faces of our future.

At last the program began with a Hawaiian chant recited by all the children. A microphone then was passed among the group as each child declared what they liked best learning about at camp. Subjects ranged from jellyfish (my granddaughters’ favorite) to the names of the winds, galaxies and many other subjects. It was quite impressive, given their ages and only a five-day program.

As I observed, I could not help but think of U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye — the driving force behind ‘Imiloa. His vision was that the center should serve to weave the sciences — especially astronomy — with the Hawaiian culture. I feel sure he would have been pleased to have attended the program.

At present, we are all awaiting Thirty Meter Telescope’s decision regarding how it will proceed in light of the recent Supreme Court decision. Should TMT decide to throw in the towel, and who could blame it, we all lose an opportunity of a lifetime and will deal with the consequences for years to come.

Conversely, should TMT persist and the telescope is built, the benefits to mankind and the people of this island, not the least of which is the $1 million per year THINK fund providing educational funds to our children, will be vast.

In either event, that decision will have an impact on all of us, not the least being those children.

Bob Saunders

Piihonua