Safer at home
Safer at home
The recent tragedy in Las Vegas, shootings at airports, cars and trucks ramming into crowds of people, bombs going off at music concerts, active shooters at schools and shopping malls, hurricanes, earthquakes, etc., are reasons why I have to partially empty my bucket list of things to do — and that is traveling.
Maybe I’m better off by staying at home.
Rick LaMontagne
Hilo
Is this justice?
Sean Matsumoto should have been sent to prison the night he shot Elaine and Rhonda Ahu and they should have “thrown away the key.”
This situation is unfair to the Ahu children and others who truly loved the victims. This horrible human being still has not been punished for his cruel and violent actions. How would you feel if you saw one of your loved one’s lives taken away from you by someone who lived in your home?
Especially since the children in the home were so young, 15 and 6 years old. Their lives will never be the same.
It took 4 1/2 years to arrange this plea deal. Although he will receive a life sentence, he can be paroled in 15 years. He shot two unarmed women to death.
Drugged out or sober, this should have been settled sooner than 4 1/2 years. I think that this interfered with his sentence. It was his choice to smoke “ice,” not anyone else’s.
Isaiah Futa
Hilo
Disrespecting the anthem
I have played Hilo High School football for four years and never once “took a knee” or shown any form of protest during the playing of the national anthem. But I understand that professional teams are trying to make Donald Trump open his eyes, if even a little bit, to show that all lives matter, especially African-American lives.
I think you have to look at the big picture of professional athletics and the influence it has on our society.
Sports play a major role in people’s lives. Young kids look up to athletes because of the character they have on and off the field. How far will this “taking a knee” or not participating in the national anthem go? Is this trend defeating the purpose of playing the national anthem at large sporting events?
We have this honorable tradition of showing respect for our country. People have their opinions and we have the freedom of speech, but will these actions take away from showing our national pride?
These National Football League teams have a point, but let’s not get into a squabbling match with the president of the United States. Just play ball!
Black lives matter. All lives matter. It’s one thing to play football, but to disrespect the national anthem, that bewilders me.
What happened to the way football used to be?
Joseph Pagan II
Hilo