Lenient sentence
In my not so humble opinion, the sentence for J. G. Alatan (Tribune-Herald, March 26), who is a repeat sexual offender of underage girls, is not justice and is certainly not what I expect from a court of law.
He has a history of sexually assaulting girls who are too young to consent. His plea deal included the dropping of nine serious sexual assault charges, in addition to failure to comply with sexual offender requirements.
If I’m interpreting his sentence correctly, he is to serve two 10-year sentences, to run concurrently. He’ll be back on the street long before his victims have gotten past their trauma, nightmares and trust issues.
This is not justice.
D. Marie
Hilo
‘People don’t care’
“Mueller probe ends.” So screamed the headlines (Tribune-Herald, March 23).
Call me a skeptic, but just how many Americans out there know who Robert Mueller is? Or what his appointed task was? Does the average American care?
Yours truly is no fan of Fox News. But a recent guest on Fox News made a statement about the Mueller report that I am in complete agreement with: “People don’t care about the Mueller report. They care about Netflix, ‘March Madness,’ spring break and a host of other things.”
Indeed, on my near-daily visits to Starbucks, not once in the past 22 months of the Mueller investigation have I overheard a conversation about “the Russia thing.”
Patrons frequenting Starbucks are more interested in the Super Bowl, Bruno Mars, Alabama football or the new Cloud Macchiato drink at Starbucks, even though we have a president — a sitting president — who is potentially in thrall to a foreign government!
But I know what you are thinking: Starbucks has a new drink called Cloud Macchiato?
It was the late Robert Kennedy who stated, “Americans are the most entertained but least informed people in the world.”
So, listen to Braddah Kerry, Tribune-Herald. If you desire to sell more papers, heed the advice of the late Robert Kennedy. Forget placing Mueller in the headlines; how about the Kardashians, instead?
Kerry Meyer
Hilo
Clarification re: blood
I did exactly what the letter writer suggested (Tribune-Herald, March 23): I went online to redcross.org. Then I called them at 1-800-REDCROSS.
And, just as I suspected, they do NOT collect blood on Hawaii Island, nor anywhere else in the state. If you would like to donate blood, contact the Blood Bank of Hawaii, either at BBH.org or by telephone.
But don’t expect any payment for your donation; it’s strictly voluntary. However, think of the good you will do.
Michael L. Last
Na‘alehu