‘Calm down’
I understand but do not condone rioting and mob-storming by Black Lives Matter, Antifa or any other entity or group, be it liberal or conservative.
We are humans and prone to getting riled up and violent. I understand how things can get so out of control due to poor communication, hypocrisy and lack of accountability by our local and federal leaders. From COVID-19 to massive voter fraud (allegations), this was a perfect storm in-the-making for even more civil unrest. But I will never support violent acts against our government or people.
I get human nature. I’m just writing in to say that we must remain calm. I am not saying we should “suck it up” and simply move on. We are on a slippery slope of violence-begets-violence, “Catch 22” scenarios. The Capitol building being mobbed by fed up, taxpaying people of all races and creeds who own homes and businesses and farms is one such scenario being played out.
I do not condone their actions, but I do understand they have more to lose than those who have not achieved the same success (or debt!). No excuse, though. Remain calm. Our civility is what makes all the difference.
There is no left or right to blame now. We need blame nothing. We need to calm down. Take a second. Assess how small you are in the universe, and stay calm.
Allen Russell
Hilo
Response to letter
I would like to respond to the letter by James Igawa (Your Views, Jan. 6).
First, he asks what effort it took on President Trump’s part to “convince” pharmaceutical companies to develop a vaccine?
Please inform us instead about all those times pharma did not try to develop a vaccine, without being encouraged by a politician. Because pharma hates making billions of dollars.
Then he says Trump was criticized for “acting too quickly” in banning travel from China.
It is true that Chinese nationals were banned from flying into the United States, while it’s equally true that Americans were never banned and can continue to fly there and fly back any time they want.
Then he says normal people criticized Trump for saying a vaccine was coming, something Trump was told by pharma, so why would anyone criticize Trump for relaying information he was told?
Igawa rightly points out that politicians were first in line for the vaccine, including many GOP politicians who said COVID was fake, but were first in line for the vaccine, cutting ahead of first responders.
Lastly, he complains that Trump gets no credit for the things he “accomplished.”
Allow me to name a few of Trump’s accomplishments: Biggest job losses of any president in American history, and 357,000 Americans died while Trump golfed and said it was a fake Dem hoax.
In fact, Trump is killing off his own base because they still refuse to wear masks, they gather in crowds, spittle flying, as they shout out their anger, then they contract COVID.
Trump spends about one out of every four days on the golf course as president. He golfed every week for the first six months of the pandemic, and he was even on the golf course when Biden was named president.
Trump will probably be on the golf course when he is indicted.
For hours, Trump was silent as the Capitol was breached by Trump voters.
Any one of those “protesters” could have planted a bomb.
Trump voters are trying to turn America into the Middle East, where every country is predominately conservative.
Dennis Chaquette
Keaau
No waiting period
In securing a nuclear agreement with Iran or North Korea, President Biden must hold out for the inspection of suspected sites without a waiting period.
If there is a waiting period, they can move the materials for making a nuclear weapon — such as enriched uranium — to a second site during the waiting period for the first site. Then, when the second site comes under suspicion, it will have a waiting period during which the material can be moved to a third site, and so on.
Alex Sokolow
Hilo
