Saddle Road mess
Each traverse of Saddle Road (the Daniel K. Inouye Highway) provides a reminder of the pathetic failure of both state and county administrators to clean up the rubbish dump that clutters the intersection at the Maunakea Access Road. Two years have elapsed without corrective action.
What must go through the minds of lawful citizens as they pass the illegal shantytown squatters and their accumulated debris?
Laws for me, but not for thee.
And what must visitors think as they pass this mountain-viewing insult? Why do we continue to support impotent public service thumb-twiddlers who can’t seem to get anything done?
Richard Hoeflinger
Keaau
Try logic
On Saturday (Nov. 20), my husband and I drove past Wailoa River State Recreation Area where there was a small, noisy group of anti-vaccination protesters at the entrance to where the King Kamehameha statue stands.
Ironic that the protesters were doing so in front of a revered leader in the islands, where disease brought by the Europeans killed so many native people who did not have the use of life-saving vaccines.
My first thought was, if these people were serious about their fears they wouldn’t be behaving like they’re having a party.
Secondly, how many of those people have been vaccinated in the past for deadly diseases like measles, mumps, rubella, etc.? I would venture the tally would be at, or virtually, 100%, and they are here and physically healthy to prove it.
How about a little logic? There have been at least 195 million people fully vaccinated in this country, with no deaths as a result of the vaccination and very few serious side effects. The vaccines have been thus proven incredibly successful and safe.
The people who are dying are overwhelmingly the unvaccinated. If everyone got vaccinated and followed the rules, we could have been out of this pandemic over a year ago.
You, anti-vaxxers, are extending it into the foreseeable future.
Karen Cooper
Hilo
‘Smiles and attention’
Mahalo to the Hawaii National Guard and the Hilo Medical Center staff for their services to the community regarding the booster shots given at The Arc of Hilo.
I was pleasantly surprised to experience the courtesy and respect shown us, especially the Hawaii National Guard representatives. They were efficient in handing out necessary forms after checking our eligibility information. They greeted us with smiles and attention, and reminded us of the requirements expected of us to go through the necessary procedures. One of them even gave me my booster shot.
It was a pleasure to witness such service-oriented persons, and I feel that they are an invaluable resource in our community. Kudos to them and, again, a great big mahalo!
Yuriko Higa
Keaau