No rights for victims
A little over 1½ years ago, my truck was stolen and the perpetrator got four years of probation due to COVID-19 (he should have gone to Halawa).
He was ordered to pay me over $900 by the judge in Kona. I received one check for $42.00.
On April 19, he returned to the custody of the HCCC for being arrested for six more felonies, including stealing another vehicle from a business.
Then, a few months later, he was bailed out. I was livid and contacted my victim rights advocate in Kona. She said they are bailing out 100% of the nonviolent offenders and even inmates who commit assaults as long as they are not violent assaults or rapes or murders. This is because of COVID.
I felt violated again. Who has the rights? Not people who have been offended. The criminals have all the rights!
No wonder the crime in lower Puna is skyrocketing. Why? Because all the criminals who are supposed to be locked up are loose and going crazy!
The man who stole my truck is allegedly a meth head. One of these days, one of these meth heads is going to get high and steal a vehicle and kill someone in an auto accident.
Whose fault will it be? The liberal judge who let them out.
Michael Quay
Pahoa
Fur farming
Farming animals for their fur has become socially unacceptable and detested as a concept in our culture.
Electrocuting them and removing their skin, sometimes while still alive, is something we can forego.
The demand for these products of suffering is not justified. Bans have been enacted in the state of California, Boulder, Colo., Hallandale Beach, Florida, and other U.S. cities.
It is overdue that we spread aloha to animals and prohibit these activities in Hawaii, too.
In the U.S., animals on fur farms are not covered by the Humane Slaughter Act, allowing farmers to be able to kill them using heinous methods: gas chamber, electrocution, or breaking their necks.
Minks, widely farmed for their fur, are even experiencing painful respiratory infections and death from COVID-19, just as humans are.
Because of the inherent cruelty, over 1,500 retailers, including ones once known for their high-end fur garments — Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue — have all announced fur-free policies.
Anyone left dealing in furs is causing irreversible damage to their reputation and experiencing constant backlash from animal activists. We must support House Bill 32 and Senate Bill 969 that will end the manufacture and sale of fur in Hawaii.
Emailing your legislators would be the best way to help!
Amanda Fox
Animal Rights Initiative, Honolulu