Millennials must embrace tolerance

Lately, our democracy has amounted to pointing fingers and name calling from the echo chambers we’ve created. But the effects of these biased bubbles pour into other aspects of life. According to a Rasmussen survey, 40 percent of voters claimed the 2016 election negatively affected a personal relationship with a friend or family member. We’ve even seen students escalate to violent protests on college campuses against classmates they disagree with.

With the power of technology, we can retreat into our echo chambers on social media platforms. We can delete, block and report dissent away. It becomes easier and easier to control what messages and ideas we hear behind our screens. This encourages the idea that tolerance is optional. That you can cut off relationships because you disagree with the other person; furthermore, you can segregate people in groups based on said opinions.

Intolerance of differing ideas is not the way to achieve positive social change; intolerance only begets negative outcomes. Disagreement is inevitable; how one addresses disagreement and differing perspectives is the key to success. I discourage everyone to stray away from trying to belittle philosophical opponents on social media, which ultimately creates opposing echo chambers and do not yield a positive result.

The message of liberty is a positive one. We are driven to action grounded in the principles of free markets, individual liberty and limited government.

So what’s our plan to combat big-government ideology amongst the youth of America? I can tell you this: when a socialist comes to campus to speak, you won’t see YAL members burning the campus to the ground or throwing rocks through windows.

Through robust, campus activism and outreach efforts, YAL members are working hard to present the ideas of liberty in a powerful, peaceful manner to win the hearts and minds of the next generation.

CLIFF MALONEY JR., Young Americans for Liberty

——————

West Maui community needs traffic solutions

We, West Maui people and people who work and commute… WE ARE BYPASSED!! Honoapiilani Highway is still susceptible to fire, accidents, flooding by rain, summer swells and king tides – and it’s still a TWO-lane highway! It’s still a choke point at the Pali.

Now the prediction of 5-8 hurricanes! They say to be prepared to be cut off and have supplies for two weeks (minimum).

The state built a seawall at Ukumehame for $12 million that doesn’t work. They spend money by Olowalu and Launiupoko. They spends money for Kuihelani Highway (380) going to Kahului (one way)! They spend money to expand Kahului Airport and the car rentals. Then DOT says, “NO money!”

Oahu has multi-routes – H1, H2, H3 – plus countless side routes that people can take. DOT spent $220 million for the Kapolei Interchange, repaved freeways last year, and changed LED lights in the tunnels, Really? But they cannot spend $1 on a PLAN for Honoapiilani Highway!

They say nothing on the books now until 2035. That’s 18 years!! WHO makes all these decisions on who gets what, how much and when? Some people say: “They nickle and diming us.”

I think it’s time for a change. Change the govenor. If not the govenor, then the head of DOT and planners and all associated.

NAME WITHHELD BY REQUEST

——————

States shouldn’t send voting information

How can we trust Trump? I’m 100 percent behind the states that declined to send voters’ information to the Trump Administration. That information could very well be forwarded to Russia.

By the way, does Vladimir Putin have something so bad on Donald Trump that Trump is speculating firing Jeff Sessions (attorney general), Rod Rosenstein (deputy AG) and Special Counsel Robert Mueller… and also thinking of pardoning everyone?

ALFRED WADDELL

——————

Should Trump quit?

Should President Donald Trump quit? A large percentage of Americans voted against him and continue to dislike him. About all of the Democrats in Congress are against him, and there are certainly Republicans who aren’t Trump fans. I would wager transgender people in the military don’t like him. The protestors who show up wherever he is to protest, some of them paid to do so, don’t like him.

Most of the media hates Trump. You would think NBC would love Trump. He made mega-millions for that network with his successful “The Apprentice” television show. NBC begins every “Today” show and evening nightly news with 5-15 minutes of Trump bashing. This week, I timed the Trump bashing segment on the “Today” show at 14 minutes and some seconds. They came on at 7 and immediately began with the Russian collusion story that they pound every day almost seven days a week. Of course, CNN hates Trump and still cannot come to grips with the fact that Hillary Clinton lost. The American people voted for Trump, and Trump won the election. I did not vote against Hillary because of Russian interference. I voted for Trump because I felt we desperately need a change of direction in this country.

With so much of the media, American people and politicians against Trump, it would only make sense that his wherewithal to stay with the tasks at hand would be daunting. I suspect it’s harder than we know, and we don’t know what is going on with him internally. He obviously churns a lot about current Attorney General Jefferson Sessions. The former FBI Director James Comey is probably a splinter in his side, but the list of splinters in Trump’s skin would be almost unending.

President Trump will not be quitting, and I would never want him to. He’s just been elected and has a lot to accomplish. Having to jockey your life around the haggling of Congress would have to be extremely difficult. Trump is used to being a businessman and moving on with the business at hand. He would like to operate this way as president, but of course that’s impossible. He has Congress to kill most anything he would like to accomplish.

Somehow, they will find a way to save their own skin with the healthcare bill. Instead of taking action, they will delay and amend until they can feel like they can fly home and tell everybody they have personally rallied Congress to save healthcare.

Trump was mocked when he talked about running for President. Most of the media thought he was joking. Many on-air media personalities just knew he was going to pull his name off the list. They felt like it was a publicity stunt.

Trump won’t quit because he is not used to quitting. He’s had plenty of failures and shortcomings, but his mindset has been to keep moving even when he suffered a loss.

Trump’s going to stick with being president. Members of Congress who want to accomplish some positive change in this country shouldn’t waste the next three-and-a-half years and work hard with him to accomplish some positive change in this country.

DR. GLENN MOLLETTE