This is our home

On Aug. 10, 6:30 p.m., after my long swim by the Maui Kaanapali Villas, I walked the beach to the public parking lot.

Adjacent to the Maui Kaanapali Villas, two girls were taking pictures of themselves while hitting golf balls out into OUR oceans.

I couldn’t believe this and wanted to say something, but was afraid I would not be able to hold myself back in a proper, intelligent manner as to their ignorance. So, frustrated, I continued on and brought this dilemma back home with me.

Early the next morning, I once again went for my swim by the Maui Kaanapali Villas. About 50 yards from the beach, I nearly swam into a green sea turtle lying on the surface DEAD, choked on two golf balls – one protruding from its throat and the other still in its mouth. I placed my arm over its shell and cried.

A few years ago, I crewed on a sailboat from Maui to the Pacific Northwest. It was the third time we had sailed through the North Pacific Convergence Zone, which lies about 1,000 miles off the coast of Seattle and is now twice the size of Texas. For nearly 14 hours, we sailed through nothing but plastic.

After my lecture presentation at the Whale Museum in the San Juan Islands some years ago, I was approached by several marine biologists, who told me of a beached gray whale and that they were going to perform an autopsy. I was asked to join them if I wished. When they cut the stomach open, hundreds of pounds of plastic, rope, flowerpots, etc. poured onto the beach.

Trade winds fill into the shoreline, and people watch their plastic inner tubes float away. I quickly put on my fins and try to retrieve this plastic tube before it gets too far into the trades. After retrieving the inner tube, my reply is, “Why did you go after it? they only cost $4.” I walk away with heartfelt tears.

“Out of Sight – Out of Mind.” Walking away, leaving their plastic and bottles on the beach, I politely say, “Folks, please pick up your trash.” They look at me and say, “If it bothers you, you pick it up.” All of which I do, for life is too short to be frustrated over ignorance. We walk by trash as if it isn’t ours. Personally, I don’t believe any bird or mongoose left it there.

We human beings have left our footprints from the top of the world to the bottom of the sea.

Our home goes beyond the four walls of which we live. Our home is this planet. We cannot live alone. We MUST LIVE in balance.

What would this world be without the blow of the whale, the songs of birds or the simplicity of the buzzing of bees to pollinate? There simply would be no world, for we cannot live alone, as all life is connected. Anyone that does not believe this is a fool.

We are only one out of millions of species that roam this planet. We alone pat ourselves on the back and label ourselves as INTELLIGENT.

RICHARD ROSHON, www.hawaiiwhalesrus.com, Lahaina

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Charge fair rent for housing

One major problem in our islands is the affordable housing crisis. You are either part of the problem or solution. Perhaps you are one of the many landlords who have become educated about HUD (dropping the stigma attached to it), and are assisting others in the program to secure housing through their program. Or, on the flip side, seeing that ten other John Does are charging $1,200 a room to rent in Lahaina, you are going to as well. It’s supply and demand, right?

First, mahalo nui all you stand-up, pono kanaka who are charging rentals that are fair prices, so that others can afford to have a place to call home, feel secure and not anxious, or live paycheck to paycheck. Mahalo for having aloha for people more than kala (money). Ke Akua did warn us about the dangers of loving money, and we are seeing this come to fruition with our housing.

One Tim 6:10: For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some, by longing for it, have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

How do we change today’s values of greed and selfishness? Remember the piko po’o – the values of the past that connect us to our ancestors, those that came before us and our kupuna. What is truth, worth and everlasting in our lives, leading to happiness, goodness, lokahi (unity), maluhia (peace)? And how do we get there?

With respect to our host Hawaiian culture and ourselves, maintaining lokahi is always important. We should always have lokahi with ke Akua, the `aina and kanaka. If we do not malama (take care of, honor, preserve because it’s important) any relationship with those, then we will not have lokahi.

All the illegal bed and breakfasts, vacation rentals, overpriced rentals, application fees to make money, or landlords that are renting out run-down, hole-in-the-wall places for overpriced fortunes, it is because your “love for kala” is more than your love for ke Akua. IT”S TIME TO STOP doing illegal and wrongful actions that are hurting our communities and kanaka. It’s time to come out of the darkness and into the light to help change our Maui. Our Hawaii, our God, people and future generations are worth it.

Ephesians 4:25: Therefore, laying aside falsehood, SPEAK TRUTH EACH ONE of you WITH HIS NEIGHBOR, for we are members of one another.

For everyone reading this, please join me in a prayer asking ke Akua to call out to all those who are doing wrongful acts, convict their hearts and bring repentance, also forgiving them. I pray that the Lord will bring renewal and complete restoration on Maui in housing for people.

Lift up the governing authorities to assist with solutions and provide them wisdom; also open doors for more affordable housing. In Iesue Kristo. Amene.

Akua Ho’omaika’i Oe – God Bless You!

JAHANNA NAGANUMA, Lahaina

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Hawaiian Nation could offer dual citizenship

Restoring the Hawaiian Nation and retaining United States citizenship is compelling. Like the Apostle Paul, consider the greater privileges and freedoms afforded with dual citizenship.

“The concept of dual nationality means that a person is a national of two countries at the same time. U.S. law does not mention dual nationality or require a person to choose one nationality or another. Also, a person who is automatically granted another nationality does not risk losing U.S. nationality.” (Immigration and Nationality Act)

Consider benefits for Hawaii to control immigration, lessen government bureaucracy and have laws aligned with God’s ideas.

“I’ll put My law in their minds. I’ll be their God, and they’ll be My people. They’ll thrive! I’ll make sure that My people have more than enough!” (Jeremiah)

Hawaii could produce sustainable agriculture and provide truly affordable housing in perpetuity, rather than the current trend to develop for outside interests.

The 1840 Hawaiian Constitution alleviates any fears of displacement or losses associated with property. “Protection is hereby secured to the persons of all the people, together with their lands, their building lots, and all their property, while they conform to the laws of the kingdom.”

Not a foreign concept, dual citizenship resides in mankind’s hearts. As Paul wrote, “Our homeland is in heaven, where our Savior the Lord Jesus Christ is; and we’re looking forward to His return.”

MICHELE LINCOLN, Lahaina

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Move from threats to talks with North Korea

What might it take to create a breakthrough to resume U.S.-North Korea talks? The experiences of prior diplomacy suggest an answer: a special emissary of the president to meet with Kim Jong-un.

North Korean leaders not only want a reliable deterrent to what they fear is a potential U.S. attack, or attempt at regime change. They also want respect, especially from the United States, which translates to recognition of the country’s status and the regime’s legitimacy – its “supreme dignity,” at one observer puts it.

Use of a special emissary – someone of recognized stature, with appropriate international credentials – would meet the North Koreans’ standard of dignity. The emissary has been successful in a number of dicey situations between North Korea and the United States.

Jimmy Carter’s visit to Kim Il-sung in 1994 paved the way for the Agreed Framework, which pre-empted U.S. preparations to attack a North Korean nuclear site.

Madeleine Albright’s visit to Pyongyang in 2000 produced an importantly symbolic joint statement of “no hostile intent” when the visit was reciprocated by a top North Korean party leader.

Former New Mexico Governor and UN Ambassador Bill Richardson’s mission in 2007 recovered the remains of U.S. servicemen killed during the Korean War.

Former President Bill Clinton’s visit in June 2009 resulted in the release of two American journalists after Kim Jong-il pardoned them.

Richardson, who has visited North Korea several times, has written that building trust through personal relationships is central to effective engagement and negotiations.

The Trump administration should take note of that. Trading threats invites deeper trouble and often leads to deployments of force that produce disastrous miscalculations.

Is President Trump up to the task of learning from the past and trusting to diplomacy rather than gunboats? There is no weakness in engaging an enemy, and there is wisdom and maturity in trying creative diplomacy before firing shots.

MEL GURTOV, PeaceVoice