‘Stand your ground’ bill epitomizes bad leadership

The Democratic Majority in the Hawaii State House of Representatives has passed House Bill 2464. HB2464 is a “stand your ground” bill and epitomizes bad policy, bad politics and bad leadership.

“The shooting of unarmed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin drew national attention to these laws… Our study finds homicides go up by 7 to 9 percent in states that pass the laws… As to whether the laws reduce crime… we find no evidence of any deterrence effect…,” reported Must Read National Public Radio.

“Stand your ground laws overturn centuries of jurisprudence, allowing people to avoid criminal prosecution for the use of deadly force even when the person could easily and safely retreat. Research consistently shows that stand your ground laws increase homicides…,” according to The Educational Fund To Stop Gun Violence.

“In short, Stand Your Ground laws encourage the use of deadly force. These laws open the door to a more dangerous world where everyone feels pressure to carry a gun — and if they feel threatened, to shoot first and tell their stories later,” noted Scholars Org.

So, who in the State House of Representatives actually voted for this dangerous, testosterone-fueled, right-wing and very dangerous piece of legislation?

Unfortunately, that list is long, and it includes Speaker Scott Saiki and every member of the House Majority Leadership faction — all of whom are members of the Democratic Party, I am embarrassed to say.

To end this on a positive note, I will list the “NO” votes here. Please take a moment to thank them for standing up to this madness.

Representatives Branco, Ganaden, Kapela, D. Kobayashi, Lowen, Marten, McKelvey, Nakamura, Perruso, Sayama, Takumi, Tam, Tarnas and Wildberger voted “no.”

GARY HOOSER, Pono Hawai’i Initiative

Celebrate Women’s History Month

As we kick off Women’s History Month 2022, themed “Women Providing Healing, Promoting Hope,” I honor our incredible women in caregiving and healthcare and think of all the women entrepreneurs across sectors who have, for generations, lifted up their children, their families, and their communities with their creativity, ingenuity and commitment to the common good.

At the SBA, we’re committed to supporting our women entrepreneurs, who held our nation together throughout the pandemic and, today, are helping to drive our historic economic growth. We want to ensure women entrepreneurs can get their businesses funded and access the strong networks at the SBA, so they can take advantage of market growth opportunities to build resilient businesses. This is why I have elevated the SBA Office of Women’s Business Ownership to report directly to me, so I can ensure that supporting women entrepreneurs remains a priority.

Through this office over the past year, we’ve invested nearly $70 million in support of our Women’s Business Center network, creating a robust, vibrant ecosystem focused on the unique strengths and needs of women entrepreneurs made up of more than 140 centers in every state in the country. And, to support women of color, who are leading the way when it comes to small business creation, we’ve doubled the number of Women’s Business Centers at HBCUs and other Minority Serving Institutions.

The path of entrepreneurship has opened doors and provided opportunity and financial independence for strong, visionary women throughout American history. President Biden, Vice President Harris and I believe in investing in women entrepreneurs — not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because time and again that investment has paid off for America. In honor of all the pioneering women entrepreneurs upon whose shoulders we stand, we will continue fighting to ensure every woman entrepreneur can have the opportunity to blaze their own paths and achieve the dream of business ownership.”

ISABELLA CASILLAS GUZMAN, U.S. Small Business Administration

Stumbling into the ‘sacrifice trap’

Seeing headlines about Ukraine, the world prays that this will not be their last moment on Planet Earth when nuclear missiles begin to fly to support the egos and identities of world leaders. Kenneth Boulding, professor, philosopher, poet, economist and peace researcher, is looking on, almost 30 years after his death.

Leaders of the Russian Federation, Ukraine and U.S. are locked into what Boulding called the “sacrifice trap” — their identities and images of who they are leave aside the realities of the real cost of war.

President Zelensky could not bring himself to say, “We can withdraw our application to join NATO.”

President Biden could not acknowledge, “We can recognize Russia’s worry about their security.”

President Putin could not say, “We’ll wait and talk until you actually hear our concerns.”

Heroes stand their ground at all costs.

World leaders are caught up in their own identities and heroic self-images, national and personal.

We are also caught up in these self-images, unwilling even to say: “stop!”

Boulding said, “… sacrifice often reinforces this identity, simply because it is very hard for us to admit that past sacrifices have been in vain.

“To admit that the sacrifices that we have undergone in the name of either a personal or a national identity were actually in vain would be too great a threat to that identity itself.”

The war profiteers are not into the sacrifice trap at all; economic profits equate for them with rationality.

Their fantasy is that they will be around to spend it. Nuclear war would have no heroes.

DR. ANN FRISCH, PeaceVoice