Your Views for March 11

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Bad move, KPUA

Bad move, KPUA

I am deeply disappointed with KPUA’s decision to cancel the Rush Limbaugh show from their programming schedule. What Rush said was reprehensible, and he did apologized for what he said. Why KPUA found it necessary to punish their listeners by canceling Rush Limbaugh is disappointing.

The young lady that Limbaugh spoke about is a 31-year-old abortion activist enrolled in a Jesuit university. She testified before a congressional committee that she and other students were entitled to be provided with contraception services by the university’s health-care plan. She also wants the university to provide health insurance for gender reassignment.

She claims this is a woman’s rights issue. I find it difficult to understand how contraception is a right when it is widely available for free at Planned Parenthood and at some government agencies. Why should a religious university provide a benefit that is against it conscience?

The issue has now been called a war against women. How can this be a war when no one is denying women contraception products? It seems the war is against religious institutions by the administration and activists, by forcing them to provide a benefit they find objectionable for religious reasons. The administration is violating the establishment clause in the First Amendment by demanding all religious employers and institutions provide contraception services. Even though the administration changed its policy to exempt religious institutions and require insurance companies to provide contraception services, these religious institutions still pay for those insurances premiums.

KPUA’s decision to cancel the Rush Limbaugh show is their right. However, the government forcing religious institutions to purchase a product they find objectionable is a violation of their rights.

Gene Lamkin

Keaau

Limbaugh a bully

I applaud Chris Leonard’s decision to drop Rush Limbaugh from KPUA’s programming, and I am proud that the Big Island station has the distinction to be the first in the country to do so.

Mr. Limbaugh is the absolute antithesis of aloha, as proven by his recent attack on Ms. Fluke. In the Tribune-Herald article, Mr. Leonard stated the show is popular with predominately 25- to 54-year-old males. What could Mr. Limbaugh’s program possibly be teaching these men about empathy and intelligent discourse? How can he help them to navigate their differences of opinion with their co-workers and family members in a civil and mature manner?

I personally find Rush Limbaugh to be toxic to our country’s democratic values and aspirations. In short, he glorifies bullying and fuels harmful divisiveness. His insults and daily sputterings of negativity erode our country’s potential for rational debate.

Let’s keep our aloha spirit as uncontaminated as possible by corporate-backed mainland bullies who don’t have an ounce of compassion or conscience in them.

Catherine Kennedy

Volcano

Good move, KPUA

Chris Leonard, president and general manager of New West Broadcasting Corp., cancelled the Rush Limbaugh Show on KPUA, saying that “it has never been our goal to allow our station to be used for personal attacks and intolerance” (Tribune-Herald, March 6).

Mahalo and much gratitude for showing integrity in the broadcasting business. Having listened to Mr. Limbaugh for the last seven years on KPUA, I can say that his style is abrasive and dedicates 90 percent of his show to describing the Democratic Party as the enemy and painting them as the source of all that is wrong with America.

Well, Mr. Limbaugh, some of us are now thinking that you are one of the things that is wrong with America.

Elaine Munro

Pepeekeo

Don’t close it

Don’t we need to promote our very lucrative lava-viewing attractions? Seems to me that we need to make more effort and investment in accommodating tourists. Their word-of-mouth advertising become a bonus asset when they return home. For example, “Man, you just got to go to Hilo and drive out to the volcano’s lava-viewing area!”

I just don’t see the savings in shutting down accommodations and viewing attractions for the very people who keep our economy strong and help create jobs. And, it puts us on the map.

Mr. Mayor (Billy Kenoi), will shutting down the lava-viewing program save money, or will it cost us dearly in the long run?

A. Branco

Hilo