Your Views for November 20

Give Syrians chance

After Dec. 7, 1941, Japanese in Hawaii and the mainland enlisted in the U.S. military, showing the rest of the country, the enemy and our allies, their loyalty and bravery.

Syrian refugees should be given the same option today. Form their own regiments in absentia, go home and take back their homeland.

We don’t need a coalition of American, French, German, Iranian, Russian or English boots on the ground. Give armed, young Syrians a chance to do the job themselves.

I had an opportunity to spend some time in Syria — enough time to know that like any of us, we would fight for our home more fiercely then we would for others.

Mercenaries never have been as effective as homegrown troops. It would not cost us much to put them through boot camp, arm them and send them home to show us what they are made of. We could vet them that way, too.

I think many Syrian refugees would welcome the opportunity.

Sam Monet

Oahu

Aloha not fear

This letter is in support of our governor for his stand on welcoming refugees (from Syria).

I would like all the naysayers to walk in the refugees’ shoes for a few minutes. What would you do if your home was destroyed, you could find no food for yourself or your children and you were compelled to sleep with one eye open to avoid being bombed, shot or taken hostage?

Almost all these refugees are fleeing this kind of mayhem. Our screening for refugees almost surely will sift out the ones coming for other reasons.

Please bring yourself to act in aloha, as the governor stated, rather than fear.

Margaret Drake

Volcano

‘Wrong direction’

If lawmakers (politicians) really wanted to do something to help the people, they would eliminate taxes on food and drugs.

But instead, our County Council wants to increase the tax on medicine (marijuana) by 5 percent!

Once again, our politicians are going in the wrong direction — and we keep electing them. Shame.

Fred Fogel

Volcano