The choice is clear
The choice is clear
As someone who volunteers many hours encouraging people to register and vote, I was very disappointed to read, “None of the above” (Your Views, Tribune-Herald, Oct. 12). It was especially disheartening to read that Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump were being viewed equally.
Clinton has made decisions she regrets. Everyone has. She has been interrogated and investigated by the best America has in office. To date, no charges of criminal activity have been made. She has been working for America’s neediest for more than 30 years.
In comparison, Trump has stepped on people from all walks of life. No one is safe from his greed, his ego and his sense of self-entitlement. He wants to be president of the United States of America, but won’t pay taxes. Only he knows how close he is to Russia. He is a man no one wants around their daughters or sisters.
Voting is a privilege many people do not have. As Americans, we should cherish our freedoms. No matter how bad our situation might seem, it’s nothing compared to what our ancestors left behind. If Trump had been president, they might have been turned away.
Choosing “None of the above” is voting for an America we soon will not recognize.
Every vote counts. Voting is the right thing to do.
D. Marie
Hilo
Access to Japan
The United States spends $5.5 billion per year to provide military defense to Japan.
Under the defense treaty, the United States is obligated to defend Japan, even if Japan provokes another country, such as China, yet there is no reciprocal clause in the treaty.
As long as the U.S. military is providing defense to Japan, the United States must require that U.S. citizens are given the right to live, work, study and operate a business in Japan, on an equal basis to Japanese citizens.
If Japan does not agree to provide U.S. citizens these rights, Japan should simply be declared a territory of the United States, as the U.S. military already is in control of the country.
It is unfair that Hawaii and U.S. taxpayers are footing the bill for Japan’s security, as a result of Japan’s bad behavior in World War II, yet U.S. citizens cannot benefit from the fruits of the security.
Eric Hafner
Mountain View