Unite against hate
Unite against hate
It is troubling that the vicious anti-LGBT vandalism of the home and vehicle of Puna resident Joshua Franklin Alameda will not be investigated as a hate crime by police.
Alameda, an openly gay man and father, believes this incident is linked to legal action he has taken regarding harassment against his tween-age sons at a local school, based on their dad’s sexual orientation.
The Hawaii Police Department and County Prosecutor Mitch Roth are being untruthful in claiming that Hawaii County doesn’t have any hate crimes by purposefully refusing to classify bona fide incidents as such.
Native Hawaiian culture has a longstanding tradition of accepting people of diverse sexuality and expressions of gender, but since colonization, these values have been opposed by the evangelicals, and bigotry has grown out of control.
The Police Department must establish a Bias Crimes Unit, with LGBT officers as part of the team, and a task force to undertake a public education campaign on hate crimes, in places such as schools, before something even more tragic happens to one of our diverse Big Island ohana because of who they are.
I stand with Joshua Franklin Alameda and urge everyone to join me in combating hate and supporting human rights on the Big Island.
The Rev. Eric Hafner
Mountain View
No showers?
I’m seeing clearly how us out here in Puna get the reputation for being stinky hippies.
While we are grateful for the new Pahoa Park, there is a huge problem. There are no showers. Same at Pahoa High School’s new gym. Who wants to go and sweat for hours and not be able to wash off?
When kids from other high schools come to play sports, they have to get on the bus, stinky? Who designs any sports complex this way? I have a feeling we in Pahoa have been intentionally discriminated against, yet again.
Sara Steiner
Pahoa