Your Views for August 10

Regarding Parker

Reading “What the world needs now” by Kathleen Parker (Tribune-Herald, Aug. 2), I found that I actually was enjoying a Parker piece for a change.

Too often her smugness overwhelms her erudition, but this was different. Then I came to her description of Hillary Clinton as “the head-nodding yes-woman who lacked a platform higher than the heels of her sensible shoes.”

The column is about the shallowness of our political options. Parker does not define “higher” but seems to imply it has to do with headline worthiness and a sense of great aspiration.

Alas, Parker is not going to lift the conversation any if she is going to ignore the hundreds of pages of policy Clinton published online or the whole book Clinton wrote to explain who she is and how she would govern. Parker seems to think that we, like her, are not capable of being interested in policy or actual governing.

She reinforced this sad take on the voters’ minds by claiming our “diminishing cognitive abilities” are from our attention spans that “mimic a honeybee’s.”

This exposes her depth of thinking. There are no examples in nature that demonstrate a more focused animal than the honeybee.

Stephen Lang

Pahoa

Care for the ‘aina

We have a beautiful walk along the cliffs in Hawaiian Paradise Park that everyone seems to enjoy.

Most everyone respects our ‘aina and takes care to leave her still beautiful, but lately I’ve noticed some with no respect who leave toilet paper and other trash behind.

I wonder who they think will clean it up for them? Is it really so hard to take it away the same way you brought it here?

I also see trash being thrown out car windows and trash along our roads. This is just a reminder to all of us who share this beautiful island. Please remember the others who come after you and also want to enjoy.

Let’s all remember to live pono and spread the aloha. We’ve only got one ‘aina; let’s take care of her.

Joni Hildal

Keaau