Bad call, Palace
To celebrate Black History Month, the Palace Theater in Hilo, at the time of this writing, is or was playing the Mel Brooks movie, “Blazing Saddles.”
Although this movie may have been conducive to a different time period, where poking fun at different ethnic groups was accepted as “entertainment,” quite a few homophobic slurs are used throughout this film.
Yes, I did see this movie when it first came out in 1974, and had a good laugh back then. But we have come a long way since then when it comes to poking fun at all races.
I can’t understand as to why the Palace Theater chooses this movie as part of Black History Month. Maybe presenting documentaries about the many achievements made by the Black culture, not just African Americans, but by Blacks worldwide. And I speak for all races.
Kudos to the supporters of the Palace Theater — great entertainment there — but to present this movie as part of Black History Month? Not a good movie for parents to bring their kids to when we are teaching them right from wrong.
We have come a long way since the days when stereotyping different ethnic groups was the norm. Isn’t it any wonder why over the years many of our local comedians in Hawaii have really toned down their ethnic jokes?
Rick LaMontagne
Hilo
Schools and jails
So, there is a state of Hawaii budget surplus. Why not use that to fix the infrastructure in the schools? They are not going to fix themselves, and it is not going to get any cheaper.
The students see that, and maybe they think that you just do not care. Or you could take that money and apply it to building a bigger prison. Letting the criminals out is not going to fix the crime problem.
The perps just see no ramifications for their actions. The legislators who are proposing this should let the perps stay at their house if they really care.
There are many of us who are retired and have a lot of experience in construction. We could help do some of the work. Ever hear of Habitat for Humanity? I am sure that it is not going to put the union workers out of a job.
There will always be plenty of work. It may even reduce their taxes do to less repairs in the schools.
On the incarceration side of it, less crowding, less stress and better working conditions for the staff. Just saying.
Jon Wakefield
Pahoa
Ban won’t work
Senate Bill 148 proposes a ban on tobacco sales to anyone born after Jan. 1, 2003. It’s too bad that our legislators never study history, because if they did, they’d know that the only thing 20th century Prohibition ever taught us is that it creates a criminal industry where one didn’t exist before.
Young people do what they want to, and passing a law won’t stop them.
I find tobacco to be so vile that I don’t have words to fully describe my disgust. But Prohibition doesn’t work. It didn’t work for alcohol or cannabis. What makes anyone think it will work for nicotine products?
With this bill, you just add to the sales inventory of drug dealers, and you introduce young people to the world of drug buying they might not otherwise become part of.
Prohibition is a bad idea.
Russ Button
Keaau