Plavix lawsuit is
a win for Hawaii
This is in regards to the May 22 story, “State to get $916M in lawsuit against makers of Plavix blood thinner.”
I read the article feeling some joy in the rare success of holding pharmaceutical companies accountable for their deceptive practices. But as I read through the story, I had to go back to see if I missed the part about how at least some of this $916 million went to help the victims and their families.
All I could find was that the funds went not to the Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders and Asian Americans that were mentioned as those often overlooked, but into the state’s general fund.
One more thing I found missing was any mention of the accountability of the pharmacists and especially the medical professionals who were prescribing Plavix to their trusting patients. Maybe they didn’t know about how it didn’t work for a large part of Hawaii’s population? Well, that’s certainly possible, but not excusable.
At least holding the pharma companies accountable was a win.
Skip Thomsen
Florence, Oregon
Students stand on
right side of history
Over the past few weeks, students protesting on college campuses have shown great courage and personal bravery. They’ve put everything on the line. Amidst threats of expulsion, suspension and even arrests, they continue to speak up for justice.
With this in mind, it’s essential to remember this cohort made it through the COVID-19 pandemic and online classes with their GPAs intact. Today’s campus protesters had no ”normal” life for almost two years. Despite this hardship, they excelled.
Acceptance to top schools means many, many years of sacrifice and dedication. As both a parent and high school teacher, I’ve witnessed firsthand the endless test preps, extracurriculars and college visitations, on top of earning a 4.0-plus GPA.
As the saying goes, “You practically have to cure cancer to get into an Ivy League school these days.”
Yet, these Ivy Leaguers would rather risk getting kicked out of their prestigious schools than support an institution profiting from war and occupation.
Forty years ago, the global movement to boycott and divest from South Africa finally brought down that apartheid government. Similar nonviolent tactics can and should be used today to bring about justice for Palestine. In this regard, students are practicing what they preach.
Prior to the arrival of counter-protesters, the student encampments were peaceful. In fact, Jewish and non-Jewish students together celebrated Passover Seder, a traditional Jewish holiday.
Furthermore, at Columbia’s student encampment, Jewish students were disproportionately represented by JVP (Jewish Voice for Peace) and Jews for Ceasefire, two student groups that showed up in large numbers. With this in mind, claims that the protests are anti-Semitic and threaten the safety of Jewish students are deeply offensive and shown to be completely untrue.
Once again, students stand on the right side of history, and they deserve our unconditional support.
Liz Laliberte
Hilo
