Time to catch up

Last Fridays front page article showcased an upcoming Sustainability Summit, which will address food insecurity and ways our island can become more self-sustainable. This was followed by a Sunday article on Covid Cluckers, which lays (ha ha) out many good reasons for people on this island to have backyard chickens, which would seem to address these issues.

But, unless you live on AG land, you will be breaking the law if you have even one egg-layer at your house. This pandemic is illustrating the need for more food self-sufficiency on our island, but it doesnt matter whether you have a large lot, whether your chickens are cooped, or that you dont own a rooster. To have a chicken lay an egg for your breakfast is forbidden.

Thats this island.

Our neighbor island to the north allows backyard chickens anywhere in Honolulu as long as they are not a nuisance. And, in fact, many (if not most) major cities allow chickens, though with varying restrictions as to the number that are acceptable. Portland, Houston, Los Angeles even New York City; all permit chickens in urban areas. Seattle, for example, allows up to eight chickens and only requires that coops be placed at a minimum distance from houses. Chicago. Denver. Minneapolis. Dallas. Nashville. Anchorage. The list goes on.

Over the years, various council members have been contacted about this issue and none has been interested in getting this law changed. What a pity because what a lost opportunity. Chickens are easy to raise, they require little special food, being quite happy with table scraps, stale bread, old cereal, and are willing to eat bugs and the occasional coqui. They provide fertilizer for gardens, take up little space and seldom roam. Best of all, a happy hen produces an egg every day or two during laying season.

Isnt it time for the Big Island to catch up with the rest of the country by allowing backyard chickens and thus further promoting this important concept of food security?

P. Hanson

Keauhou

How its done

After all thats happened in the past four years, its good that people are asking the question, How do you get millions of Americans to believe things that arent true? Psychologists, sociologists, neuroscientists, marketers, cult specialists, scammers, political analysts, historians, dictators, conspiracy theory website designers all know the answer to that question.

There are numerous books that explain such techniques; gaslighting where doubt is conveyed that what you perceive as truth is actually false, propaganda where lies are repeatedly broadcast, reverse projection where you accuse others of doing exactly what youre doing, subliminal messaging and dog whistles where thinking is influenced with stealthily planted words or ideas.

Whats known is that none of these techniques will be successful unless our thinking brain is derailed by a flood of emotion. The scammer calls with a story about your grandson being in trouble. You send money because you feel fear and concern. The marketer insists youre smart for buying their product and your ego kicks in. Fox News tells you that immigrants are ruining this country and youre mad. Trump tells you that Democrats will tax your wealth or that they stole the election and youre outraged. Trump tells anarchists and racists that he loves them and they feel empowered.

Gaslighting was possible after Trump and Republicans first fueled emotions of loyalty and patriotism. Then they could successfully raise suspicion and disdain (feelings) against mainstream media and Democrats. Consequently, their voters would doubt any information (facts) that revealed the lies and psychological subterfuge. What it boils down to is that people will believe lies when emotions that they neither recognize or admit are put in play. Experts on human behavior understand how people can be made to believe lies but getting those believers to grasp that their emotions have been manipulated is a very different story.

Martha Hodges

Kailua Kona

Letters policy

Letters to the editor should be 300 words or less and will be edited for style and grammar. Longer viewpoint guest columns may not exceed 800 words. Submit online at http://www.westhawaiitoday.com/?p=118321, via email to letters@westhawaiitoday.com or address them to:

Editor

West Hawaii Today

PO Box 789

Kailua-Kona, HI 96745

The rest is here:
Letters to the Editor: January 15, 2021 - West Hawaii Today