Scarier Than COVID!

Dear Editor,  April 20, 2026

Even more terrifying than the devastation wrought by the COVID pandemic is the relentless march of the Insanity Pandemic!

It erupted in America—rumor has it, the White House’s shadowy basement laboratory was ground zero, right next to the storage closet for top-secret presidential snack supplies. Now, this monstrous contagion has gone viral worldwide, igniting an unstoppable GLOBAL inferno as if fueled by climate-change Lahaina whirlwinds. Warning: Nobody is immune, not even your dog, if he watches cable news.

It’s invisible, but omnipresent, and more haunting than your neighbor’s “I’m running for city council” yard sign. Catch a glimpse of ANY political party you despise, and you’ll see the symptoms everywhere: wild-eyed stares, foam at the mouth, and a sudden urge to write angry posts in all caps.

This madness started off as POLITICAL hate, simmering, like grandma’s chili—then exploded into an all-consuming, zombie-apocalypse. Now, loved ones and lifelong friends transform into voracious snarling rabid wounded predators at even the hint of ANY disagreement. Gone are the days of “agree to disagree.” Replacing it is an insatiable hunger for destruction—if not literally devouring your brain, then definitely blasting you on social media with enraged insults. Victims of this disease can’t form thoughts deeper than a four-letter word, usually spelled wrong.

This is the one pandemic that promises no survivors—not even the guy wearing a mask and selling homemade hand sanitizer on the corner. America, already spiraling in the terminal phase of decline that befalls ALL great empires, desperately needs unity to cushion that fall. Instead, we get a raging storm of hate-fueled insanity, and the only thing we can agree on is that everyone else is nuts.

Leighton Loo

Mililani, Oahu

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Better Consumer Protection needed regarding the disposition of surgical implants following cremation in Hawaii

Dear Editor,    April 13, 2026

Legislators should address the need for better transparency regarding the disposition of surgical implants following cremation in Hawaii. 

Offering improvement, SB525, HB565, and SCR44 were introduced and failed to pass during the 2025 Legislative session.  Subsequently, the Funeral and Cemetery Association of Hawaii reaffirmed and strengthened its policy to retain full control over how it addresses the disposition issue.

SEE: Funeral and Cemetery Association of Hawaii policy

The current policy is neither in the best interest of the public nor in keeping with national guidelines.   A preferred approach is for two options following informed consent from a designated family representative:

(1) Return any and all metal surgical implants to the family if they request them. OR

(2) Request that any and all revenue generated from surgical implants be donated to independent charity organizations in Hawaii.

This troubling situation does not reflect transparency, consumer protection, effective oversight or public trust.

Thank you,

Cullen T. Hayashida, Ph.D.

University of Hawaii at Manoa - Affiliate Faculty -  Center on Aging & School of Nursing/Dental Hygiene

See: Column: Improve Hawaii laws on disposition of metals after cremation | Honolulu Star-Advertiser