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Daily Smile

[{"type":"text","text":"If my dogs had a cellphone..."}]

Smile 26 2 27

<title>Daily Smile: Friday, February 27, 2026</title>

If my dogs had a cellphone...

Daily Smile: Friday, February 27, 2026

Square Mike Brestovansky Headshot RGZ3736 Large

Michael Brestovansky

Government & Politics

Crime & Courts

Councilman Tommy Waters will not be on the ballot in the general election this year, after the Hawai‘i Supreme Court found him ineligible to run.

Waters’ eligibility to run for reelection for the term from 2027 to 2031 has been a 

 for months, after rival candidate Trevor Ozawa filed a lawsuit against Waters in June.

The Honolulu City Charter limits council members to only two consecutive four-year terms. Waters had argued that, despite joining the council in 2019, his first term was not a full four-year term: the results of the 2018 election were disputed, leading to a special election in 2019 that he won.

Because Waters was ultimately elected after the official start of the term, he argued that the term was not served in full, which allowed him to run again this year.

The state Supreme Court determined otherwise. Writing for the opinion of the court, Associate Justice Lisa Ginoza concluded that Waters was elected to the full 2019-2023 four-year term.

“Determining whether Waters or [then-incumbent] Ozawa was elected to that term was delayed due to the challenges to the November 2018 election,” Ginoza wrote. “But it was the same four-year term to which Waters was ultimately elected.”

Ginoza wrote that the charter’s definition of a council term makes no consideration for the amount of time a council member actually serves. Rather, a four-year term is something with a fixed, predetermined period of time, to which a council member is elected.

Ginoza also addressed a complaint filed earlier this month by 40 voters in Waters’ Council District 4, which argued that declaring Waters ineligible would disenfranchise voters who submitted ballots for Waters during the primary election. According to state voter totals, 8,678 people voted for Waters in the primary, putting him in second place behind Ozawa — who received 12,279 — but above two other candidates.

Despite the claims by the 40 voters, Ginoza argued that no voters have been disenfranchised by the court’s ruling.

“The number of votes received does not render a candidate eligible for office,” Ginoza wrote, adding that choosing to keep Waters on the ballot and “let voters decide,” would also end up ignoring votes cast for third-place candidate Tara Malia Gregory, who received 4,225 votes.

As no candidate received a majority of votes in the primary, the general election will be a contest between the two candidates who received the most votes. With Waters now out of the picture, that means Gregory will be on the ballot.

 against the results of the primary election this week, arguing that voters who had cast ballots for Waters could have instead voted for her had they known he was ineligible to run — a First Circuit Court judge had declared Waters ineligible on July 27, only after early and absentee voting had begun.

Ginoza’s opinion was not unanimous. Acting Chief Justice Sabrina McKenna submitted her own opinion dissenting with Ginoza’s conclusions, arguing that Waters 

 eligible and should be on the ballot in the general election.

McKenna wrote that she believes Waters was elected to fill a vacancy in 2019 and therefore did not serve two consecutive four-year terms, and should therefore be deemed eligible. But even if his eligibility is ambiguous, McKenna wrote, “principles underlying representative democracy” require that Waters be presumed eligible.

“Respectfully, the majority’s decision determining Water ineligible is not only erroneous as a matter of law, it violates these principles of representative democracy,” McKenna wrote.

Nonetheless, Waters’ name will not appear on the ballot in the general election. Those ballots have not yet been mailed.

Neither Waters, Ozawa or Gregory immediately responded to Aloha State Daily’s requests for comment.

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<title>Waters out of council race after Supreme Court verdict</title>

The Hawai‘i Supreme Court found Waters ineligible to run for reelection this year.

Waters out of council race after Supreme Court verdict

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

Arts & Entertainment

i Convention Center. The festival will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sept. 5 and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sept. 6.

i Convention Center mean this year’s festival features a modified format, and there will be no bon dance or early admission this year. Attendees can still look forward to a weekend of cultural experiences, traditional foods, music, performing arts and family activities.

Besides traditional Okinawan Festival favorites — including Okinawan soba and andagi — attendees can look forward to a special culinary collab with Prince Waikīkī. The resort will bring its popular House of Sakura experience — but with an Okinawan izakaya twist — to the Hawai

Prince Waikīkī executive chef Brooke Tadena will feature seven Okinawan-inspired creations at the House of Sakura pop-up. Guests can look forward to Oki nachos (Okinawan-inspired poke nachos); rafute (Okinawan-style shoyu pork) and egg; wafu rib-eye steak and watercress salad; poke and umibudo (Okinawan sea grape); tamago sando; chili crunch edamame; and A5 torched wagyu beef nigiri.

Other popular attractions like festival food booths, the Country Store, the craft gallery, and Heiwa Doori market, will be returning this year. The craft gallery will feature locally made jewelry, clothing, gifts and stationery; the Country Store will offer fresh produce, iced tea and more; and Heiwa Doori will feature specialty foods and products from Okinawa. Attendees can also trace their roots with the Okinawa Genealogical Society of Hawai

i, which offers access to resources for discovering Okinawan ancestry.

The festival will feature live music, martial arts demonstrations, and traditional Okinawan performing arts. Attendees can also look forward to a special performance by local entertainer Karlie G (Karlie Goya). The singer, songwriter and ukulele artist has earned a Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award for R&B Album of the Year in 2019 for her debut album, 

Karli G’s Festival performance will feature a blend of her original music and beloved Okinawan hits.

Festivalgoers are encouraged to use the Festival’s shuttle service, as parking at Hawai

i Convention Center is limited during construction. Free parking is available at the Civic Center Municipal Parking Lot (access from Beretania Street); attendees can utilize the free shuttle service. The shuttle will operate from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sept. 5 and from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sept. 6. Festivalgoers can purchase a $5 return-trip ticket to the Civic Center parking lot at the Festival’s Information Booth.

Okinawan Festival drums 2 082826

<title>44th annual Okinawan Festival is coming in September</title>

This year’s festival features a modified format, due to renovations at the Hawaiʻi Convention Center. There will be no bon dance or early admission, but new this year is Prince Waikīkī’s House of Sakura pop-up that will include Okinawan-inspired dishes.

44th annual Okinawan Festival is coming in September

WEB square crop Hayley Lehman Headshot RGZ1636

Haley Lehman

The City and County of Honolulu collects thousands of abandoned shopping carts across the island per year. The Honolulu City Council is considering a bill that would make it illegal to remove and possess a shopping cart outside of the business that owns it.

 would make it illegal for a person to possess or use a shopping cart outside of the business premises that the shopping cart belongs to. People who are found with shopping carts would be fined up to $2,000 and could be imprisoned for up to a month, and they would forfeit the shopping cart to the city.

In a statement accompanying the bill, Waters said that the possession and abandonment of shopping carts threatens the public’s health, safety and welfare.

The City and County of Honolulu Department of Facilities Maintenance collected 3,535 shopping carts in 2024 and 2,608 shopping carts in 2025, according to a DFM spokesperson. Most of the carts collected are typically not in usable condition, they said.

Waters wrote that shopping carts on sidewalks, in parks and at bus stops create unsafe conditions for the public, and shopping carts that obstruct waterways can lead to overflow.

“The city must be able to ensure the safety of members of the public when they are using sidewalks, roads and streets, bus stops, parks, waterways, and other public spaces and ensure the public’s ability to use these accommodations freely,” Waters stated.

The bill has not been scheduled for public hearing or a committee meeting yet.

Shopping carts cost from $500 to $650 and up to $1,000 each depending on where they are manufactured, shipping costs, the volume purchased, the type, size and construction, and if they have anti-theft locking devices, according to Retail Merchants of Hawaiʻi Interim President and CEO Dave Erdman.

“All of this increases the cost of our goods purchased at a retailer because the loss of these carts, being stolen, it adds to cost of a retailer’s business and adds to the prices we pay in a store,” Erdman said.

The bill garnered support from Honolulu Police Department, which said the bill will disincentivize people from stealing shopping carts and improve the beauty and safety of Oʻahu.

Honolulu Police Department Major Paul Okamoto of Waikīkī wrote to the council that abandoned shopping carts in public spaces are a sign of “urban blight” and “deterioration” in Hawaiʻi.

“Removing these carts from private property onto public property, exerting unauthorized control over the cart, appropriating it for your own use, and retaining it to deprive its owner of its use is theft,” Okamoto wrote. “This theft continues to occur because there is no consequence for taking or being in unlawful possession of them.”

In an email to ASD, Okamoto wrote that theft cases involving shopping carts produce certain challenges that make enforcement impractical — sometimes a store representative cannot be found in a reasonable amount of time that can provide a statement or identifying marks on the cart have been removed or damaged — so HPD is “exploring a legislative solution to more effectively deter the theft and unauthorized use of shopping carts.”

Trevor Abarzua, president and CEO of the Waikīkī Improvement Association, wrote in a letter to the council that shopping carts left in pedestrian-oriented districts like Waikīkī prevent the public from safety using an area and create hazards. 

He stated that the bill “will provide the City with an important tool to address a longstanding problem, protect pedestrian access, support local businesses, reduce environmental hazards, and preserve the safety and usability of our public spaces.”

Lauren Zirbel, executive director of the Hawaiʻi Food Industry Association, wrote that the cost of replacing stolen shopping carts increase the cost of doing business in Hawaiʻi when retailers and customers are already dealing with high operation and food costs.

Waters wrote in an email to ASD on Thursday, “At a time when families are already struggling to afford everyday necessities like eggs, milk, and other groceries, Bill 53 is a commonsense step toward reducing avoidable cost increases, while helping keep neighborhoods across O‘ahu safe and accessible.”

Honolulu City Council, state Legislature considered alternative options

Former Councilmember Calvin Say introduced a 

in August 2023 that would ban people from using or leaving shopping carts on public property and would create a fine of $500 or imprisonment for up to a month. The bill was sent to two committees but never got a public hearing.

The Hawaiʻi Legislature attempted to address the same concerns in January through 

, but the bill received opposition and did not move forward. HB1636 proposed that businesses mark each shopping cart with identifying information and would have authorized counties to return a shopping cart to a business in exchange for a $500 fine.

RMH opposed House Bill 1636. “House Bill 1636 proposed holding the retail businesses accountable for abandoned shopping carts by allowing counties to impound them and assess fees or fines of $500 or more. Bill 53 recognizes that the shopping cart is stolen, and not abandoned by the retailer,” Erdman said.

The City and County of Honolulu isn’t the first municipality to consider fining people who take shopping carts off a business’s property. Ogden, Utah made it a 

 or a $50 fine if a person removes and is in possession of a shopping cart removed from a shopping area. People in Federal Way, Washington who push or use a shopping cart in a public right-of-way are fined $50. Arizona made it illegal to possess a shopping car away from a retailer’s premises, and Phoenix, Arizona ordered retailers to use locking wheel systems and charges $25 to $50 to return abandoned shopping carts.

Critics say the bill penalizes homelessness

 Critics wrote that the bill would disproportionately impact Oʻahu’s homeless residents. Jonathan Huynh, an Oʻahu resident, wrote that the bill is a “grossly disproportionate and inhumane” approach to addressing the issue of shopping carts.

“This ordinance targets those who have no home, who use a simple cart to carry what little they own,” Huynh wrote. “It is a legislative weapon against the poor, disguised as a public safety measure.”

Shopping cart

<title>Shopping carts could be banned if removed from commercial stores</title>

Shopping carts could be banned if removed from commercial stores

Chick-fil-A recently launched a new limited-time special. Its chicken & waffles sandwiches, along with two s’mores-inspired treats, are available at Chick-fil-A restaurants nationwide (excluding some licensed Chick-fil-A restaurants) until Nov. 14, while supplies last.

The chicken & waffles sandwiches debuted on National Waffle Day, or Aug. 24, according to Kurt Milne, owner/operator of 

“We’ve never had waffles (on our menu), just the waffle fries,” he says. “It’s (the maple) a new smell in our restaurant, which is cool. It definitely smells like a brunch spot.” 

Customers can enjoy the chicken & waffles breakfast sandwich ($6.49), which is served during breakfast hours, and a larger entrée sandwich, which is available during lunch and dinner (10:30 a.m. to close). The sandwiches feature two maple-flavored waffles, signature Chick-fil-A chicken, applewood smoked bacon, honey butter spread and a side of syrup.

Customers can opt for the original or spicy chicken for the sandwich.

“Most people are getting the original instead of the spicy; however, the people who do get the spicy love it,” Milne says. “It brings the sweetness down a little bit. They (the chicken and waffles) complement each other really well. I personally like the spicy waffle sandwich.”

Inspired by the campfire classic, Chick-fil-A’s s’mores milkshake and s’mores frosted coffee include combinations of toasted marshmallow, graham cracker and chocolate. The s’mores milkshake ($6.29) is garnished with a seasonal whipped topping, which is naturally flavored to taste like a toasted marshmallow.

Meanwhile, the s’mores frosted coffee ($6.19) is mixed with toasted marshmallow syrup, chocolate shortbread and graham cracker crumbles.

The limited-time dishes have been positively received by customers, according to Milne.

“On average, each location has been selling 300 of the sandwiches a day and 150 of the milkshakes a day,” he says. “The toasted marshmallow whipped topping is really yummy.”

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<title>Chick-fil-A has new chicken & waffles sandwiches for a limited time</title>

The sweet-and-savory sandwich — which debuted on National Waffle Day — is available at Chick-fil-A locations nationwide until Nov. 14, while supplies last. Chick-fil-A also has two new s’mores-inspired desserts.

Chick-fil-A has new chicken & waffles sandwiches for a limited time

Christian Shimabuku Headshot

Christian Shimabuku

Sports

[{"type":"text","text":"Caizel Jesus-Kapesi's parents knew it the day he was born. "}]

The son of Clisha Jesus and TeeJay Kapesi, Caizel was the second of four children and weighed 10 pounds at birth. 

"Literally as soon as he was born, we took him home, and that's how it started — Fatboy. He was a chunky kid," Clisha Jesus-Kapesi recalled to Aloha State Daily. 

And thus, Fatboy Jesus-Kapesi, the one the world has grown to love in recent days, was born. Clisha and TeeJay can't remember which parent coined the nickname, but it certainly stuck. 

In a 14-13 locally televised win at Leilehua on Aug. 21, Jesus-Kapesi completed 13 of his 20 passes for 193 yards, two interceptions and a touchdown. The gritty victory included a key first down in the closing minutes in which ‘Aiea went for it on fourth down deep in its own territory and converted to seal the game. For his efforts, Fatboy Jesus-Kapesi was named the Spectrum OC16 Impact Player of the Game. 

While interviewed by Spectrum's Jimmy Bender upon receiving his award, a TV super displaying Fatboy Jesus-Kapesi's name, weight, position and class was on display. The 6-foot-1, 268-pound sophomore quarterback quickly became an internet darling overnight, fans from around the world smitten with his name and social media posts of him reaching hundreds of thousands in reshares. Google Fatboy Jesus-Kapesi, and it would be hard to find a national sports content website that hasn't recycled the same set of pictures of him. 

"You must be here for Fatboy," multiple members of the ‘Aiea football program tell a visitor at a recent Na Ali‘i practice. 

Perhaps the first thing to know about Fatboy Jesus-Kapesi is that he's fully embraced his lifelong nickname. He politely introduces himself as Fatboy, and in the days since his viral introduction to the world, people who have never met him will approach him and say, 'Hey, you're Fatboy!'"

Due to the viral nature of his name, Fatboy Jesus-Kapesi was asked if local brands, such as local restaurant chain Fatboy's, have reached out. 

"I don't know about the restaurant yet. Hopefully soon," 

. "I was thinking about the FatBoy ice cream. That too, hopefully."

For those curious to learn more about him, what else should we know about Fatboy Jesus-Kapesi?

"I love cheeseburgers. I love burgers. That's one thing about me. I love burgers, especially McDonald's burgers," he said while flashing a grin. "You know, that's the one right there."

Life for the Jesus-Kapesi family has not been the same since last weekend. Their phones are still constantly buzzing with memes and comments. Through it all, Fatboy has stayed the same humble kid. During his viral interview, before he conceived it was possible he'd become as famous as he has, Fatboy Jesus-Kapesi gave the credit to God and his offensive line.  

"Being (seemingly everywhere) on social media, I take a lot of pride in it," he said. "I

t means a lot not just to me, but to my family. I'm putting my family's name out there, too."

Fatboy Jesus-Kapesi has been the starting quarterback on the varsity team at ‘Aiea High School since the beginning of his freshman year. He has a 3.7 grade point average and aspires to play college football. As ‘Aiea awaits improvements to its on-campus stadium, all of its games are on the road in 2026. Na Ali‘i improved to 2-0 after the Leilehua victory and will next take the field at Nānākuli on Saturday.

"I really, really want to play college football one day," he says. "My recruiting process so far, I'm working on it, but I'm ready."

A conversation with Clisha and TeeJay about Fatboy's ‘Aiea upbringing reveals why their son has been able to remain grounded despite his newfound fame. Young Caizel had his "knucklehead" moments, Mom says, but through strong parenting, he eventually learned and began to appreciate the process of earning everything he has, both good and bad. 

"'You can't do this, don't go do that. You have to do this to get that.' Having him work for his rewards. You want that? Then you work for it," Clisha says. "If you think we're hard, we're teaching you. He'll always be a kid at heart, and that's what I love about him."

Fatboy Jesus-Kapesi wouldn't gave gone viral last weekend if he weren't the Impact Player of the Game, and those go to winners. 

"I'm really proud of where he's at and where his potential could take him. We always tell him that what's done in the dark comes to light," TeeJay said. "The work he puts in on and off the field, the drilling he gets, letting him know that football's an avenue, and you can have all the talent, but you have to do everything right on and off the field. The talent can't outshine everything, and the classroom and the football field, one can't overcome the other, and he handles his business on that."

TeeJay is also an assistant linebackers coach for ‘Aiea, and he doesn't take it easy on Fatboy in practice. 

"Every day, we try to get this defense to bring the best out of not just him, but our offense as well," TeeJay said. 

The ‘Aiea community has supported Fatboy Jesus-Kapesi long before his viral moment. The rest of the world is now catching up. As nice as the attention is, nobody involved is pretending it's all been positive. 

"Seeing not only the positive comments, but the negative was really harsh," Clisha says. "I just had to remind him to just keep with the positive. (The attention) is something that we're not used to."

Mika Li‘ili‘i, ‘Aiea's head coach: 

"We always talk to the kids about social media. It can be evil and stuff like that. But in this situation, it's also a blessing for our school, for Fatboy to represent and bring some attention to our school and what we're doing. I know he feels it and he understands he's getting all the notoriety because his teammates are catching his balls and blocking for him and stuff like that."

Fatboy Jesus-Kapesi has played football for as long as he can remember, but he didn't get an opportunity to play quarterback until he was 12. 

He also dabbled in soccer and competitive hula, his 

 taking home a runner-up trophy during his only competition in 2019. 

Always on the bigger side, TeeJay remembers how he was placed as a lineman by default. "When he finally got his shot to be a quarterback, we hit the ground running, and that's who we have here today," Dad says. 

When one watches Fatboy Jesus-Kapesi throw a football, it's clear that doing so is easy to him. Using his upper body to gain torque, Fatboy spins it effortlessly in practice while his receivers practice multiple routes with him. 

Another thing that appears seamless to Fatboy Jesus-Kapesi: blending in with his teammates. In pre-practice stretching and jogging, he truly is one of the boys. His demeanor remains mellow and approachable.

Following a set of reps, his teammates, perhaps in acknowledgement of media around, break the huddle with "1, 2, 3, Fatboy!" 

[{"type":"text","text":"Fatboy Jesus-Kapesi can't help but laugh coyly."}]

"More people seeing that I'm on social media, I mean, it would be great for them to come to our games so we could show love to our community, show them what ‘Aiea High School football is about," he says. "For me, ‘Aiea is more than just a football program. It's home to me, so it means a lot."

Fatboy Jesus-Kapesi 082726

<title>‘Aiea quarterback Fatboy Jesus-Kapesi takes his newfound name fame in stride</title>

Jesus-Kapesi, the overnight viral sensation, confirms it's fine to call him by his nickname. He says he even prefers it.

‘Aiea quarterback Fatboy Jesus-Kapesi takes his newfound name fame in stride

Higa headshot white shirt square

Sterling Higa

Columnists

Civil Beat has begun a series on meth in the Islands, and it opens with the dead.

, with a selected few arranged as a series of vignettes. Some died of overdose, others of heart conditions caused by their meth habit.

One of the deceased was Christopher Woodard, the chief planner for the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, making $139,860 a year. He was found on his apartment floor with a glass pipe in his lap.

John Hill has written about these people with care. He calls them 

It’s a sentimental start to a series of articles on meth that Hill has promised.

Meth is not deadly at the same scale as heart disease, cancer, or stroke. But its impacts are wide ranging. Meth use often tears families apart. It frequently comes paired with mental illness, and it may accompany other forms of disorder, including lying, theft, and violence. The consequences of meth can be seen on many a street corner. For this reason, meth looms large in the social imaginary.

Despite the scale of Hawaiʻi’s meth epidemic, there is little local journalism on the subject, except for reports of arrests and prosecutions. So a series like Hill’s will shape the state’s policies in dealing with meth. This makes it worth asking what the author assumes about his subject.

Every remedy rests on some account of the sick man. Begin with the wrong account of man, and we will spend a great deal of money on cures that cannot work.

 at contingency management, a policy the state is trialing. The idea is to pay people for clean drug tests, in gift cards or small sums of cash. Advocates claim that contingency management is more effective than other treatments. At least that’s what experts and some academic studies suggest, with all the normal caveats about the quality of experts and academic research.

Grant the point that the treatments work, and ask why.

In part, contingency management works because some men will stay clean for $50. Should our state be in the business of paying these drug addicts to stay clean?

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"And why doesn’t Hill call them addicts?"}]

 that most newsrooms follow. Writers are steered away from words like 

 are off limits. Journalists shouldn’t call people who use drugs 

, though they can describe people’s drug 

 with select adjectives permitted (e.g., 

Hill is willing to skirt the rules, as he calls his subjects 

But the guide goes further and offers to redefine words: addiction is “a treatable disease that affects a person’s brain and behavior,” brought on by genetics and mental illness and other factors. 

According to this definition, addiction is something that happens to a man, like the flu or chickenpox. The Stylebook’s definition has no place for the man’s will.

The idea underneath this definition is older than the Stylebook. Rousseau taught that man arrives in the world basically good and is then spoiled by civilization. This thought is taken for granted today. It is like water, and we are fish swimming in it.

If corruption comes from outside the man, then the cure must be applied outside him. Adjust his surroundings and he will improve. Nearly every drug policy of the last 50 years has been some version of that hope.

The gift card is the gentle version. The hard version uses incarceration to reform the addict, controlling his environment to change his behavior. But it is the same anthropology in a different uniform.

Both remedies work on a man’s circumstances because neither can account for his will. One offers a reward and the other a threat, but neither engages with the whole person.

Are humans good by nature or fallen? For the answer, we can look to our children.

Leave 10 toddlers alone in a room and no social contract emerges. The result is chaos.

Anyone who has taught toddlers knows that they often defy instruction, sometimes seeming to revel in disobedience. We tell ourselves that small ones are only testing the boundaries, and perhaps they are. But this explanation cannot account for their behavior later in life.

Some people may use meth because of mental illness. Others may use meth because they’re forced to. Many people don’t know the full consequences of meth use when they start. But a few know full well that meth is illegal and harmful, and they use it anyway.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"Why do they transgress?"}]

The professional with a house and a pension does not take up meth because his surroundings failed him. The husband who cheats is not always short of affection at home. The teacher who molests a child knows that his behavior is wrong.

The simplest explanation is that man sins because it is in his nature to sin. Augustine stole pears when he wasn’t hungry and then threw them away. He didn’t want the pears. He delighted in sin for sin’s sake.

And meth use is sin, plain and simple. Scripture is filled with cautions against inebriation, often connecting sobriety to spiritual discernment. “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”

A Christian can say that meth is evil and still feel love for the man smoking it. These are not rival claims. He can pray for the man’s soul, that he would come to faith in Christ and have his sins forgiven. And he can also say something the reporter cannot — that there are some things worse than death.

A journalist keeping his objectivity must treat death as the worst outcome, so his stories end with the funeral and the surviving family’s GoFundMe.

But there are worse things than dying. We used to be able to say so without lowering our voices.

The state should bear the sword against the man who sells poison for money. And the state should stop people from smoking meth on the sidewalk and in public parks. These are proper tasks for government.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"But government cannot reform a man."}]

The state makes no provision for the role of the family and church in helping the addict because the state wants to displace the family and church. But the cures available to the state are clumsy, limited to what can be easily administered and quantified. Hence, gift cards.

Hawaiʻi does have a drug problem, and it does have a meth problem. But the problem won’t be solved by bribing drug addicts with gift cards.

We ache for those who drug themselves to death because we know that they too are made in the image of God. Marred as that image is by sin, it shines through. But getting sober will not make us clean. A man can be sober while his soul is still black.

The problem is sin, and the solution to sin is Christ. The Associated Press can never tell you this, for they have sworn not to.

Meth pipe i Stock 104737541

<title>Hawaiʻi meth deaths and the wrong account of human nature</title>

A state planner earning $139,860 a year was found dead on his apartment floor, a glass pipe in his lap. ASD opinion columnist Sterling Higa on how every remedy for meth rests on some account of the man being remedied.

Daily Smile: Friday, February 27, 2026

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Daily Smile: Friday, February 27, 2026

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