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[{"type":"text","text":"Everyone's getting into the Halloween spirit!"}]

Smile 26 10 19

<title>Daily Smile: Monday, Oct. 19, 2026</title>

Everyone's getting into the Halloween spirit!

Daily Smile: Monday, Oct. 19, 2026

 Everyone&#039;s getting into the Halloween spirit!

Kam Napier Headshot

A. Kam Napier

Crime & Courts

Columnists

 with frustration as I observe the deaths of three children and a teacher. The only good thing about the situation: An 

 driving by Silver Rail Elementary School heard the shots, parked, ran into the danger and shot and killed the school shooter before he could kill any more children. 

[{"type":"text","text":"He ended the threat before police could even get on the scene."}]

It’s yet another horrible example of two true things. One, there are psychopaths who want to shoot up school kids. Two, they can only be stopped by shooting them. 

My frustration is that Hawai‘i has stubbornly refused to acknowledge either reality and we are damned lucky we don’t have dead schoolchildren of our own.

If you think our keiki are being kept safe by our gun laws, you haven't thought past your feelings. In the real world, they are corralled into unprotected facilities with only police response time standing between them and death. That's exactly what happened at Silver Rail, where guns have been banned by state law since 2021.

One of the main sources of this vulnerability is our Act 52, the Statewide 

Sensitive Places Law, signed by Gov. Josh Green on June 2, 2023. He made this statement at the time:

“In observance of today’s National Gun Violence Awareness Day, I’m pleased to be signing two bills – SB1230 and HB1239 – as gun violence represents an urgent public health and public safety issue,” 

 Green. “These bills strike a very appropriate balance between public safety, and protecting people and children in Hawaiʻi, along with respecting the Second Amendment right of individuals.”

, banning guns from, among other places, all schools and universities, public or private.

HB1239 became Act 53, mandating “active shooter training” in the DOE. Well, sort of mandated, as it allows students to opt out. Here’s an example of such training at Hawai‘i Pacific University’s website,

 it’s the “run, hide, fight” method

. I assume this same method is taught throughout the Department of Education for public schools.

And it doesn't work. There's evidence it makes things worse. Read “

Unfortunate Outcomes for Popular Safety Programs,

. This is a business leadership trade organization for independent schools. Author Michael Dorn says of run, hide, fight and similar programs, “It has become evident, however, that in multiple school attacks, these training approaches have resulted in what can only be described as tragic failures that have increased rather than decreased casualties.”

That was two years before Hawai‘i made such training the law of the land for our schools and universities.

Here's what happens to "run, hide, fight" in real life when unarmed children and teachers are attacked by school shooters:

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"Get shot in the back while you run. "}]

Get shot wherever the shooter finds you hiding. 

Get shot in the face while you fight ... with what, exactly? Algebra books?

These school shooters always end up being 

social misfit weirdos with chips on their shoulders

 who are going to make the world pay. They range from depressed and bullied to malicious and evil to inhumanly psychopathic. But they are generally not stupid. They select schools for a reason that ought to be jaw-droppingly obvious:

Schools are the only things weaker than the shooters themselves. The children are small and harmless. The teachers are nice people unaccustomed to violence. And, most importantly, from the shooter's perspective, they are all unarmed. No one can fight back.

Every school shooter knows this. They know it because there’s a stupid sign on the school that says, “gun-free zone.”

[{"type":"text","text":"You know what that sign says to a school shooter?"}]

Oregon's Silver Rail Elementary itself is the proof, where three students were killed before that armed father stopped the shooter. "

Oregon School Shooting District Had Banned Staff From Carrying Guns

These laws are not safety. True safety comes from stopping the shooter immediately. True safety comes from would-be school shooters knowing they will be shot on sight so fast that it isn’t worth it, they’ll never achieve what they’ve set out to do. They need to know it’s a suicide mission with no pay-off — and note, many of them do end on suicide, but only 

 they’ve killed others. They want their body count first. Take away their prize and school shootings will stop.

This is reality. Under these laws, our children are no safer than the ones at Silver Rail. As far as I'm concerned, those c

hildren are human sacrifices to the moral vanity of the gun control advocates who left them undefended.

If you've seen me make this next point before, well, I'm going to make it again because it's still true.

I’ve worked Downtown for 30 years and have seen countless armored cars making deliveries, with their armed guards openly carrying guns on their hips.

No one even looks twice. No one squawks. No one freaks out, “OMG! That guard has a 

Why? Because it’s obvious that sacks of money tempt robbers, including the armed-robbery type. We all collectively agree that people who transport money are at risk, the money is at risk, and if an armed robber gets killed during a robbery, well, too bad, you shouldn't have tried to steal the money and shoot the guards. That's if anybody gives this any thought at all, which, they probably don't because it's such obvious common sense that it's hardly worth noticing. Literally no has a problem with this. No marches on the state Capitol with a "no blood for armored cars!" sign.

School grounds, on the other hand, must be made as absolutely defenseless as possible or we simply can't live with ourselves. This is so important to us that we pass laws with fanfare and press conferences to celebrate how defenseless we've made the schools.

[{"type":"text","text":"I don't get it."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"What we're willing to protect with deadly force is what we truly value."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"Looks to me like we love money more than we love children."}]

As for Green, he's surrounded by armed guards, at taxpayer expense. Kids on state property aren't, but he is. I guess we love our governors more than we love children, too.

[{"type":"text","text":"How nice for him."}]

People sometimes grumble when opinion writers rant about a problem without proposing a solution, so here's mine: Free guns for school employees and the training needed to safely shoot straight. Does this need funding? Well, the state of Hawai‘i knows exactly how much I paid in state income taxes last year. Start with that, every penny. I'd like to pay for something that works for a change.

A. Kam Napier is editor in chief of Aloha State Daily. His opinions in Pipikaula Corner are his own and not reflective of the ASD team.

Silver Rail Getty Images 2299891218

<title>Pipikaula Corner: What Oregon should teach Hawai‘i</title>

The Oregon school shooter was stopped by one thing and one thing only — a good, brave man with a gun. Hawai‘i offers its students and teachers only "gun-free zone" signs and some training that they run for their lives. But note this: Oregon's Silver Rail Elementary was a "gun-free zone" school, too.

Pipikaula Corner: What Oregon should teach Hawai‘i

Square Mike Brestovansky Headshot RGZ3736 Large

Michael Brestovansky

Government & Politics

A decision by a federal court is pending on whether to allow a challenge to the state's corporate election spending ban to proceed.

A lawsuit by Grassroot Institute of Hawaiʻi challenging 

, a law passed this year that prohibits corporations from spending money in elections, went to hearing on Tuesday. That lawsuit, which names Hawai‘i Attorney General Anne Lopez and Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs Director Nadine Ando as plaintiffs, argues that Act 11 violates the First Amendment right of corporations to make political speech, a right upheld by the 2010 U.S. Supreme Court verdict in "Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission."

U.S. District Judge Leslie Kobayashi heard oral arguments about whether Grassroot has standing to make its suit, and whether Act 11 should be preemptively blocked before it takes effect next year.

After hearing those arguments, Kobayashi 

 that she would be inclined to allow the case to stand. 

The state's position, as argued by Hawai‘i Deputy Solicitor General Ewan Rayner, suggested that Grassroot could not sufficiently prove that the nonprofit would be impacted by the law, a prerequisite to be allowed standing to challenge it. But while Rayner suggested that Grassroot's political advocacy should be considered reporting news or providing commentary — activities exempted from Act 11 — Kobayashi was unconvinced, saying that Grassroot has a known history of engaging in political questions, which should be enough to grant the nonprofit standing.

Rayner also suggested that Act 11 will not impact Grassroot's political speech, including lobbying activities. He claimed Act 11 only prohibits corporations from spending money on candidate elections or certified ballot measures.

However, Kobayashi did not issue a verdict Tuesday, nor did she indicate when she would.

Another challenge against Act 11, filed in 

 by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, remains pending. The next hearing in that case is scheduled for Nov. 19.

AG Anne Lopez scaled 16x9

<title>Act 11 challenge goes to court</title>

A verdict is pending on whether Grassroot Institute of Hawai‘i has standing to challenge Hawai‘i's corporate election spending ban.

Act 11 challenge goes to court

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros Headshot

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros

Aloha Spirit

Energy continued to build on Monday morning at the newly dubbed Saint Damien School, where students being dropped off were welcomed with high-fives and smiles from President and CEO 

Formerly Damien Memorial School, the private intermediate and high school in Kalihi celebrated its name change with a Sunday mass open to the community 

on Oct. 11, marking the 17th anniversary of Saint Damien’s canonization by Pope Benedict XVI on the same date in 2009. 

Very Reverend Monsignor Gary Secor, Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia, gave the Liturgy of the Eucharist during the mass and greeted guests afterwards.

“Nothing changes,” Marciel, a 1979 Damien graduate, told Aloha State Daily. “Our logo stays the same. 

All the school’s values are still the same. We honor all the alumnus that graduated. But we are working on updating our banners, letterhead and things like that."

“It’s time to honor Saint Damien; how he lived versus how he died,” he continued. “Saint Damien was there for the people of Molokai. He was with them daily and sacrificed his life for them. It took courage for him to do that.”

Marciel, a retired basketball coach who served on Damien’s board and as interim president and CEO prior to taking on this role in March, said that this is the third name change he’s seen at the school. It was founded as an all-boys school called Damien Memorial High School in 1962; in 2012, it transitioned to a co-educational institution named Damien Memorial School; and this month, the renaming to Saint Damien School drops “memorial” altogether to pay homage to his life legacy rather than his passing.

 arrived to Hawaiʻi in 1864 and devoted his life to serving people with Hansen’s disease, who were later sent to Kalaupapa on Molokai under

 King Kamehameha V. He went with them as a caretaker, helping to establish schools and churches with little resources, Marciel said, emphasizing Saint Damien’s impact then on kids and families.

“Saint Damien showed us what it means to recognize the dignity of every person,” said Board Chair Lanson Kupau in a statement. “We remain focused on educating and developing young gentlemen and young ladies who will face the challenges of the world with his spirit and compassion.”

Kupau — a 1982 Damien grad, retired judge and Honolulu attorney — told ASD that though the process for this name change was extensive, it started with requesting permission from 

, which sponsors and operates the school. According to Marciel and Kupau, the Brothers once lived on campus, where the existing administration building stands today.

On a tour of the school Monday, we also passed by a small church where mass is held weekly, as well as the De Veuster Multi-Sport Field, which has recently expanded from 80 yards to a regulation-length 100-yard football field with new turf.

Marciel said that the overall goal is to host games on campus for the first time in the school’s history for the 2027 season. Other improvements in the works include adding bleachers, a skybox and Jumbotron. Donate to the capital campaign 

For its upcoming varsity football homecoming game, the Damien Monarchs will matchup against Pac-Five this Saturday, Oct. 17, at 5:30 p.m. at Farrington High School, where it will continue to host its home games.

The homecoming assembly held Monday afternoon was a surprise for students put on by the school’s student government. The gym erupted with cheers as 6th to 12th grade students participated in a trivia contest about Saint Damien, student versus teacher volleyball games and more. The assembly concluded with the singing of the Damien Alma Mater and ice cream.

Sophomore Sabrina Alejo shared with ASD some of the student-led clubs, including ones that champion community service, Dungeons & Dragons and medieval times, in addition to Monarch to Medicine, which she started.

“Doctors come in and talk with the students about their medical careers and conduct hands-on workshops,” she explained. “My mom is an oncology nurse, so I want to go into health care, too.”

She notes that she attended a different Catholic school before but didn’t learn about Saint Damien until switching schools.

“[Saint Damien] came to the Islands at 24 years old, became a priest and then was one of the first volunteers to respond to leprosy in the 1860s,” Kupau said. “He had to have known this was a one-way ticket. He was tenacious before he died at 49.”

“That’s why I think it was important to not only honor him as a saint, but to celebrate how he lived because we have these young gentleman and ladies that are leaving our campus at 17 and 18 years old and we want them to have the courage of Saint Damien

to face those challenges with his same tenacity, same courage and same service for others.”

After the homecoming assembly, Kupau reflected on lessons learned from the students.

“I see that they have so much joy. So much respect and kindness toward each other. Right now, friendly competition. It’s contagious,” he said. “We as adults maybe need to also learn from the next generation, as well as try to give them some of our wisdom. And I think it’ll be a better place if we do that."

Looking ahead, he says the board of directors is prioritizing building a strong sense of community, increasing enrollment and community service opportunities, opening a culinary classroom on campus and finishing the De Veuster Multi-Sport Field.

His advice to the next generation? Kupau adds: “It starts from faith in God; respecting your parents, grandparents, elders; reminding ourselves that no amount of success comes without those who have sacrificed for you to be here; and I think that comes from the sacrifice of Jesus, the sacrifice of Saint Damien; the sacrifices of your parents and loved ones. … Everything in life that leads to success starts with sacrifice. And we should always be mindful and grateful for those sacrifices.”

Learn more about Saint Damien School and its Fall Open House planned for Saturday, Nov. 7, from 9 to 11 a.m. 

Saint Damien gym

<title>Kids, community embrace new name for Damien Memorial School</title>

Following a ceremonial mass over the weekend, students and staff celebrated the recent name change from Damien Memorial School to Saint Damien School in honor of Father Damien of Molokai, who was canonized 17 years ago by Pope Benedict XVI. The Kalihi private school’s President and CEO Walter “Wally” Marciel and Board Chair Lanson Kupau discuss the significance of this decision now and how it will shape future generations.

Kids, community embrace new name for Damien Memorial School

Lopaka and Tanya Kapanui

Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya Kapanui

Hawai‘i History

Banyan trees are a wonder of nature, where myths, legends, and ancient knowledge intertwine like the roots that hang from their branches.

In Buddhism, the banyan tree symbolizes enlightenment. In Hinduism, it is associated with the gods. And Asian folklore connects the banyan to spirits and magic. If the main trunk of a banyan is damaged or destroyed, it can continue to grow through its numerous roots, making it a symbol of eternal life and rebirth.

The Indian banyan (Ficus benghalensis) is the national tree of India, and represents longevity, strength, resilience, and the enduring bonds of community. A 700-year-old tree in Munger, Bihar, India is considered the oldest banyan in the world, with radiocarbon dating of its wood samples confirming it has been standing since the 1300s.

In Chinese culture, banyan trees are notable for their excellent feng shui and symbolize longevity and perseverance. They are also home to earth gods that protect their villages. In Hainan, China’s smallest and southernmost province, the banyan tree is regarded as a spirit tree that can ward off evil spirits and communicate with God. Shrines are often built at the base of these trees, and in many cases, people worship the trees themselves.

Throughout the Philippines, banyan trees are often believed to be home to engkantos, environmental spirits, as well as frightening beings like the Tikbalang and Kapre. Stories of encounters with these spirits have led many people to show respect when passing them and to leave the trees untouched, never cutting them down. Offerings were once made to appease the spirits they thought dwelled within the trees.

Across Asia, many people believe that spirits, ghosts, and deities inhabit banyan trees. The folklore in many of these cultures warns against sleeping or lingering beneath them, especially after dark, for fear of disturbing restless spirits or malicious entities.

While it’s quite common to see massive banyans in Hawai‘i, many don’t realize that these trees are not native to these islands. Archibald Cleghorn, Princess Ka‘iulani’s father, planted the first banyan tree in Hawai‘i around 1870, at ‘Ainahau, their family estate in Waikīkī. In April 1873, missionaries from India gifted a banyan to Maui Sheriff William Owen Smith, who planted it in Lāhainā to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first Protestant mission to Lāhainā.

The original banyan at ‘Ainahau is no longer there, which makes the one in Lāhainā one of the oldest banyans in the U.S. Although it was significantly damaged during the great fire in 2023, the Lāhainā banyan stands today as a cultural and historical landmark and represents the enduring spirit of Lāhainā and the people of Maui.

For more than 150 years, banyans have been planted all across our islands. The giant trees provide comforting shade beneath their sprawling canopies, while aerial prop roots that grow down from their branches offer endless fun for children.  

The two banyan trees adjacent to Ali‘iolani Hale in Downtown Honolulu are estimated to have been planted between 1882 and 1887. There is no record as to who planted them, but they are listed in Honolulu’s Register of Exceptional Trees and are protected under that status.

The trees are home to birds, including the indigenous manu o kū (white tern or fairy tern), the occasional four-legged pest, and perhaps something more. 

Rumors of hauntings and lingering spirits within the confines of the banyans have been around for years. One night, I came across a sheriff rushing past the trees on his way to his car. I offered a greeting, and he stopped to look at me.

[{"type":"text","text":"“You’re that ghost guy, yeah?” He pointed."}]

When I confirmed I was who he thought I was, he decided to share his story.

The sheriff said that the night before, he parked his car under the banyans because he had to visit the Kekuanaoa Building next door to check on some electricians working in the basement. When he was finished, he got back in his car, buckled his seatbelt, and then turned on his a/c. He paused to type a note into his phone and said he felt two hands come up from behind, grab his duty belt, and readjust it as he sat there. Barely a second later, he felt fingertips run through his hair, and he heard a voice call him by his name.

The man jumped out of his car, hand on his sidearm, ready to confront whoever was hiding in his vehicle. But no one was there.

Looking around, heart pounding and completely puzzled, something in the canopy above him caught his attention. The sheriff looked up and saw a thin, black figure walking from branch to branch. It stopped just above him and leaned down, as if to get a better look.

He said that while he knew the banyans near the Supreme Court Building are from India, the feeling he got from them was similar to what he encountered in the Philippines, where deceased relatives were presented to the banyan, or balete, as offerings for the ancestors, the spirits, and the gods. 

“I park in the main lot now,” the sheriff said. “If those guys need something, they can text.”

Banyans at Aliiolani Hale

<title>Haunted Banyans at Ali‘iolani Hale</title>

The two banyan trees next to Ali‘iolani Hale were planted in the 1880s. Such trees carry a wealth of symbolism throughout Asian cultures — enlightenment, divinity, magic, longevity, strength, and more. Legends also surround banyan trees as the abodes of ghosts and mysterious spirit beings. That was the experience of one Hawai‘i sheriff, who shared a frightening encounter with our authors.

Daily Smile: Monday, Oct. 19, 2026

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Daily Smile: Monday, Oct. 19, 2026

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