Opinion
Talking story about values.
The staff reporters at Aloha State Daily have a clear mission on the news side of the house: to tell you what happened, not what to think or how to feel about what happened. Here in the opinion section, we want to talk story about values — what we think Hawai‘i should do, or should not do, and why. This is where we welcome informed debate and where people can argue for their perspective.
Haunted halls of Honolulu Hale
Honolulu's city hall, Honolulu Hale, is nearly a century old — old enough to acquire a reputation for sightings of a supernatural nature. Here's the history of how the building came to be, and what people have experienced in its hallways.
Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya KapanuiNovember 12, 2025
Hamada: Weighing emotions versus pragmatism on illegal immigration
Feelings to the contrary aside, nothing about the enforcement of immigration law contradicts America's ideals as a place the welcomes newcomers or that helps people escape oppression.
Rick HamadaNovember 12, 2025
Pipikaula Corner: I am an AI hallucination!
"Don't let Hawaiian Kam Napier fool you," the closed captioning said. That's not what the speaker said, however. Welcome to the hallucinatory reality of current AI.
A. Kam NapierNovember 11, 2025
Pipikaula Corner: How the City keeps Honolulu afraid
On the issue of homelessness, it's as if the people and their government live on different planets. As an exchange at a recent Neighborhood Board meeting shows, everyday people are expressing real fear that goes unacknowledged by officials spouting jargon.
A. Kam NapierNovember 06, 2025
The bones beneath the Contessa
The Contessa condominium in Mo‘ili‘ili stands where Kamo‘ili‘ili Church and its mainly Hawaiian graveyard had served the community since 1850. The remains of nearly 500 people were moved for the condo, but workers and residents over the years have reported chilling tales of the spirits that remain.
Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya KapanuiNovember 05, 2025
What endures in Palaka?
Palaka — the fabric — has passed through many hands and generations to become a distinctive fabric of the Islands, reflecting its multicultural history. So, too, has Palaka Power, the political philosophy that took its name from the working-class history associated with the humble cloth. Is there a place for that philosophy now?
Perry ArrasmithNovember 05, 2025
Hamada: Awareness and compassion needed for mental health issues
People don't hesitate to get help if they catch a flu or sprain an ankle. Looking after one's mental health should be just as natural and free of shame or stigma.
Rick HamadaNovember 04, 2025
Ages of unrest at Windward Mall
The former Sears store in particular had been a nexus for unexplained activities — staffers and shoppers pushed by unseen forces, clothes flung along their racks.
Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya KapanuiOctober 29, 2025
Hawai‘i Then and Now: Kealakekua's Aloha Theater
Built in 1932 for movies by the Tanimoto family, this South Kona landmark started offering live theater performances as early as 1939. Now it's the full-time home of the Aloha Performing Arts Company, where, Artistic Director Sarah Athens says, "Anyone can be an actor. Anyone can be an artist. All you have to do is want it.”
Andrea CavaliereOctober 29, 2025
Hamada: What I love about "Community Matters"
Here are just a few of the many worthy nonprofits in Hawai‘i that I've gotten to know through my years in talk radio. All of them do important work and deserve our support.
Rick HamadaOctober 28, 2025
Unseen visitors at the Mission Houses
Between 1821 and 1832, missionaries built three houses on what was then a dry and dusty plain. A city has grown up around then since then, but eerie shadows of the past have been seen at these Honolulu landmarks.
Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya KapanuiOctober 22, 2025
Hamada: "No Kings" anything but grassroots
A well-funded, Washington, D.C., organization supports these protests and while we can all applaud the right to free speech being celebrated in the streets, it's worth pointing out that the content of that "No Kings" speech borders on defamation and libel.
Rick HamadaOctober 21, 2025