Letters: Don’t miss the deals in south of Big Island

More sweet deals on the Big Islands

Rosemary McClure’s article on Big Island restaurants [“Big Island, Sweet Deals,” April 18] was informative, but she neglected to visit the southern part of the island. In the small town of Naalehu, there are two excellent choices. Shaka, on Highway 11, and Hana Hou, right off the highway, are excellent, reasonably priced choices when you’re making the drive from Kailua Kona to the Kilauea volcano. At both restaurants you can have a wonderful dinner for less than $20.

-- Donna Prysi, Rolling Hills Estates

Young fliers and violent films

Johanna McCarthy’s experience trying to protect her children from violent images shown during an airline flight, as detailed in April 11’s On the Spot column (“G Is for Gee Whiz”) is, unfortunately, all too common. In 2006, in response to American Medical Assn. reports that exposure to violent images is medically harmful to kids, and in response to the fact that R-rated films with scenes of murder, torture and death were being shown in full view of children on publicly viewable (drop-down) airline screens, my wife, Helen, and I created https://www.kidsafefilms.org.

I ended up leading a nationwide coalition of liberals and conservatives determined to protect children from violent images on airlines. After all, this is the one channel you can’t change and the one theater you can’t walk out of.

The result of our efforts was the Family Friendly Flights Act introduced in the House of Representatives by Rep. Heath Shuler (D-N.C.) in the fall of 2007. [It died.]

I know all the arguments against us. We should keep our kids otherwise entertained. We’re too sensitive. We’re trying to control what other people watch on airlines. None of these arguments addresses the basic facts: Kids are harmed by exposure to violent images. By asking that airlines be required to stop airing these images in direct view of our kids, we are asserting our responsibilities as parents.

No one is asking the airlines to entertain our kids. That is our responsibility. All we’re asking is that they don’t terrify them.

-- Jesse Kalisher, Chapel Hill, N.C.

I read “G for Gee Whiz” with great interest. I’ve traveled many times with my kids and am always amazed at the violence and sexual content that airlines force-feed my kids. I believe a parent needs to take responsibility for what her children are exposed to, but it’s hard to do in a confined space when the overhead TV is showing violent previews or the person in the next seat opts to watch a TV show with adult content. Thanks for raising this issue, and thanks to the mom who did not silently chalk it up to another unfortunate intrusion into our ability to make parenting choices for our children, like I did.

-- Beck Taylor, Santa Monica

A mini-vacay, thanks to Spano

Regarding “A Waltz Down the Isle,” April 11: I love Susan Spano’s travel articles. I started reading the L.A. Times Travel section in earnest about nine years ago when my youngest child was a year old. Eight months later, we had our second child. We did not do any traveling at that time, and daily life was very busy and demanding. So I would turn to The Times’ Travel section to vicariously live through it. On Sunday evenings, I would pour myself a glass of wine and read about all the wonderful places that were visited by your writers. Spano really struck a chord with me. Her writing paints a picture of what an area is like, and I can imagine myself in her shoes as she explains the foods she eats, the wines she drinks and the beautiful settings and architecture she sees. Reading her articles is like slipping into a mini-vacation in my own home.

-- Maureen George, Irvine