Yeah, this seems to be a common reaction of some people. I'm sorry you feel that way. I think it's odd, but who am I to judge. I find the "Pahoans" to be way more chill about this than the folks "from away."

Losing your home to lava would suck, but the folks who live in Pahoa know the risks. Pele gives, and Pele takes away. That said, life goes on, and property destruction isn't exactly the most horrific thing in the world. I lived in Miami during Hurricane Andrew and my condo was partially destroyed. People came to look at it, to see what nature's fury could do. I didn't see anything wrong with that, and I don't recall any of my neighbors having a problem with folks looking, either. Why would we? It was a very unusual natural phenomenon, something you probably SHOULD see for yourself if you could. We certainly didn't tell people they could only view the destruction of the palm trees and mangroves and not the buildings. I would submit that if you're offended by somebody looking at the oddity of your house being destroyed by lava, you're prone to be easily offended! I mean, are you truly offended by folks watching A LOCAL ROAD destroyed? Really?

And, of course, the property destruction is not really what the tourists want to see. They want to see the flowing lava. I can't imagine anyone not wanting to see flowing lava -- it is truly a marvel of nature. But, for years, the Kilauea lava hasn't been very accessible to view. As it comes closer to the main roads, it become accessible. Pahoa is just where the access is. If people could see it elsewhere, I'm sure they'd be happy with that, too.