Missed Kauai at pageant
I just saw the Miss Hawaii Scholarship Pageant on TV.
I looked and looked for a Miss Kauai representative. I didn’t recognize any Maui or Kauai names. Out of the 17 contestants, at least three seemed to be from the Big Island. All the rest were Oahu names.
Just checking. We used to be represented. Are none of our local charities willing to be involved? What about our Miss Kauai Filipina? The Miss America organization must be one of the oldest in the nation.
Helena Cooney, Kapaa
Come together as a common tribe
Peering into outer space is well enough. At what point, though, do we spend as much time and energy looking into inner space?
Gov. Ige granting extra police powers to arrest Hawaiian elders at Mauna Kea in defense of their culture is both atrocious and shameful. We often point our fingers at China and Russia for the authoritarian nature of their governments, yet fail to look in a mirror to see our national reality.
A two-minute visit to anyone’s backyard garden should convince anyone of the diversity of nature, let alone a walk in the woods or a short dive beneath the sea. Racism is a spiritual disease, the foundation of genocide, and a crime against creation and the creator. My friend kuma hula Puna Dawson once told me that the meaning of the word “Hawaii” is “those who share in the breath and the water.” This, then, includes all people, as well as the plant and the animal kingdoms as well.
I sincerely hope that Gov. Ige, the scientists and the various nations that wish to build this telescope would all start acting like Hawaiians that we all are and put a moratorium on building it until a proper parley with the kupuna of the land.
I look forward to the time when the nations and cultures of this world start treating each other as ohana and recognize all good-hearted and good-acting people as our common tribe, and above all the lifting of the daily and humiliating oppression of the kanaka people in their homeland, certainly one of the best-loved cultures of this world.
This entire garden planet and every individual life and our time spent here is sacred, and isn’t it about time that we start acting like it?
Kelly Ball, Sebastopol, Calif.
Ms. Ball,
I agree with your sentiment about treating all people equally as we are all on this planet together and the world needs to change the direction it is heading. I don’t agree that, as you put it, ‘…and above all the lifting of daily and humiliating oppression of the kanaka people in their homeland, certainly one of the best loved cultures in the world’.
Since when are the kanaka people not allowed to do whatever any other resident of Hawai’i does. They have all the same opportunity to build their own lives, create successes and prosper or fail. They are not being held down.
Ms Ball, ty for your comment, and please do not listen to commonsense, since she has NO clue about U.S. military oppression, humiliating and for 125 years! HawaiianKingdom.org truth and integrity, not stolen mailboxes, telescopes, superferry, missile incoming.
What exactly is a “common tribe”? shrooms in season?
Socialist looking for more Handouts!
They say you have a right to nationality for starters…yet I can’t be recognized as a subject of the Hawaiian Kingdom, forced to be tried as an American in fake state court. They will tell you the Hawaiian Kingdom does not exist. I believe they call that genocide.
No, Born. Genocide is what the Tahitians did to the Marquesans who where established here already when the Tahitians arrived. The Tahitians murdered and enslaved them. The descendants of these Tahitians, who are now referred to as Native Hawaiians, have no righteous claim to being the subject of genocide when their hallowed ancestors practiced it themselves on the true original settlers of these islands. The facts matter.
Please go back on your medication.
Ah, not being able to declare “Diplomatic Immunity”, after breaking a law, by declaring you are a “Kingdom Disciple”……..wait for it……..is not geneocide. FFS.
that is definitely not the definition of genocide
Another person who throws the term “Hawaiian” around like everyone is supposed to know what that means. A quote from your letter reads: “My friend kuma hula Puna Dawson once told me that the meaning of the word “Hawaii” is “those who share in the breath and the water.” This, then, includes all people, as well as the plant and the animal kingdoms as well.” So, everyone who lives in Hawaii would be Hawaiian, including me. As a Hawaiian, I believe there is room for both the telescope and areas on the mountain where those who chose, can worship ancient make-believe gods if they chose. Do people really believe there is a god of the mountain? Wow. I guess whatever makes you happy and lets you avoid having to deal with facts and reality is fine with me, as long as it doesn’t bother my existence. I believe religion may be one of the most destructive concepts in the history of man. It is still a huge source of misery, war, death and pain all over the world.
To the “Gospel according to James” I say “bravo”! You hit the nail squarely on the head. In my opinion anyone who comes to Hawaii with the intent to become an integral part of the community, reflecting the values that make us who we are, deserves to be called “Hawaiian”. No one group should lay exclusive claim to that title. The spirit of “Aloha” should be our guiding principle. It encompasses the best of all religions and beliefs in its concept. Practice it every day and do your part to make the world a better place.