I’ve had the privilege of spending some time at the summit of Mauna Kea and experienced its spectacular beauty. It was majestic and breathtaking (perhaps the altitude had something to do with it). Mauna Kea is truly a very special place and should be respected and protected. Unfortunately, that’s not happening.
In my opinion, it’s disrespectful to Mauna Kea to spread opala (trash) all over the place, turn it into a huge parking lot and squat on the roadway to prevent folks (some of whom are graduates of Kamehameha School) from getting to their jobs, studies and construction of a new tool for the continuation of exploration and discovery of the night sky.
It is disrespectful to turn this sacred ground into an arena of discontent, confrontation and contentious behavior.
It is disrespectful to ignore the lawful requests of the public-safety folks who are trying to peacefully and safely resolve a potentially dangerous situation.
It is disrespectful to display the Hawaiian flag upside down. Some say it’s to show distress. The Hawaiian culture is not distressed. It is strong and the flag that represents it should be displayed correctly and proudly.
Let’s journey back to 1814 (War of 1812) when the British fleet was bombing Ft. McHenry in Baltimore Harbor.
A 35-year-old lawyer was sent to negotiate a cease fire with the British. The ship that he boarded had prisoners in its hold. The British commander told the lawyer that he would silence his cannons and release the prisoners when the American flag came down. The prisoners kept asking the lawyer if their flag was lowered. It wasn’t and the cannon fire continued.
The flag over Ft. McHenry flew proudly throughout the night. The lawyer wrote a poem he called the “Defense of Ft. McHenry.” The lawyer’s name was Francis Scott Key, and the name of his poem was changed to the “Star Spangled Banner.” Like the American flag over Ft. McHenry, the Hawaiian flag should never be lowered or indicate distress. It should fly proudly to show that the culture is alive and strong!
The disrespect of flags was demonstrated recently by person(s) who broke into the Kauai Veterans Center (private property) and lowered its American flag to half-mast and turned its Hawaiian flag upside down. This was not only disrespectful, it was unlawful!
I presume this act of vandalism was inspired by what is going on on another island(s). Unlawful obstruction and disrespect in all forms should cease. This act of vandalism has upset veterans, young and old, who put their lives on the line to protect this country and preserve the rights we all enjoy, including the right to assemble and protest (lawfully).
On the other hand, construction of TMT is respectful because it would be a “shrine” marking a sacred place, honoring the ancient wayfinders who studied the night sky which ultimately led to the creation of the Hawaiian culture.
All Hawaiians will be beneficiaries because folks from around the world will recognize that the exploration and discovery of ancient wayfinding mariners is continuing at this sacred site. Of course, a very large Hawaiian flag should proudly and correctly fly at TMT to demonstrate that the Hawaiian culture is alive and well!
Let’s not rekindle destructive fires of the overthrow of the monarchy. It was a sad and tragic time, but we need to move on. What has been done is done. The restoration of Hawaiian sovereignty should be sought in a different way and place.
The contentious demonstrations are not promoting the Hawaiian culture, a culture of aloha (love and compassion), the culture I love. It’s sending a message of anger, confrontation and disruption. We need to live and work together in peace and harmony.
Scientists and protesters must unite and resolve their differences. Sir Winston Churchill said: “If we are united, nothing is impossible. If we are divided, failure is assured.”
The visit of Gov. David Ige to Mauna Kea was a great start. It demonstrated that he and the protesters are not adversaries. It was very emotional for me to watch him connect with what he called “protectors.”
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Jim Jung is a Kapaa resident.
