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.
Its gods land anyway……so quit all the sillyness
Aloha Kakou, , Aloha Jim,
Much has been said, but just what are the benefits to the people of Hawaii or the world from the TMT on Mauna Kea.
Seeing a star being born …but due to travel of light over time it was born billions of years before we see it by telescope or some such nonsense. So what are the benefits…seems the biggest benefit is a $1.4 Billion dollar expense for tax payers for a hobby for astronomers, and an astronomical cost for that hobby.
So please tell us the human benefits besides rah rah high school or societal spirit of building a TMT, while populations on earth are suffering from hunger and homelessness or lack of purpose or job in life. Have the HOBBYISTS AND THE LOBBYISTS for the TMT HAVE No SHAME…!
The TMT on Mauna Kea feeds human suffering by taking up just so much of the available wealth on earth that the teachings of Buddha still are trying to replace that suffering with happiness and health.
A 30 meter astronomer toy is taking food from the mouths of starving keiki in this world. Astronomers are looking to outer space for answers when those answers to our problems are right here on earth…and most definitely not in the dreams of an over $1.4 Billion dollar hobby…gratifying only dreams excitement and fun.
Is there a clandestine side to the TMT, like the MILITARY…? Escape from the Planet of Earth…to go where…Mars…? Or Another Galaxy with other stars and planets? Why? Because of the few humans that set up the over abuse of a single earth natural resource gone wild, reckless, and irresponsible, but enormously
profitable. The same natural resource that sends rockets to the moon and missiles to destruction of other humans; it all comes from petroleum, either from oil wells or coal mines or or other oil sources all known as PETROLEUM, used to allow science, pseudo science and laboratory science reconfiguring of PETROLEUM MOLECULES, to become PETROCHEMICALS, then made INTO A MILLION FORMS OF PLASTIC…AND UNTOLD AMOUNTS OF OTHER COMMODITIES, that have and are destroying life forms of all species on earth, including the humans, by way of these petrochemicals poisoning our air, water, and land, poison petrochemicals on and in our food not to mention our homes, schools, and places of worship, petrochemicals so powerfully poisonous that even all the Gods prayed to cannot help our pollution problem driven by greed and an easy way of life.
Global Warming, a Red Herring deception used to cover up the Petrochemical industry that is responsible for 99% of the world’s pollution to all life on earth, ironically attacking it main users the humans.
When we left Nature behind, we abandoned our Creator and it’s Intelligence and it’s Perfection of Organization.and now we are in the hands of Mankind..and Womankind…God forbid…!
The array of petrochemical poisons is so vast it entails every drug for treatment of sickness and disease, laughingly called health care, and people begging for more and equal rights to it, and while campaigns for political office scream for disease care available to all, as disease and sickness in numbers and severity increase year after years, while that which is supposed to nurture us in health is almost 2 centuries old (petrochemicals) and is certainly leftovers from last century. It’s pathetic. You want a plane to trust that is from last mid half century, how about your diseases care you are getting. You know you are drug dependent when you go to the pharmacy. You deserve better than more drugs. We deserve actual health without drug dependency.
These same petrochemicals have worked their profitable ways into our food on every shelf of every store in every food, READ THE INGREDIENT “WARNING” LABELs, reinforced by another plant based drug besides opium and cocaine and marijuana…and that’s the dreaded disease inducing sugars…and now some foods have several kinds of sugar in every bite you take…then swallow.
You can choose to ignore al! of That and blame the cause of disease on swallowing, for without swallowing you will for the most part not have ingested the petrochemical poisons.
Astronomy, and what did the trip to the moon give us but some rocks, what have the other 13 telescopes given us, nary a PBS Progam or a Hoike viewing…of outer space.! More of same and then the science of surgery killed our main man with one small step for Man, with a botched heart surgery and a $6 million settlement. REST IN PEACE ASTRONAUT NEIL ARMSTRONG.
Jim, the teachings of Buddha have more answers than the TMT ON Mauna Kea will ever have.
And if you look at the TMT AS A red Herring to distract us from reality…while that TMT issue is going on, ON ALL ISLANDS; subdivisions on every island are being processed in Planning Depts statewide that will provide more housing for out of state and international foreigners than local people born and raised, many of whom will need a seat on the next rocket to who knows where and another family broken forever by their departure and family loss.
Jim, please come back to earth…? You’re one of our Guides…! TO INNER HAPPINESS…!
Aloha Charlie, Our children are stuck in low end service jobs, with far far too many living for meth and heroin. Good paying, and mentally stimulating jobs are the best way to break that vicious circle. And who is more likely to carry on the traditions of Hawaiian culture, an astronomer who looks into the beginnings of our existence, or a meth junkie?
Charlie, please, ….just a comment…….not a dissertation. Carry on.
Some folks are stuck in the past, but, thankfully, most look towards the future. Living in the past prevents us from advancing. We may very well need to establish other places to live other than the earth if we continue on our destructive path. Think ahead, not behind.
It is good to see that slowly there are others looking from the inside out with a clearer bigger perspective of what this Protest entails. With all do respect protesters, let go, let it be, move forward. It’s time to adept to changes in this era. Disrespect is only being displayed in its true form and meaning. ~
Excellent letter. The TMT will strengthen the future for na keiki with good paying and challenging jobs. What is more sacred than our children?
Jim one thing you wrote and Gov. Ige said is correct, we are the “Protectors.” Mahalo. You are wrong, we are protesting peacefully. Move forward? We are, we are uniting as a people who have been wronged.
Vandalism? How so?
Off the subject, if you want to stop trash from being in Hawaii, you should start by stopping other states from sending it here with no ID’s and one way plane tickets.
I agree with Jim. Is there anyone else with balls to say that?
Jim Jung, you writing this article is DISRESPECTFUL!!!!!
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH with selling our Aina!
MAHALO to all protecting MAUNA KEA.
“Move on”? It is so easy to see those that would conjure up such a ridiculous publishing, when the judiciary that Jim has been an accomplice has Zero jurisdiction and the u.s. regime that has tried to destroy these lands and people for mega dollars or “their own good”. READ Kinzer ‘Overthrow’. A century of U.S. regime change from Hawaii to Iraq. It is with great delight that the line drawn in the CocoPalms sand for ostrich heads that continue to advise kanaka to “move on”, when THEY are the very ones who have done everything possible to dismiss Hawaiian for americanization! GAME OVER! Score Warriors 3 U.S. terrorists ZERO. Time to wrap up your opala and hele on “to where it is you hail from” Trump SAID!
Great, great letter, Jim. Thoughtful and you hit the right questions. I, too, feel the TMT honors the great tradition of the Polynesians who became Hawaiians by following the stars. A tradition the vast majority of visitors and others alike have no knowledge. To even question the benefits of this telescope is like saying what did man on the moon get us. There are countless technological advances stemming from the space program. With all due respect but this living in the past will never solve the problems facing all Hawaiian residents. I feel for the keiki doomed to hear nothing but grumble instead of getting educated and make your people proud. This is the 21st century. The benefits of TMT cannot even be imagined just like Galileo with his telescope.
Take 5 minutes to email Gov Ige your opinion and let him know that there is a silent majority. American governance allows for public protest and I support that right but IMO this is misdirected
Just another stinkin mountain is All!
While wide ranging, I agree with Charlie. Balls out! Whatever that implies. TMT won’t be the end of the anything, but it would be great to see this same fervor applied to cleaning up the messes we’ve created.
Maybe this can be the last giant telescope (wherever it goes), then we can put the same energy towards mending this planet. To be oblivious while looking for oblivion is such a rank human trait. — Respect the gift we already have.